AI-enabled customer experience programs combine flexible staffing, global delivery operations and human expertise to help energy providers maintain service continuity during demand spikes

iQor, a global customer experience business process outsourcing provider, has highlighted how its utilities and energy customer experience (CX) programs help energy providers maintain service continuity and customer trust as grid demand and service pressures increase.

The programs cover customer care, billing, first- and third-party collections, back-office support, meter services, fraud-related work and emergency response. The company points to AI-driven data center growth and extreme weather as factors making grid demand increasingly difficult to forecast using fixed staffing models. During major outage events, call volumes can rise to six to eight times normal levels, placing significant pressure on internal contact centers when customers need timely assistance.

Preparing for Demand Surges Across Utility Operations

Utilities are increasingly evaluating CX partners on operational resilience and their ability to respond to sudden demand increases, in addition to hourly costs. Providers need capacity that can absorb spikes without relying on last-minute recruitment once severe weather or an outage occurs.

iQor's delivery model draws on a dedicated energy and utilities network that includes U.S.-based work-at-home and site-based operations, as well as centers in Trinidad, Colombia and the Philippines. The network is supported by experienced utilities leadership and bilingual agent capabilities.

“No amount of AI and automation alone can protect a utility’s customer experience during storm season,” said Gail McLaughlin Toti, senior vice president of global sales at iQor, who oversees the company's utilities and energy client programs. “Automation can handle the routine work: usage checks, payments and appointment booking. Our people are there for the calls that matter most to a family: outages, billing disputes and shutoff threats. Our surge capacity is a footprint we already run for our utility partners, not a hiring plan we stand up once the storm hits.”

Rising Bills and Service Disruptions Add to Customer Pressure

Increasing grid complexity is creating challenges for both energy providers and their customers. According to a recent J.D. Power study, residential electric utility satisfaction fell to 499 out of 1,000 in 2025, its lowest recorded score. The average residential electric bill also reached $189 per month, the highest figure recorded by the organization.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index's Energy Utilities Study places the industry in the bottom quartile of the sectors it measures. The study cites severe weather, aging infrastructure and service disruptions beyond utilities' control as recurring factors affecting customer satisfaction.

As customer expectations and operational pressures increase, iQor argues that execution is becoming a key differentiator among CX providers, particularly as automation technologies become more widely available. The company focuses on operational performance measures including handle times, costs and documented client outcomes.

Documented Results for Energy and Utility Clients

iQor cited several examples of results achieved through its utility CX programs:

• Annual cost savings and efficiency: One Fortune 500 energy company achieved $3 million in annualized savings and a 20.3% improvement in average handle time after moving its customer operations to iQor's platform.

• Customer satisfaction and operational performance: Another Fortune 500 energy provider achieved 93% customer satisfaction, representing a 5.5% year-over-year increase. The partnership also generated $14 million in first-year savings and a 7% improvement in first-call resolution.

• Proactive outage communications: Utility customers who received five or more proactive outage updates recorded a safety and reliability satisfaction score of 699, a 210-point difference compared with customers who received no updates.

The examples highlight the role of operational efficiency, customer communication and proactive service in supporting utility customer experience.

Building Utilities Expertise Through Centers of Excellence

The company's utilities centers of excellence combine experienced leadership across its U.S., Trinidad, Colombia and Philippines operations with established career development paths.

Agents who develop expertise within a utility program can progress into supervisor or quality roles, helping retain operational knowledge and address the sector's lengthy training requirements. This structure is intended to support continuity and maintain service quality across delivery locations.

Expanding Global CX Capabilities for Energy Providers

As energy providers prepare for further storm-related demand fluctuations, iQor continues to expand its utilities and energy CX capabilities across its global delivery network.

The company's approach combines AI-enabled processes for routine customer needs with trained agents and flexible delivery capacity for complex or urgent interactions. The model is designed to help energy providers manage demand surges while maintaining customer support during outages and other service disruptions.

More information about iQor's energy and utilities solutions is available at iQor's Energy and Utilities page.