Central Maine Power Company (CMP) has added new features to its telephone system to give customers faster response and more detailed information when reporting power outages.
“Ninety-eight percent of the customers who call to report an outage use our company’s interactive phone system, because it’s quick, efficient, and accurately records the details of the outage,” said John Carroll, CMP spokesman. “Our new system adds more features that should make routine calls easier and allow us to provide better information back to the customers.”
Customers will have new options to speed up routine reports:
• Enhanced voice recognition software that gives customers an option to speak to the system rather than using the push buttons on their phone keypad.
• The ability for customers to provide a ZIP Code if the system does not automatically recognize the address of the phone number from where they are calling – a real plus for cell phone users.
• More detailed updates on the cause of outages and restoration times based on the location of the caller.
“Our phone system identifies a customer’s location when an outage call comes from a phone number listed on the account. But with more people using cell phones, we were seeing more calls from numbers that don’t match our account records,” Carroll said.
“If the new system detects an unmatched number, it prompts the customer to provide a ZIP Code. This lets the system establish the address of the outage, so we can provide the latest available information for the caller,” Carroll said.
Any call from a customer to report an outage will automatically generate a repair order that is logged in the company’s work management system. Customers may also hear a recorded message about outages in their area. Customers can always choose to speak with a Customer Service Representative if they prefer that to the company’s automated system.
“We need to offer people options and efficiency. That’s a fundamental requirement for good customer service,” Carroll said. “We’re investing in new and better technology to meet our customer’s needs and expectations.”
