On May 5, 2025, Talkdesk published the availability of the Talkdesk Utilities Experience Cloud, a new, AI-driven customer experience cloud designed for utility companies. From power outages to billing inquiries, this platform can do it all with ease, on any channel, without any lag or misinformation.
In 2024, the average residential electric bill in the United States was $182, a new record high, resulting in customer satisfaction dropping for the fourth year in a row, having the biggest declines in customer service and billing. Furthermore, just 57% of utility customers said they were satisfied with their experience, below that of other industries. Imagine never having to wait on hold when the power goes out. Or having a billing update delivered immediately without ever having to talk with a live rep. With this new platform, that's possible. It leverages sophisticated AI learned on utility data, enabling customers to receive quick, tailored assistance through voice, chat, or digital media whenever they need it.
So how is it done?
The Utilities Experience Cloud integrates agentic AI and intelligent automation to streamline support processes. It interfaces directly with core systems such as customer information systems (CIS), outage management (OM), and GIS platforms. This implies that when a customer calls, the system already has their location, account information, outage status, and usage history.
But the platform doesn't end at reactive service. It's proactive, too. Utility companies can send personalized notifications automatically during power failures or regular updates such as billing reminders. All of this without excessive IT intervention, courtesy of its no-code deployment and out-of-the-box flows.
What Sets It Apart? Talkdesk's AI agents have several one-of-a-kind features:
Context-Aware Conversations: The AI knows a customer's entire history, from the status of their bills to their history with their services.
Workflow Enabled: It is able to fix problems or even open outage tickets.
Emotionally Intelligent: The AI adjusts its tone based on its perception of urgency and dissatisfaction.
Omnichannel Ready: No matter if the customer is on the phone, texting, or chatting on social media, the experience is flawless.
Compliance Focused: Security and data privacy are inherent, adhering to strict utility regulations.
Early Success Stories and the ROI of AI in Utilities
In the words of Talkdesk CEO Tiago Paiva, the platform allows utility companies to provide great service with little effort. "Whether it's assisting a customer in figuring out why their bill was high, verifying service restoration, or collecting past-due payments, Talkdesk makes it all easy," he said.
One of the first success stories was that of the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Their staff had an easy transition to Talkdesk, with shorter call times and fewer customer wait times from the beginning. JC Davis, director of customer care at that facility, referred to the transition as "even smoother than estimated," both extolling the support and ease of use.
AI is being more widely used in the utilities and energy industries. According to a recent report, 74% of utility and energy businesses have either adopted AI technologies into their operations or are thinking about doing so. Furthermore, utilities embracing AI in customer service are experiencing a return of $3.50 for every $1 invested, along with 20–40% call deflection rates and up to a 30% reduction in average handle time.
This release is one of Talkdesk's continued efforts to introduce customized AI solutions to sectors such as retail, banking, healthcare, and utilities, as well. Its long-term plan is to displace legacy systems with intelligent, elastic, and simple-to-embed platforms. You can see the new Utilities Experience Cloud live at booth #135 at the IUCX Conference in Phoenix, May 5-7, 2025.
A Message for Utility Companies
You don't need to sacrifice modernization for complexity. With Talkdesk Utilities Experience Cloud, you have real-time AI, virtual agents that sound like people, seamless system integration, and proactive communication all in one platform. It's a quicker method of serving customers, minimizing call volume, and resolving service disruptions with ease. In short, Talkdesk is revolutionizing what great utility customer service would be and making it far simpler to attain.
