People who need help to solve electrical issues in their home will be able to get help via a video call for the first time ever, thanks to a new trial by UK Power Networks.
The ‘Our View’ project gives customers – including 2.2 million people registered as living in vulnerable circumstances, who may find it hard to understand how to do the necessary safety checks in their home – the option to talk to helpful advisors via video or send short video clips at their convenience.
When people report a power cut, advisors talk them through a checklist, and now people can also click on a link texted to their mobile phone, to connect on video. The advisor then guides the customer through the necessary safety checks to ensure they get the help that they need. They can share pictures of the process and electricity equipment involved, including trip switches and energy meters.
Early adopters have found the video calls made it quicker and easier to resolve issues, without the electricity company sending engineering crews to check the property’s mains supply. In some cases the combination of human and video intelligence quickly traced the problem to the property’s internal wiring, so the homeowner could call in an electrician.
Ian Cameron, Director of Customer Service and Innovation at UK Power Networks said: “It can be challenging and frustrating to explain a problem over the phone, especially when you find yourself alone and without power.
With this solution, customers will have the option to explain their problem to our staff, who can talk them through how to safely assess the problem, via video – and then add the video to the job notes for the engineer to see too. This will save the customer from having to explain their problem repeatedly, and allow us to get an engineer out to them as soon as possible if that’s what’s needed.
We serve many customers in vulnerable circumstances including the elderly, disabled and those who rely on support from loved ones and carers. Innovative solutions such as ‘Our View’ are vital to helping us deliver an outstanding service to all our customers. ‘Our View’ will make the process of resolving electricity issues more seamless, faster, and save our customers time and money.”
Vyntelligence co-founder & CEO, Kapil Singhal said: “We are delighted to partner with UK Power Networks on this exciting opportunity to transform customer experience. Working together, we are committed to empower customers with new & simpler ways of reporting via video saving customer wait times, saving unnecessary field visits and building a strong knowledge base that actively drives intelligence and insight.
Leveraging Vyntelligence, industry’s first deep-learning video collaboration platform, customer services and field engineering teams are set to deliver a superior & connected experience safely, efficiently & effectively. We remain committed to supporting the Energy industry quickly adopting new ways of working to beat the current environment of scarcity of experts & resources, high inflationary costs and rising customer expectations.”
If the pilot is successful, UK Power Networks plans to roll out ‘Our View’ across London, the East and South East.
About UK Power Networks
UK Power Networks owns and runs the cables and substations which deliver electricity from the national grid to 8.4 million homes and businesses across London, the South East and East of England, serving approximately 20 million people.
As the country’s biggest electricity distributor, it has invested more than £6.4 billion in its electricity networks since 2011, focusing on safety, network reliability, sustainability and affordability by caring for vulnerable customers and keeping costs low.
It is a founder member of the Levelling up Coalition, sixth on the UK Inclusive Companies list as well as one of only 2% of companies worldwide to achieve Platinum Investor in People status.
About Vyntelligence
Vyntelligence (Vyn) accelerates digital transformation of customer & frontline operations to deliver financial and ESG value with a unique video capture, collaboration & remote assurance platform.
Vyn’s AI-powered SmartVideoNotes platform automatically predicts next actions, enabling experts to remotely get more jobs done simply, effectively and safely improving Customer Experience and accelerating revenue realisation sustainably.
Headquartered in London, Vyntelligence has been delivering up to 9X ROI for global Energy, Telecom and Utilities customers such as Cadent Gas, Engie, EDP, Northumbrian Water, Welsh Water and Openreach.
Vyn has been granted US patents for Smart Data Capture, Ranking and Delivery of Insights. Ranked in the top 25 in the 2021 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 UK list, Vyn is the Best Smart Network Solution and Standout Performer in Publicis Sapient’s Inaugural Global EnergyTech Awards 2021 and the 2020 Free Electrons Programme winner. Vyn SmartVideoNotes™ and Vyntelligence are registered trademarks of humanLearning Ltd.
Related News:
UKPN Press Release
