Apogee Launches Envoy, an Extensive Digital Engagement Platform for Utilities

Personalized Utility Communications Increases Customer Satisfaction by 16%


ATLANTA, Feb. 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apogee Interactive, Inc. announced today their latest innovation, Envoy, a complete outbound communications platform for utility customer communications. This end-to-end digital engagement strategy includes personalized energy bill analysis videos, mid-cycle and threshold alerts, email messaging, and periodic energy summary reports. Findings from pilot programs studied over the last several years prove stellar results including increased customer satisfaction and program participation. Another powerful statistic is Apogee’s outbound messaging is achieving click through rates more than 30 times the industry average.

One large investor-owned utility analyzed the effectiveness of energy summary reports with a control group of 40,000 participants. This group saw a 16% increase in customer satisfaction with no negative impact. Another pilot program featuring personalized video bill analysis, reported that 98% of the video recipients wanted to continue receiving the videos and 93% reported they felt this was an effective way of communicating why the utility bill changed from month to month.    

Studies also prove high bills generate more calls to the call center than outages; the Envoy solution includes threshold and mid-cycle alerts that put the customer in control of their energy use, and reduces utility operating costs. By proactively communicating with customers through text or email alerts, Envoy gives them a chance to make a difference in behavior that impacts their bill before they make a call.

“Today’s energy customers are more demanding; they expect personalized, relevant digital engagement with the companies they do business with,” stated Lynn England, V. P. of Customer Engagement, Apogee Interactive. “We are finding our early adopters are meeting and exceeding their goals using the Envoy platform,” he continued. “Successful utility professionals are embracing digital channels and realizing their impact on program participation, revenue generation, and cost reduction.”

Susan Gilbert, CEO & President of Apogee added, “Apogee’s energy modeling was RESNET rated at the highest 'Home Rating' level and ranked most accurate by a sizeable margin.  This enables utilities to provide consistent, correct information across all communications channels while positioning utility providers as trusted source of energy information.”

JD Power reports in their 2017 Residential Utility Customer Satisfaction Study that digital communications between utilities and their customers has risen approximately 5% in the past year. JD Power also attributes higher customer satisfaction scores to multi-channel communications.

Apogee will formally unveil its outbound communications platform Envoy at the Association of Energy Service Professionals 2018 National conference in New Orleans, LA on February 19th.

About Apogee Interactive, Inc.

Apogee Interactive is nation’s leading full-service provider of proactive customer engagement software services for utilities. A partner with the utility industry since 1993, Apogee’s digital engagement platform delivers digital proactive, personalized communication to hundreds of North American utilities from coast to coast including some of the largest most progressive such as Southern Company, ConEd, PSEG, and Tucson Electric Power. For more information visit www.apogee.net or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/99046/

Apogee Contact: Karen Morris – 678-684-6801 – kmorris@apogee.net