In the energy and utilities sector, every customer interaction matters. Businesses are waking up to a powerful truth – great customer experiences start with great employee experiences. Behind every smooth service call or timely outage update is an employee empowered to deliver with empathy and precision. Employee Experience (EX) reflects how valued, supported and motivated workers feel, while Customer Experience (CX) captures how customers perceive their interactions with the brand. In a high-stakes industry where service disruptions trigger frustration, the link between EX and CX is critical.
The outdated view of EX and CX as separate priorities no longer holds; today, they operate in lockstep. By creating a culture that values both customer and employee experience, energy and utilities brands build loyalty, drive operational excellence and stay competitive in a service-driven market.
The connection between employee experience and customer experience is measurable and mission-critical for utilities. Here are 4 ways EX directly drives CX:
Faster issue resolution – Empowered and engaged employees resolve service disruptions and billing issues more quickly, improving first-contact resolution rates.
Higher customer satisfaction scores – Utilities with strong EX see noticeable boosts in CSAT and NPS, proving that happier teams create happier customers.
Reduced error rates – Well-trained and supported employees make fewer mistakes, leading to more accurate service delivery and fewer complaints.
Improved customer trust – Employees who feel respected and informed are more likely to communicate clearly and empathetically, building long-term customer confidence.
When employees are engaged, they become more than just workers – they become champions of the customer experience. Employee engagement drives performance in 3 ways:
Responsiveness gets a boost
Engaged employees take initiative. They respond to service requests more quickly, follow up proactively and stay alert to customer needs – especially during outages or periods of high demand.
Empathy comes naturally
Employees who feel valued and supported are more likely to extend that same empathy to customers. This creates more human, compassionate interactions – especially critical when customers are stressed or frustrated.
Service delivery improves
An engaged workforce brings consistency, accuracy and professionalism to every touchpoint. From call centers to field teams, engaged employees uphold service standards that enhance the overall customer experience.
To elevate both employee experience and customer experience, energy and utilities providers must invest in their people. Here are 5 proven strategies that link employee engagement to exceptional customer outcomes:
Training and enablement
Equip employees with the knowledge, tools and confidence they need to succeed. A strong training framework ensures teams are prepared to handle customer queries, system issues and emergency scenarios – leading to faster resolutions and greater customer trust.
Foster a culture of recognition
Recognize and reward great performance consistently. When employees feel appreciated for their contributions to customer experience, they stay motivated and deliver with more enthusiasm and care.
Empower frontline teams with technology
Give employees access to intuitive tools and real-time data. Frontline staff respond faster, personalize interactions and reduce service friction when they are empowered with the right technology – enhancing the customer experience at every touchpoint.
Encourage feedback and continuous improvement
Create open channels for employee feedback and act on it. When employees feel heard, they engage more deeply in their roles, leading to stronger alignment with CX goals and ongoing operational improvements.
Support well-being and work-life balance
Promote policies that support mental health, safety and work-life balance. Engaged, healthy employees show up with greater energy and empathy, improving both their experience and the customer experience they deliver.
A strong employee experience delivers real, measurable business impact. In the energy and utilities sector, improving employee engagement directly enhances customer outcomes in the following ways:
Reduced churn
Engaged employees are more likely to stay, reducing turnover and preserving institutional knowledge. A stable, experienced workforce leads to consistent service and stronger relationships with customers.
Higher service quality
When employees feel supported and empowered, they take pride in their work. This translates into accurate billing, prompt communication and smoother customer interactions – all vital in high-touch utility services.
Faster issue resolution
Well-trained and motivated employees act quickly. They diagnose problems faster, escalate when needed and resolve customer issues efficiently, creating positive experiences even in stressful situations.
Increased customer loyalty
Customers remember how they’re treated. When employee engagement fuels responsive, empathetic service, customers are more likely to stay loyal and recommend the brand to others.
Stronger brand reputation
Positive employee experience and customer experience go hand in hand. Together, they enhance the brand’s reputation, positioning utilities as trustworthy, people-first providers in a competitive market.
A major Australian energy distributor achieves 34% call deflection through EX-focused digital transformation
A major Australian energy distributor, partnered with Startek to modernize its call center, aiming to enhance both EX and CX. The initiative included deploying four natural language voice bots, a new IVR system with individual outage messaging, and an enhanced agent user interface. These improvements delivered 34% call resolution via virtual agents for electricity faults and reduced average handle time (AHT) by 100 seconds within six months – boosting both frontline efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Fortune 500 utility boosts FCR by 30% via training & tech enhancements
A Fortune 500 utility serving around 10 million customers improved its customer experience and employee confidence by enhancing agent training and upgrading its technology stack. This led to a 30% jump in First Call Resolution (FCR) – a strong indicator of both improved service delivery and employee efficacy.
Startek boosts employee experience through AI-driven coaching, real-time agent support and intelligent knowledge tools. These solutions empower agents to perform confidently, reduce errors and deliver faster, more personalized service. By enhancing employee experience, Startek directly improves customer experience – turning every agent into a CX champion.
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