- Role
- Project lead through Maple Spark Labs
- Organisation
- Large utility operator
- Timeframe
- 2022–2024
- Status
- Complete
- Kind
- Program
- Focus
- Customer experience
- Crisis communications
- Complaint management
- Customer research
- Regulated utilities
Problem
Years of utility acquisitions had left customer-notification systems and processes fragmented. During an outage or emergency, customers could receive duplicate or conflicting messages from different channels. Not knowing what happened or when service may return is more than an inconvenience when communications involve wildfire risk, winter heating, or vulnerable customers.
Constraints
The experience crossed multiple service territories, notification tools, operating teams, technology partners, and regulatory obligations. No single screen or message could be improved in isolation.
Approach
I led detailed customer-experience research across outage and emergency communications. We mapped customer journeys, operational handoffs, communication channels, and the technology supporting each touchpoint. That exposed gaps such as inaccurate information, duplicate notifications, and conflicting messages.
I worked with internal teams and technology partners to prioritize and implement improvements across the end-to-end communication flow.
Current state
The research and improvement work ran from 2022 to 2024, with changes implemented alongside the organization’s technology partners.
What I learned
An outage message is the visible end of a larger service system. Clear communication depends on the data, handoffs, ownership, and technology behind it.