Digital channels are transforming the way customers interact with the services they use. Communications are happening 24/7, conversations are no longer simply one-on-one and consumers are developing a kind of do-it-yourself attitude. In the face of all this, many utility companies recognize the importance of embracing these digital channels, both in terms of raising customer satisfaction and in boosting profitability. After all, these channels cost significantly less to run than more traditional methods such as phone calls. However, simply hurrying the transition of communications from traditional methods to digital methods without proper strategy actually can have adverse impact on customer satisfaction. This is because utilities run the risk of forcing customers into channels they do not prefer and, on top of that, not maintaining continuity of information with the channels they have used in the past. In order to determine the level of agreement between communication channels offered by utilities and the ones preferred by their customers , WNS DecisionPoint(TM) conducted a survey of over 60 energy utilities and their customers across the US, the UK and Australia regions. They survey clearly highlights a significant gap on the part of the utility companies in understanding their customers' channel preferences and which hold them back from realizing the benefits of a multi-channel approach. Based on this survey, key strategies are determined which utility companies can adopt if they want to be successful in the coming years. These strategies include: - Using analytics to gauge customer behavior and predict their current and future needs to increase marketing e¬ffectiveness - Understanding channel preferences of different customer segments for varied types of interactions - Off¬ering multi-channel options to customers and interacting with them through their preferred channels - Providing seamless, relevant and personalized omnichannel experience across channels - Optimizing omnichannel customer experience for better customer satisfaction and lower cost of operations To discover more about the power of omnichannel experiences in utilities, read the report at https://www.wnsdecisionpoint.com/our-insights/reports/detail/62/boosting-customer-satisfaction-while-reducing-operating-costs