Why grid operators must rethink service

The energy sector has been in a state of transformation for several years, but this shift has accelerated dramatically in the wake of the war in Ukraine. The drive for greater energy independence and rapid decarbonization has intensified, pushing both businesses and private households to explore alternative energy sources and invest in new technologies, particularly in renewable energy and electromobility. Policymakers are reinforcing this trend through initiatives such as the German Building Energy Act (GEG), requirements for electromobility, and Mandatory solar/PV systems for buildings and parking spaces in many federal states. In 2024 alone, Germany installed more than one million new solar systems for electricity and heat generation, according to the German Solar Industry Association.

Decisive changes and their implications

For energy and grid operators, this transformation goes far beyond technical adjustments to the new energy landscape. It also reshapes how they interact with their customers—and how these interactions are perceived. Customers are increasingly becoming active market participants: they generate their own electricity, raise questions about grid infrastructure, expect digital services, and demand fast, transparent communication. At the same time, regulatory pressure is mounting, with stricter requirements for transparency, information, and accessibility. Grid operators therefore find themselves caught between regulatory responsibility and rising customer expectations. To meet these demands and build trust in a rapidly evolving energy future, they must strategically realign their customer service.

While the energy transition to date has mainly required adjustments on the generation side and in grid expansion, the growing connection of private PV systems and home charging units (wallboxes), along with the mandatory rollout of smart meters, is now putting distribution system operators (DSOs) and Metering Service Provider increasingly at the center of the transformation.

In the past, DSOs had only very limited direct contact with end customers. Customer service in the mass market, especially for private households, was generally handled by energy retailers. Due to unbundling regulations, DSOs were largely decoupled from this process. Historically, their business has therefore been geared primarily toward B2B processes and interactions with municipalities. As a result, DSOs are neither technologically nor organizationally prepared to handle large volumes of private customer inquiries—lacking both scalable service structures and the specific know-how required to address these new challenges.

From infrastructure focus to customer expectations

As things stand, customer inquiries are often still answered via traditional channels such as phone or email and then forwarded to in-house specialists for further processing. Digital and service-oriented touchpoints are only available in isolated cases for specific topics, and cross-channel customer service is rarely offered.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that many DSOs only have rudimentary customer data in their CRM systems—if such systems exist at all. Typical customer data is primarily collected and processed by retail companies. By contrast, DSOs historically have only managed information about the technical infrastructure and connection users in their operational systems. This often makes it difficult to clearly assign contact details, user histories, or communication preferences.

Beyond a weak data foundation and the lack of infrastructure for customer service, organizational factors also limit scalability. Customer inquiries are typically handled by employees in various specialist departments rather than by dedicated service teams. As a result, fluctuating availability and unclear responsibilities make it difficult to process requests quickly and efficiently.

At the same time, the number of private customers registering their installations with local grid operators has been rising sharply for months. Given the significantly higher inquiry volumes, the existing customer service setup is increasingly reaching its limits. The current structures and processes are often not scalable enough to meet these demands. In particular, there is a lack of consistent digitization and automation. Technologies such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) or Artificial Intelligence (AI), which could handle simple, standardized inquiries efficiently and relieve employees, are still used either not at all or only to a limited extent. This results in overburdened staff, longer processing times, and declining service quality.

As a consequence of these challenges, customer dissatisfaction is rising noticeably. In the long run, this can have serious implications: higher complaint rates, growing customer churn, and, most critically, a lasting loss of trust in the grid operator. This can negatively impact customer loyalty and harm the company’s public image—particularly in an increasingly transparent and competitive energy market. In this tension between customer orientation and cost efficiency, such a negative perception can quickly become a major issue for DSOs, for example during the next grid concession tender.

Customer service strategy as a systematic approach

To meet the new and future challenges in customer communication, grid operators must fundamentally realign their customer service strategies and develop a holistic approach to the “Next-Generation Customer Service.” This should be defined within a clear target vision and central guiding principles. At the core lies a consistent focus on the customer’s concern: fast, targeted mediation and efficient problem-solving, supported by modern technologies.

A key component is the integration and intelligent networking of all relevant communication channels – from traditional telephony to digital channels such as chat, social media, or self-service portals. Increasingly, digital channels are being enhanced through AI technologies such as voice and chatbots. Telephony itself is also undergoing digital advancement: by using voice bots as a first layer, up to 40% of requests can be handled automatically. At the same time, service agents receive relevant information about the customer’s request in advance through AI-supported analysis, enabling more efficient and customer-centric support – including targeted routing to the appropriate department, e.g., billing, application, or complaint management. In addition to digitalization, manual telephone customer service should also be further developed – for example, through strong first-level support, structured knowledge management, and real-time access to relevant customer data.

To ensure a consistent customer experience and cross-channel support, it is essential to consolidate all channels in the backend on a powerful contact center platform. Another crucial aspect of customer centricity is building a consistent data foundation that enables a holistic view of customers. Historically, grid operators have often focused on technical objects such as systems or grid connections. For modern, service-oriented customer care, however, a shift in perspective is required: away from an object-centered view – toward a data-driven customer perspective. Only in this way can cross-channel service processes be efficiently designed and the foundation for a future-proof contact center be established.