Serve Every Caller: Building an Inclusive Utility Contact Center for Billing, Outages & Service Changes

Many utility contact centers still rely on voice-only systems that leave Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and limited-English customers without clear ways to get help. From billing to service changes to outage updates, accessible communication is no longer optional—it’s a customer expectation and a compliance obligation. Learn how utility leaders can build inclusive contact centers that serve every caller, meet accessibility standards, and strengthen community trust.

Accessibility Must Go Beyond Outage Alerts

Utilities have made significant progress in emergency preparedness—but everyday customer calls are where accessibility gaps persist. Contact centers handle far more than outage reports: billing questions, payment plans, move-in/move-out requests, and service safety concerns. If a customer can’t verify their identity, hear their balance, or understand their options clearly, it doesn’t matter how friendly your agents are—the system fails them. And those gaps don’t just create frustration. They result in longer handle times, repeat calls, compliance risk, and damaged brand trust.

Common Challenges Facing Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Customers

These barriers make everyday customer tasks unnecessarily difficult—and leave utilities exposed to avoidable risk. Common pain points include: 

• Voice-only menus with no captioned, visual, or TTY alternatives
• Caller verification processes that require speaking account details out loud
• No way to request interpreting services for billing or service-related calls
• Long hold times with no communication queue or any kind of update
• Repeat explanations when interpreters or agents aren’t aligned

These kinds of interactions create more than just frustration—they lead to longer call times, reduced trust, and increased exposure to ADA, FCC, and state-level noncompliance risks. For customers, the cost of inaccessibility is far too high. 

Metrics That Matter

To ensure accessibility improvements are working, utilities should track performance metrics that reflect both operational efficiency and customer experience: 

• Average Speed of Answer for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Callers:
  

  Long hold times often disproportionately affect customers using TTY services. 

• Percentage of Calls Resolved Without Escalation:
  

  A key indicator of whether accessible communication tools are reducing friction and helping customers get what they need the first time. 

• Repeat Call Rate for Billing or Service-Related Inquiries:
  

  A lower rate suggests customers are receiving clear, complete information the first time they call. 

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) by Accessibility Segment: 
  

  Helps identify experience gaps between Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, limited-English, and hearing customers. 

• TTY and Interpreter Service Usage Tracking:
  

  Supports internal QA, staff training, and audit readiness—essential for maintaining ADA and FCC compliance. 

How NexTalk Helps Utilities Serve Every Caller

NexTalk helps utility providers remove the most common barriers that deaf and hard-of-hearing customers face when trying to connect. Bringing accessibility into the center of your utility communication strategy by offering: 

• TTY support
• Over the Phone Interpreting (OPI) services
• Accessible & secure caller verification 
• Audit-ready logging to support compliance reporting
  

Ready to serve every customer—clearly, quickly, and compliantly? 

With NexTalk, your utility can deliver inclusive, reliable service to every customer—regardless of how they communicate. Our solutions are built to integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, reduce compliance risk, and ensure no caller is left in the dark. 

Let’s talk about how NexTalk can help your utility contact center be better for your customers.