Utilities: Improve the Customer Call Experience During Outages (Without Overloading Staff)

When outages hit, your phones become the front door for every question: Is power out in my area? When will it be back? Is this dangerous? If your callers can’t get answers fast, they call again—stacking hold time, inflating call abandonment, and burning out your team.

This guide shows a practical outage IVR + on-hold messaging setup that improves the customer call experience while protecting staff capacity.

Why outage calls crush the customer call experience (and your staff)

Outage surges are different from normal call volume because most callers want the same information at the same time.

Common call drivers during utility events:

• Outage confirmation (“Is it just my house?”)
• ETR/status checks (“Any update?”)
• Safety questions (downed lines, generator use, gas smell)
• Report-down requests (new outage, flickering, partial restoration)

The fix isn’t “work faster.” It’s voice automation: give callers the top answers immediately, then route the small percentage of high-risk or complex calls to humans.

Design an outage IVR that answers the top questions in under 60 seconds

A strong outage IVR does three things:

1. Confirms whether there’s a known outage
2. Shares the current restoration estimate (or explains why one isn’t available yet)
3. Provides a fast way to report hazards and emergencies

The 4-option menu that works for most utilities

Use a simple menu that matches how people think in a crisis:

1. Outage status & estimated restoration time (ETR)
2. Report an outage (if not already reported)
3. Report a hazard (downed line, sparking equipment, gas smell)
4. Billing/other (or “other services”)

If you want a deeper framework for simplifying phone trees, see: Transforming your phone tree from a maze to a map.

Where to place safety messaging so it’s heard (without trapping callers)

Put a short safety preface before the menu, and repeat safety reminders on hold.

Keep it factual and avoid medical/legal advice. Also, don’t let safety messaging accidentally block emergency help—your script should clearly tell callers when to contact emergency services (aligned with FCC guidance on 911 access: FCC wireline 911 guide).

When to route to an agent vs. self-serve

Route to agents when:

• The caller reports a hazard
• The caller has a special needs situation (e.g., medical device power concerns) and you have a defined process
• The caller is in a unique account scenario you can’t handle via automation

Everything else should be self-serve first.

IVR scripting template: outage status + ETR + report-down + safety

Below is a modular script. The goal: your team updates one “Outage Update” block without rewriting the whole tree.

Plug-and-play IVR script (copy/paste)

Greeting + safety (10–15 seconds):

> “Thanks for calling. If you see a downed power line, sparking equipment, smell gas, or there is an immediate danger, move to a safe location and call emergency services. For outage updates and reporting, choose from the following options.”

Menu:

> “Press 1 for outage status and estimated restoration time. Press 2 to report a new outage. Press 3 to report a hazard. Press 4 for billing and other services.”

Option 1: Outage status & ETR (modular block):

> “We’re currently responding to an outage affecting parts of [AREA]. Crews are on site. The current estimated restoration time is [ETR WINDOW]. If your location is not included, press 2 to report a new outage.”

Option 2: Report outage (capture essentials):

> “To report an outage, we’ll ask a few quick questions. If you are calling about a downed line or immediate danger, press 3.”

Option 3: Hazard routing:

> “For downed lines, sparking equipment, or gas odor, please stay at a safe distance. We’re connecting you now.”

Option 4: Other services:

> “For billing and account services, please hold while we connect you.”

Safety references you can adapt into short, plain-language reminders:

• Power outage preparedness basics: Ready.gov power outages
• Generator/CO risk reminders: CDC carbon monoxide guidance

Short version for extreme call volume

When hold time is climbing, shorten:

• Greeting (1 sentence)
• Safety (1 sentence)
• Status (1–2 sentences)

Example status line:

> “Outage in [AREA]. Crews responding. Latest ETR: [TIME]. For hazards, press 3.”

Second-language approach (without overpromising)

If you serve multilingual communities, consider:

• “Press 9 for Spanish” (or your most common language)
• A translated status-only path first

If you can’t support full multilingual service, don’t pretend you do—offer a short translated status update and a clear hazard option.

Use on-hold messaging to reduce repeat calls (and calm the queue)

IVR gets callers to the right place. On-hold messaging keeps them from hanging up—or calling back—while they wait.

What to say on hold during an outage

Rotate 3 types of messages:

• Status recap: “Outage affecting [AREA]. Latest ETR is [TIME].”
• Next best action: “If your outage isn’t reported, you can press 2 at any time.”
• Safety reminder: “Stay clear of downed lines; for immediate danger contact emergency services.”

For broader guidance on making hold time useful (even outside outage events), see: On-hold messaging for small businesses: a practical starter guide.

Smart rotations: keep info fresh without someone rewriting daily

During multi-day events, callers may sit on hold more than once. Repeating the same 12-second clip drives frustration.

A better approach:

• Write 6–10 short “building block” messages
• Rotate them automatically so callers hear variety
• Update only the blocks that change (ETR/area affected)

Hold music alternatives that sound professional

If your “music” is tinny or inconsistent, it can make the whole experience feel unreliable.

Use:

• Low-distraction background music matched to your business type
• Short voice updates layered between music segments

How an AI voice system helps utilities update faster than traditional recording

Traditional recording workflows slow you down when speed matters.

An AI voice system approach is practical because you can:

• Type a new “Outage Update” message
• Choose a professional voice
• Download updated audio in minutes (MP3/WAV)

OnHoldToGo is built for exactly this workflow: create professional on-hold audio quickly, use smart rotations for freshness, and export files that fit most phone platforms. See AI voice options or review pricing.

If you’re also redesigning call routing for clarity, pair this with: Creating a concierge experience over the phone and how personalization in IVR boosts customer satisfaction.

Common mistakes utilities make (and what to do instead)

1. Burying outage updates behind a long phone tree

• Do instead: Put “Outage status & ETR” as option 1.

1. Giving an ETR you can’t support

• Do instead: Use ranges (“between 6–9 PM”) and explain when the next update will be.

1. Forgetting the hazard escape hatch

• Do instead: Put hazard reporting as a top-level option and route it fast.

1. Ignoring what callers do while waiting

• Do instead: Use on-hold messaging to repeat the top answers and reduce repeat calls.

Operational planning reference: OSHA emergency preparedness.

Mini illustrative scenario: a 3-town outage without a 3x staffing scramble

Illustrative (not a real customer story):

A regional utility serving three towns gets a windstorm outage.

Before:

• Callers sit on hold to ask “Is there an outage?”
• Agents repeat the same ETR estimate all day
• Many callers hang up and call back later, increasing phone hold time

After (IVR + on-hold rotations):

• Option 1 reads the current area list + ETR window
• Option 3 routes hazards immediately
• On-hold messages repeat the ETR and remind callers they can report a new outage via option 2

Result: fewer repeat status calls reaching agents, and a calmer queue.

Implementation checklist (do this next)

Before the next storm

• Draft your modular scripts (greeting, safety, outage update, hazard routing)
• Decide your ETR language rules (time window vs. exact time)
• Confirm your emergency wording aligns with public guidance (e.g., Ready.gov power outages)
• Prepare 6–10 on-hold “rotation blocks” (status, next steps, safety)

During the event

• Update only the outage block: affected area + ETR + next update time
• Add one new rotation message if conditions change (e.g., “crew access limited by flooding”)
• Monitor the top misroutes and adjust menu wording

After restoration

• Swap the outage update for a restoration confirmation
• Add a short “what to do if you still don’t have service” message
• Save the scripts as your next event template

FAQ: outage IVR and on-hold messaging

Want the fastest way to publish professional updates? Create and download new audio in minutes at OnHoldToGo—then upload it to your business phone system.