Deborah Adegoke 
Ikeja Electric (IE), Nigeria’s largest power distribution company has unveiled a WhatsApp messaging solution, which offers real-time customers complaints resolution and 24-hour customer support service.
According to a statement by the company, the IE WhatsApp Chatbot works like regular WhatsApp platform and enables seamless two-way communication between customer and the power distribution company (DisCo) through the chat interface.
Explaining the platform, the company noted that through the dedicated WhatsApp Chatbot number 09088951626, customers can get their account details, check and pay bills, confirm payments, report faults, make complaints and request for prepaid meter.
“In addition, customers can check supply availability, report case of energy theft or vandalism, request for new connection and get answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), among other services. Customers can also speak with Customer Care Representative via the IE WhatsApp Chatbot if required,” the company explained.
Speaking on the initiative, Head of Corporate Communications for Ikeja Electric, Mr. Felix Ofulue, explained that the company’s decision to deploy the service is part of its major push to deliver an optimum quality customer experience through technology.
According to him, this commitment continues to elicit a passion for service excellence and new thinking on how to empower lives and businesses across the IE network.
“IE as a business is following through with our digital transformation initiative to deliver optimal quality customer service using technology. WhatsApp on the other hand is a platform that has millions of users and huge adoption for customer resolution. Our goal is to ensure that our customers are able to reach us on WhatsApp as an easy medium of communication and to ensure we meet our target of delivering excellent service”.
He pointed out that IE has over 800,000 customers within Lagos metropolis and as a business that understands consumer’s behaviour, motivations and needs, it has become imperative to introduce the WhatsApp channel to augment other existing customer touch points.
“Our vision is to be the provider of choice wherever energy is consumed, so we are focusing on a huge adoption of technology to achieve this. This is also in line with our mantra of ‘customer first, technology now’. At the same time, we realise that a lot of our customers use WhatsApp as a preferred means of communication, so it is an obvious choice to provide it as a channel for customers to reach us seamlessly and communicate with us whenever they choose.
The WhatsApp Chatbot, which will augment its existing customer touch points, is available to receive multiple queries and promptly respond with relevant information to various customers at same time. However, customers cannot call the number since it is only reachable through WhatsApp chat.
Ofulue said introduction of the service will further optimise the Call Centre resources and also enhance customer experience as the solution is capable of personalising conversations, this will in turn add to the value and quality of interaction.
The WhatsApp Chatbot is a product of a strategic relationship between IE and Infobip, a leading global cloud solutions provider.
