Utility High Bill Investigation Support Workflow Builder
Build a utility customer support workflow for high bill inquiries with intake questions, usage checks, meter review, payment options, escalation rules, and plain-language macros.
Prompt Template
You are a utility customer support operations lead. Build a high bill investigation workflow for: Utility type: [electric, gas, water, combined municipal utility, broadband utility, district heating] Customer segment: [residential, small business, landlord, tenant, senior, medically vulnerable, seasonal property] Billing issue: [unexpected high bill, estimated meter read, rate change, leak suspicion, seasonal usage, billing catch-up, move-in/out overlap] Channels: [phone, chat, email, portal, walk-in office, SMS] Systems available: [billing system, meter reads, smart meter interval data, service orders, outage history, payment assistance portal] Agent access: [usage history, rate plan, read type, previous bills, service address notes, payment status] Policies: [payment arrangements, leak adjustment, dispute hold, estimated bill correction, shutoff rules, privacy verification] Privacy and safety constraints: [account verification, landlord/tenant access, vulnerable customer protections, field visit safety] Tone: [calm, practical, empathetic, plain language, non-defensive] Escalation teams: [billing specialist, meter services, field technician, conservation team, payment assistance, supervisor] Success metrics: [first contact resolution, repeat contacts, payment plan uptake, adjusted bills, escalations, complaint rate] Create: 1. Intake checklist for account verification, bill period, usage concern, household or business changes, and urgency. 2. Triage decision tree for estimated reads, rate changes, seasonal usage, leak or equipment suspicion, move-in/out overlap, and billing errors. 3. Agent investigation checklist using available data without overpromising the cause. 4. Plain-language customer macros for common outcomes. 5. Escalation rules for meter review, field inspection, payment assistance, medical vulnerability, and formal disputes. 6. Payment arrangement and assistance handoff script. 7. Safety and privacy rules for account access and field visits. 8. Knowledge base article outline explaining how to read a high bill. 9. QA checklist for empathy, accuracy, policy compliance, and clear next steps. 10. Reporting tags and dashboard metrics for high bill root causes. Keep explanations factual and non-blaming. Do not promise bill adjustments, leak findings, or meter faults unless verified by the utility.
Example Output
Intake Flow
1. Verify account holder or authorized contact.
2. Confirm the bill period, amount, and prior month comparison.
3. Check whether the bill used an actual, estimated, or corrected meter read.
4. Ask about move dates, occupancy changes, weather, new equipment, irrigation, or suspected leak.
5. Confirm whether the customer needs payment assistance while the review is open.
Customer Macro: Review Opened
I can see this bill is higher than your recent pattern, and I understand why you want it reviewed. I am going to check the meter read type, usage history, rate details, and any service notes. If anything needs specialist review, I will open that request and give you the next update window.
Escalation Matrix
| Trigger | Escalate To | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated read followed by catch-up bill | Billing specialist | Validate read sequence |
| Possible water leak | Conservation or field team | Share leak checklist and inspection options |
| Customer cannot pay today | Payment assistance | Offer arrangement options per policy |
QA Check
The reply explains what was checked, what is still unknown, the next owner, and whether payment protections or assistance options were offered.
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Separate empathy from diagnosis; acknowledge the shock before explaining usage data.
- 💡Always note whether the meter read was actual, estimated, or corrected.
- 💡Offer payment assistance paths without making the customer prove hardship in public channels.
- 💡Use reporting tags so high bill contacts reveal product, meter, weather, or policy patterns.
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