E-Distributie launches ‘virtual visit’ service to simplify processes for clients
E-Distributie companies, the electricity distribution operators within the Enel Group, launch the “Virtual Visit” digital service, in order to simplify complex processes, such as connecting to the electricity grid or obtaining an increased power permit, thus saving time and resources. The virtual visit is an alternative to a field visit, conducted by E-Distributie technicians, to determine on the spot, in the shortest possible time, which is the best solution for each individual customer request.
The digitalization of these processes allows customers to talk directly with the E-Distributie operator, after submitting the requests for grid connection or increased power permit, and, with the help of the phone’s camera, the operator can see all the details needed to decide how to place the elements of the solution.
The virtual visit is recommended in situations of lower complexity – for example, a connection to a house, an increased power permit, and the E-Distributie technicians assess the most appropriate solution, depending on the case. To do this, the applicant must have a smartphone (Android min. version 6.0 or iOS min. version 11) with a good internet connection, without having to install anything on the phone.
With the help of the application, the operator can take pictures of the location and then send them to the customer. If a meter needs to be photographed, for example, it will extract the information directly from the photo using OCR technology. During the virtual visit, the E-Distributie technician writes down all the necessary information and then sends the customer an e-mail report of the visit. Once this virtual inspection is completed, the technical process (the connection, for example) moves forward.
“The permanent investments we are making in the digitalization of our services are indispensable to support and accelerate the pace of electrification in Romania. With the virtual visit, we continue the digitalization process, to the benefit of customers, and we increase the sustainability of our operations, by reducing the number of field trips and the amount of paper used in the administrative process,” says Raluca Chiriac, Head of Customer Engagement E-Distributie.
E-Distributie Banat, E-Distributie Dobrogea and E-Distributie Muntenia are companies within the Enel Group in Romania whose activity is the distribution of electricity. Annually, E-Distributie companies distribute over 15 TWh of electricity through over 131,000 km of grid – underground and overhead, high, medium, and low voltage power lines, through 286 transformer stations and 24,315 substations.