Lipigas: Setting new standards for energy suppliers’ customer service

Lipigas is a leading energy provider in Chile, Colombia, and Peru committed to delivering clean energy solutions such as liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, and electricity at the lowest possible cost. More than just an energy provider, they prioritize exceptional service in every interaction despite the intricacies of their industry.

To learn more about Lipigas’s dedication to customer satisfaction, we spoke to José Miguel Urzúa, Sub-manager of digital transformation.

The importance of LPG

LPG plays a vital role in everyday life across Chile, Peru, and Colombia, fueling homes and businesses alike. While traditionally used for water heaters, stoves, and grills in households, LPG is increasingly powering vehicles as a clean and economical fuel. Many industries rely on LPG for their operations, including the retail and hospitality sectors, where it provides heating and essential services for customers.

Although Chile, Peru, and Colombia’s LPG markets may be relatively small on a global scale, their impact within the country is substantial. Residential and commercial sectors account for approximately 80% of Chile’s LPG consumption, a figure significantly higher than the global average.

Competitive pricing, convenient ordering processes, and timely delivery are crucial for success in this demanding market. This is where Lipigas’ commitment to these key factors, along with their dedication to a seamless and positive customer experience, distinguishes them in the market.

Meeting immediate customer needs

Running out of gas isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a disruption. Dinner plans get put on hold, hot showers turn cold, and daily routines abruptly stop.

Urgency defines Lipigas’s customer service challenge. Customers typically reach out only when they are in immediate need, creating a customer journey that demands speed and efficiency above all else.

They need to know that someone is on the other end, ready to help, and able to provide a solution quickly. Instant responsiveness is something that traditional customer service models, with their potential for long wait times and drawn-out communication, often struggle to meet.

Knowing their customers needed solutions now, Lipigas began exploring digital channels to provide the kind of immediate support that traditional methods couldn’t match.

Automating the customer journey with WhatsApp

Recognizing the limitations of traditional customer service channels and the growing popularity of digital communication, Lipigas sought a solution that could provide the speed and efficiency their customers demanded, and they chose Infobip.

Since WhatsApp is the most popular chat app in Chile, Peru, and Colombia, the choice was easy.

Here’s how Lipigas streamlined their customer journey with WhatsApp:

1. Initiating the conversation: The customer starts the conversation on WhatsApp.
2. Personalized greeting: The bot identifies the customer’s phone number and retrieves their information, enabling a personalized greeting.
3. Address and order details: The bot confirms the delivery address and guides the customer to select the desired gas format and quantity.  
4. Pricing and discounts: The bot provides transparent pricing information and automatically applies any available discounts or offers a courtesy discount if none exist.
5. Order confirmation: The customer confirms the order, and the automated process is complete.
6. Real-time updates: The customer receives real-time updates on their order status and delivery tracking information via WhatsApp.

By automating these processes through WhatsApp Flows, Lipigas has significantly reduced manual effort, improved response times, and enhanced the overall customer experience. They are further refining this process with Flows, enabling customers to navigate the ordering and tracking journey with simple clicks instead of typing responses.

The impact of digital transformation on Lipigas’s bottom line

Lipigas’s strategic use of digital channels, especially WhatsApp, has not only streamlined its customer journey but also fostered greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Higher purchase frequency: Customers using digital channels, including WhatsApp, demonstrate a higher purchase frequency than those using traditional channels like the call center. Analysis of customer behavior 12 months before and after adopting digital channels reveals a clear increase in consumption.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction: While Lipigas boasts a very good call center, digital channels offer comparable customer satisfaction levels as measured by the NPS indicator. This is likely because of the 2-way communication facilitated by digital channels, allowing for more personalized and engaging interactions.
• Proactive communication: Lipigas leverages an algorithm to identify customers’ purchase windows and proactively sends them offers through the Lipigas application, WhatsApp, and email. This outbound marketing strategy keeps customers engaged and contributes to increased purchase frequency.

As Lipigas continues to grow and expand its operations, they remain committed to exceeding customer expectations and delivering exceptional service, with Infobip at their side. The ongoing partnership promises to enhance the customer journey further and solidify Lipigas’s position as a leader in the Chilean, Peruvian, and Argentinian energy markets.