Eskom has launched an AI-powered chatbot, creatively called Alfred, so customers can log complaints quickly without having to talk to a disinterested call centre agent.

In a week when a cold front has put the national grid under severe pressure, the electricity company will likely be inundated with complaints due to system breakdowns.

This new tool should save customers considerable time and airtime by making the complaints process faster.

“Utilising artificial intelligence to enhance and speed up customer service, Eskom customers can now report a power loss, get a reference number within seconds and get progress feedback on an existing fault – any time of day or night,” reads Alfred’s description.

Eskom releases Alfred, the AI Butler

Alfred is ready to take queries on WhatsApp, just save Eskom’s number (086 003 7566) as a contact, then find it in your contact list and start a chat. Alternatively, the chatbot can be accessed via the home page of the energy provider’s main site.

The service runs 24/7, and users only need their account number and meter number to log complaints, though frequently asked questions are still accessible without them. Once logged, the query will be assigned a reference number for Eskom to follow up on later.

If this initiative works the way it’s supposed to, then it should make logging one’s inevitable grievances with Eskom‘s service a lot easier. Calling helplines can be a time-consuming, airtime-burning slog; funnelling all of that into an AI bot is a welcome option.