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Major US utility unlocks up to $31M in quarterly value with a 57:1 return

A controlled study across the Day 30 and Day 120 delinquency journeys: nearly 147,000 treated accounts, matched against control groups, three monthly cohorts.

$20–31M Measured quarterly value

57:1 Return on Symend spend (Day 30)

+14% Payment plan success rate (Day 30)

−14% Inbound call rate (Day 120)

Executive Overview

One of the largest regulated utilities in the United States deployed Symend's behavioral science engagement across its Day 30 and Day 120 delinquency journeys, and then measured it the hard way: treated accounts against matched control groups over a full quarter. The result was $20–24M in quarterly value from the Day 30 portfolio and $20–31M from Day 120, with a 57:1 return on Symend spend.

The Challenge

After collections were suspended for an extended period during COVID, the utility's delinquent accounts receivable grew several-fold. Aggressive outreach brought the balance down to roughly $800M, and then progress stalled.

State regulations limit disconnections for vulnerable customers, including medically dependent and low-income households. The utility needed an empathetic approach to collections that conventional dunning could not deliver.

"We need intelligence about customer behavior—who they are, how they respond to different messages. That personalized, empathetic approach is what we're looking for." — Director of Operations

The Solution

Instead of sending identical messages to every past-due customer, Symend built personalized journeys segmented by Delinquency Archetype, mapping each customer's capacity to pay and readiness to act. The deployment included:

Behaviorally designed, AI-driven engagement across the Day 30 and Day 120 delinquency journeys
A dedicated payment plan nurture campaign to reduce plan break rates
Digital-first outreach, with targeted calling reserved for broken payment plans and high balances

How It Was Proven

Nearly 147,000 accounts treated over a full quarter
Matched treatment and control groups across three monthly cohorts
Groups balanced on placements, starting AR, and balance at entry
Nearly 670,000 emails delivered, with a 95.9% delivery rate and a 34.8% open rate

Measured Impact vs. Control

+14% Payment plan success rate (Day 30)

+8% Payment rate lift (Day 120)

−14% Inbound call rate (Day 120)

+8% Self-service rate (67.6% vs. 59.4%)

Net value per account was $22–27 in the Day 30 portfolio and $66–104 in the Day 120 portfolio.

The Behavioral Insights Behind the Results

Capacity, not willingness, is the constraint

Conversion ranged from 95.0% for high-capacity customers down to 69.5% for low-capacity, high-readiness customers. Those low-capacity customers also carry the highest average payment. They want to pay, and the journey has to make paying possible.

Customers pace, they don't settle

67.5% of paying episodes involved two or more payments, averaging about $285 each. Recovery grew with the number of instalments, not with the size of the ask.

Digital carries the portfolio

Digital-only outreach outperformed for most segments at a fraction of the cost. Live calling was reserved for the places it pays off: broken payment plans and high balances.

What Comes Next

At full production volume across both portfolios, the measured economics project $40–55M in quarterly value.

Results from a controlled study with matched treatment and control groups. Quarterly value and net value per account are shown as ranges. Return on spend reflects Day 30 economics. The full-production figure is a projection based on measured results.