Shentel has deployed GOCare OutageIQ to automate outage and maintenance communications across its service footprint, replacing reactive customer inquiries with proactive SMS notifications, IVR intercepts, and two-way self-service messaging. The implementation addresses a fundamental operational challenge: during service disruptions, contact centres become overwhelmed with status-check calls that consume agent capacity without generating revenue or resolving underlying issues. By routing these predictable, high-volume interactions to automated channels, Shentel frees support staff to handle genuinely complex cases whilst maintaining real-time customer visibility across both its Shentel and Glo Fiber brands from a single platform.
The strategic value here extends beyond call deflection metrics. GOCare's integration with existing billing, network operations, and IT systems means Shentel can trigger notifications automatically when faults are detected, eliminating the lag between problem identification and customer notification—a gap that typically drives unnecessary support contacts. For CX teams already managing multi-brand operations or those struggling with seasonal outage spikes, this raises a critical question: how much of your current contact volume represents customers seeking information you already possess but haven't communicated? The broadband sector's particular vulnerability to weather-related and infrastructure failures makes this especially relevant; teams in similar industries should assess whether their current stack enables this kind of event-driven automation or whether they're still relying on manual notification workflows.
GOCare's positioning as a "for operators, by operators" platform serving 35+ broadband providers suggests this isn't a one-off enterprise play but rather a category-specific solution gaining traction. The appointment of a dedicated CTO for AI-driven innovation indicates the vendor is moving beyond basic notification automation toward predictive capabilities. For support leaders evaluating whether to build custom automation within existing platforms like Zendesk or Salesforce versus adopting specialist solutions, Shentel's choice signals that domain expertise in outage management and telecom-specific workflows may justify a dedicated tool—particularly when integration complexity and operational cost savings are factored in.
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