When ex-tropical cyclone Tam struck New Zealand, it caused widespread power outages, particularly in Auckland. This natural disaster created massive call volumes for power companies’ contact centres, traditionally overwhelming their operations and leaving customers frustrated, uninformed, and unable to get through.
Telnet, a contact centre serving major New Zealand utilities, responded differently during this crisis. Rather than collapsing under record-breaking call volumes, they leveraged Tulip AI, their intelligent virtual agent platform.
The Numbers
- Tulip AI handled 33% of all inbound calls during the storm
- The system provided real-time outage updates, logged fault reports, and escalated issues when necessary
- Performance equivalent to six full-time agents daily
- Customers received help in seconds rather than experiencing 1–2 hour wait times typical in previous major weather events
What Made the Difference
The key to Tulip AI’s success wasn’t just the technology — it was the preparation. The system had been trained on outage scenarios, fault reporting workflows, and customer communication protocols before the storm hit. When Cyclone Tam made landfall, Tulip was ready.
The system could instantly tell callers whether their area was affected, provide estimated restoration times, log fault reports automatically, and escalate calls to human agents when callers needed more personalised assistance. Customers who were already stressed and in the dark (literally) got accurate information quickly, which reduced anxiety and reduced repeat calling.
The Broader Impact
This case demonstrates how modern contact centres can maintain resilience and responsiveness during critical moments. The technology enables companies to scale support instantly while maintaining human-centred customer service during emergencies.
The success represents a shift in industry standards for how utilities handle peak-demand situations and customer communication during crises. It also demonstrates that AI and human agents aren’t competitors — they’re collaborators. By handling the high-volume, routine enquiries, Tulip AI freed Telnet’s human agents to focus on the complex, emotionally charged calls that genuinely required human empathy and judgement.
