3 minute read
Customer technology developed specifically for the water sector
The phrase ‘the customer is king’ may not be as widely used as it used to be, but the sentiment behind it is stronger than ever. Delivering a quality product or service is no longer enough to guarantee business success; faultless customer service is essential, and when opportunities to engage with your customer are limited, each one should be used to exceed their expectations.
For a water utility, billing can be the extent of communication between supplier and customer, and lengthy gaps between engagements certainly don’t help when you’re trying to develop a relationship. It just means you need to work smarter to make a long-lasting connection that’s valued equally on both sides.
While technology is revolutionising how we communicate, it’s also raising customers’ expectations when it comes to service provision.
“Put your customer at the heart of everything you do” Matt Bowd, General Manager at Aptumo Australia, said.
“It sounds obvious, but understanding your customers’ wants and needs is essential. Embrace systems and solutions that help you to provide the service your customers expect, invest in attracting, training, developing and retaining talent in your customer service teams, and always listen to customer feedback.”
Recent years have seen rapid developments in technology and how we use it. Greater exposure to online shopping has increased consumer confidence in digital transactions and ushered in the expectation to be able to do almost anything online.
“Solutions like Aptumo are helping water utilities catch up with the digital experience customers are now used to. If they can shop, manage their bank account or their relationships with other service providers online, then why not their water company?,” Mr Bowd said.
“It should be as easy for customers to ask questions, manage their account or make payments online for their water supply as it is for any other service.”
GIVING CUSTOMERS CONTROL OF COMMUNICATION
The winning combination is cutting-edge technology; comprehensive, well managed, customer data; and skilled customer service teams to provide that all important human touch when a customer needs extra support or reassurance.
“Flexible, scalable, and easily configurable software like Aptumo uses AI to analyse customer signals and trigger personalised service improvements, while carefully managed customer data – from what’s collected, to how it’s managed and stored – can be used to tailor communications to a customer’s own situation.
“Making use of technology this way can give the customer the control they want over how and when they engage with their water supplier, and tailored messaging removes that feeling of being ‘just a number’,” Mr Bowd said.
Behind the scenes, specialist technology that’s been developed specifically for the water sector can put everything you know about your customer at your agents’ fingertips in real time. This gives them the tools they need to help your customer when they have a more complex enquiry or are handling a sensitive situation – like financial hardship or the effects of family violence.
“Getting the customer experience right is the driving force behind success and reputation. Aputmo can help you get it right the first time, more of the time,” Mr Bowd said.
For more information about how Aptumo – the billing solution created by the water sector, for the water sector – can help you deliver exceptional customer service every time, please contact Matt Bowd at matthewbowd@echo-ms.com.
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