One of the most common issues that utility company customer service operators have to deal with is complaints about the bill. In many cases, customers are complaining about being charged late fees when they indicated the bill never arrived. In other situations, customers complain about usage amounts or meter readings and insist there is a problem with the meter.
With old style of paper bills that just provide customers with the monthly usage amounts and the billing information, these types of calls can take a significant amount of time. Not only will the customer service rep have to go into the account, but they all the information has to be relayed to the customer and all the confusion eliminated.
To dramatically reduce these types of calls, as well as other customer billing-related calls, a switch to online utility bill services is just what your utility needs.
Direct Email Notification
With online utility bill services, customers will be sent an email notification that their bill is ready. This can be pre-set for several days before the due date, giving everyone advanced notice.
Then, once the customer receives the email and logs onto the account, he or she can pay online using the accepted methods. By incorporating a variety of payment options from PayPal to eChecks and major credit cards, everyone can find a convenient way to pay.
Checking Usage and Past Bills
With online utility bill services, customers can also view their usage in a variety of different display options. Pie charts and graphs are popular as they provide a quick and simple breakdown of the use of water across the billing cycling.
When all bills are online, the customer can also look back over past months or even over usage trends over time. This will help prevent issues with confusion about water usage increases that are often seasonal in nature.