Improving the experience for water customers during the cost-of-living crisis

Water providers need to consider their role in easing the burden placed on people through this financially difficult time, as only 31% of customers believe water companies provide genuine support to those struggling to pay their bills. Furthermore, only 6% of respondents reported receiving financial support from utility companies.

As of 2021, around 1.7 million people in the UK are living in ‘water poverty’ meaning they spend more than five percent of their income, after housing costs, on this essential service. Frustratingly, some of these people are not getting the financial support they need from their water providers who have a responsibility to offer financial aid and guidance should customers need it.

Even customers with a reasonable disposable income can be at risk as the cost of living continues to increase. This could take them out of their comfort zone as they may have never struggled to honour payments or debts in the past and may be more reluctant to ask for help. As a result, they may need assistance to find and access the support that’s available to them.

Operational policies should be established to help customer service teams predict if a customer is likely to fall into debt or struggle to make payments. One way that these customers can be identified is through monitoring behavioural changes.

Making use of data

Data sharing is a great method of predicting payment issues. Combining internal data with information sourced from an external provider like Equifax may provide indicators of high affordability risk. Anyone that is unable to pay or manage their outgoings for any service provider requires a gentler approach including more prompts to pay, and more support made available to them.

However, be sure to not split the data too far, as going into too granular detail can over complicate the process and compromise customer service delivery.

Making the payment process easier

Setting up a payment plan is one method that can be used to help customers struggling to make payments. Even if the plan is not for the full amount owed, it allows the customer to establish the habit of making regular payments. It is important that the amounts are manageable to avoid any payments being missed or the habit being broken.

Water companies also need to work closely with customers to find the best ways for them to make payments. Aptumo, the SaaS billing software which was created by the water sector experts at Echo, can facilitate this, managing different payment methods, frequencies, and flexible payment arrangements to suit a customer’s needs.

Other tech solutions can also make the payment and billing process easier for customers. Open banking, for example, allows customers to share their bank details with their water provider to help the customer to manage their payments. There should also be a variety of ways to pay, including mobile apps or online services, to meet the differing needs of customers.

Effectively communicating with customers

Water providers should ensure that every form of communication, including bills and letters, uses clear, simple, non-technical language. These communications are the perfect opportunity for providers to discuss the help and support that is available, ways to pay, and how to contact the supplier, so make sure they are clear.

When dealing with the most complex cases, setting up a specialist customer care team will be beneficial. Skilled agents are trained to engage with customers rather than simply explaining collection techniques. Customer service representatives should take each customer through the payment journey separately, guided by their needs or limitations. Some accounts, for example, could be assigned an additional care flag to prompt regular checks on the account and engagement with the customer.

Consider community outreach

Setting up a community team is an effective way of reaching the most vulnerable. Working with community groups or agencies, including specialist debt charities like StepChange, can help get messages out to local communities. Water providers should be using community outreach opportunities to share information about how to pay, how to make contact, and the kind of support that’s available.

With the cost-of-living crisis worsening in the UK, water providers should be approaching billing and payment processes with care. A growing number of people will be experiencing difficulties paying their bills, many for the first time. To support customers through this challenging time providers and their customer service partners should be taking this guidance into consideration and making a concerted effort to make customers the priority.

To find out more about how to improve customer experience visit: https://www.echo-ms.com/