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Thứ Hai, 24 tháng 8, 2015

Functions Of Utility Billing Systems In A Company

By Nancy Gardner


Utilities are services consumed by the public and are provided by a public service. Organizations that maintain the infrastructure for the aim of providing a public service are referred to as public functions. These services include water, sewage, natural gas and electricity. Utility billing systems can really reduce labor cost as this system is automated and does not require a lot of manpower.

The objective of a effective billing system is to keep track of the usage of the products and services provided and also to collect customer data. The utilities all strive to deliver water and energy in a safe and efficient way while protecting service source of revenue, minimizing the expenses and making sure the customer is satisfied.

Automated indicator reading saves costs on the utility customer call center. These centers receive numerous calls each day. Some customers would like to confirm their bills and others may have disputes about the amount stated in their bills. The volumes of calls to the center increase when the customer is not satisfied. If this utility adopts a utility invoicing software that suits its characteristics, it is able to reduce the volume of calls.

The calls made to the center are analyzed and those that can be avoided with automation identified. Utilities that have adopted a utility invoicing software have reported substantial decrease in customer complaints and increased customer satisfaction.

As part of installing an automated reading system the utility will have to put together an accurate database of their meters and customers. Most of these utilities report many unregistered service connections or missing accounts from the old database. Therefore, illegal connections are removed or registered appropriately into the system to generate new revenue.

Automated invoicing software enables the utilities to avoid negative lawsuits. Utilities should strive to minimize the risks of lawsuits from an injured worker or customer. The security of the employees is threatened when they have to read meters located in dangerous areas or areas with difficult terrain.

The accounts receivables should be considered before designing a functional billing software. Utilities which bill their customers quarterly a year or once in two months has increased accounts receivables and larger customer bills. It gets worse if the bills are disputed by the customers perhaps because of inaccurate readings making the whole process lengthy. Energy and water rates are continually on the rise and it is advisable for such service providers to provide bills in a timely manner and consistently. This is only possible by the use of an automatic gauge reading system suited for the utility.

Each time there is a decrease in customer satisfaction, there is an increase in complaints by the customers. If the service has not embraced automated indicator reading and thus provides estimated costs the customers complain even more because they distrust the readings. The service should determine the type of customer calls it could avoid by automating the system.

Automated billing software can also reduce the costs associated with re billing the accounts that are disputed. This is because the automated meter readings are highly efficient and accurate.




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