Customer information systems (CIS) are designed to provide superior customer service. Companies which specialize in customer service are adopting CIS. It is an automated way to serve customer needs and achieve customer satisfaction. It is far from being only software. It is also a unique business strategy. Customer information and software are harnessed to achieve stellar results. Utility billing involves customers hence the integration of CIS and utility billing.
Features of CIS Utility Billing
Suppose a customer wants to pay a utility bill. This can be completed via wireless devices, telephone, kiosks, or through the Internet. The CIS provides the interface to pay the bills. It has the information of the customer stored. Therefore it knows the entire history of the customer and also the customer’s preferences.
CIS gives greater access to vital data in real time thus decreasing the customer response times. It takes all types of payment formats such as credit and debit cards, checks – electronic/physical or cash.
Privacy
The customer will be provided with a login id and a password. Thus only they will be able to view their utility bills and pay them online. This ensures the privacy and confidentiality of the customer.
Benefits
Even if the utility billing process is changed the CIS will automatically configure itself. It is integrated with other functions such as IVR, check scanning, and GIS.
The CIS has a user interface that is customer friendly. Thus it is simple and convenient for the customers or clients to pay their utility bills.
The customer would receive reminders to pay his/her utility bills via the Customer Information System. This is a very useful feature of the CIS. Customer loyalty improves because of this because the ambiguity is limited but the communication is not.
Example of CIS Utility Billing
Imagine a customer encounters a problem with his electricity bill. He has been charged a very high sum. So he calls the helpline. The agent whom he contacts will ask for the name of the customer. With the help of the name the agent can view the details of any particular customer on the CIS. This will include customer history, contact details, and customer preferences. So the agent is aware of the background of the customer, past grievances, and problems and the likes and dislikes of the customer. Armed with this information, the agent can provide tailor made and exceptional service to the customer while not being duped by the customer who could be trying to pull a fast one of the employee’s ignorance.
He will be able to respond faster and understand the situation of the customer better. Thus the customer grievance will be addressed quickly and conveniently.
In Addition To
CIS Utility billing software come along with IVR (Interactive Voice Response). Therefore, the customer can navigate to the desired menu and get a human voice response. She can also receive voice reminders to pay her utility bills. Another feature that comes along with CIS utility billing software is voice recognition systems. This is a great security feature by which the customers can access information.
Reducing Time Spent
The use of CIS utility billing software is emerging. The motto is that customer is king. The same is the case in utility billing. The agencies which do utility billing recognize this and have implemented CIS to augment their operations and resolve customer issues in a much shorter time span.