Utilities
Short Message Service (SMS)
There are a number of applications for Utilities to use SMS.
- Outage updates.
- Scheduled work announcements.
- Payment reminders.
Interactive Voice Messaging (IVM)
IVM has several applications within the Banking and Finance Industry, these include:
- Debt Recovery Reminders.
- Scheduled work announcements.
- Outage Updates.
Debt Recovery
IVM has been used successfully by a number of institutions for 3 distinct applications:
- Answer-phone replacement.
- Initial debt recovery contact.
- Payment reminder calls.
Answer-phone replacement is simply replacing an operator making a call which turns out to be an answer machine with a message delivered by computer. The system works by retrying numbers found to be diverting to answer-phone by the dialler and broadcasting a message to them. In the event a live answer happens the call can be priority transferred in to a debt recovery operator, advantages include:
- Increased productivity of staff.
- Increased motivation of staff.
- Cost per contact reduction.
- Uniformity of answer-phone messages, (Privacy and effectiveness).
Initial Debt Recovery Contact replaces the initial letter sent out to debtors, the caller as the option to transfer and make a payment immediately, or ring a phone number to immediately rectify the situation a full 48 hours before the letter can prompt a similar response, advantages include:
- Reduction in cost per collection (a 1st class letter costs at least 35p to send).
- Increase in cash flow, a 48 hour window for the consumer to respond.
- Increased customer satisfaction (between 5 and 10% of customers prefer to pay without human intervention).
- Quicker identification of accounts that may require help in paying.
Payment reminder calls simply replace an operator or a letter reminding the debtor to pay, the effect is the same but the cost is reduced and volume of reminders made is radically increased.
Scheduled Works/Outage Announcements.
With the penalties for lack of service and lack of information being so heinous IVM and SMS broadcasting can contact many people far more quickly, far more ecologically and far more cost effectively, than traditional methods. Additionally because we offer a full report facility, we can prove that attempts have been made to contact a particular household allowing you to appeal the fines.
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