Utilities, Customers & SMS Rudi Leitner

1. Utilities, Customers & SMS Rudi Leitner

2. Who in this room has a mobile phone? • Who in this room has ever sent a text (SMS) message?

3. 1.52 billion global mobile phone users • Global SMS – 3Q2004 : 135 billion (1 million SMS / minute) • Global monthly SMS : 36/user

4. So why does this matter to me as a utility? Customers and utilities need to interact -they do so using • Post • Phone • In person • Fax • Internet

5. But they don’t really use the potential of texting (SMS) …

6. Potential? The mobile phone, using SMS is… • An on-line data terminal • Widely available • Much more accessible than the web • It is portable • It is secure • It is low cost • Much faster than most other ways of interaction • Much, much faster than mail • Faster than in-person contact • Faster than voice • Enables near real-time interaction between you and your customer • And, it is owned (and loved) by your customer & is fully maintained by them

7. But what about voice? Voice and SMS offer customers different ways of interacting with utilities, but… • SMS can be faster (no need to hold in a call center queue, or speak to multiple people to achieve the desired response) • SMS is impersonal (some people dislike speaking to CC operators) • SMS is much cheaper • SMS allows for automation of processes – for example: directly accessing databases, logging responses etc.

8. Characteristics of SMS - Summary • Accepted and understood by most users • Accessible • Low cost – in some cases free • Quick and easy to use • Secure, each user identifiable • Time and date stamped • Data processed and stored in real time • Network manages data delivery

9. Some examples of using SMS in the interaction between customer and utility • Outage reporting & management • Customer self read • Community field service • Utility field service • Billing query support • Information server • Market research/service measurement • Prepaid vending solutions • ????

10. Some examples of how this can work…

11. Interface with the customer • Customer material • depends on type of SMS services deployed Examples • Mail outs with the bill • Meter sticker • Fridge magnet • Poster / Handouts at utility offices • Adverts in media • Posted/Knock & Drop communications • multiple services on one card/magnet/mail-out/sticker

12. Utility Solutions - Self Meter Read • Low cost per meter read • Instantaneous and real time collection of data (reads and check reads) • Supplements existing methods of read collection • Reads can be checked and corrected • Reads can be scheduled with reminders at the customer convenience • Communication channel to the customer • Rapid deployment • Integrates with billing systems “…managing the future”

13. Self Meter Reading Reports generated Customer reads questionnaire Server in hosted environment Read typed into Customers cell phone Data fed through to utility database Appropriate response Sent back according to customer input SMS/e-mail sent to required person / call centre

14. 1 – request sent to customer for self reading 2 – customer reads and sends in result 3 – reading sent to database for checking, if correct store 4 – if incorrect ask customer to try again 5 – customer tries again 6 – If still incorrect send request to meter reader 7 – Field agent visits meter and checks operation 8 – Field agent send in correct reading or follow up if tampered or damaged 7 Visit Meter Second attempt 5 3 Field agent 1 SMS Email/direct database entry Customer Server 6 8 2 SMS Data incorrect – try again 4 Database Data incorrect 4 ESP Self Meter Reading

15. Who wants to do an example? • Acc No: 567891234986 • Meter reading A: 102 • Meter reading D: 203 Please SMS +27 83 308 1062 567891234986 A102 D203

16. Utility Solutions - Outage Management • Instant knowledge of outages • Immediate communication to customers on the state of an outage • Reduce load on call centers • Low cost of communication • Rapid Deployment • Improve customer relationship • Integrates with existing Outage Management Systems “…managing the future”

17. Outage Management Field reporting Customer reports outage Server in hosted environment Information on outage sent back to customer Data fed through to utility database – Compare with known outages Further updates sent back to customer SMS/e-mail sent to required person / call centre

18. Step 1 – outage not known Technical Centre SMS 3 1 SMS, e-mail or database access 4 2 ESP Server Customer 5 Step 2 – outage known Call Centre 1 5 SMS/e-mail Customer Server 2 SMS ESP Outage Management

19. Step 3 – more time needed Technical Centre SMS, e-mail or database access 1 3 ESP Server Customer SMS Call Centre 2 SMS/e-maill Step 3 – fault fixed -reset ESP Outage Management

20. Community Based Field Service • Empower communities to provide first line customer support • Automatically manage the above process • Reduce cost • Improve customer service levels

21. 6 visit 1 – customer sends a request 2 – message sent to community person 3 – community person visits customer 4 – reports problem found, resolves problem or indicates whether additional utility support required 5 – if additional utility support required, utility visit scheduled 6 – field agent visits 7 –job closed 1 5 Utility Field agent SMS ESP Server SMS/email Customer 5 2 7 email SMS 3 Phone / visit 4 Call Centre SMS Community contact Timed event 1 to 3, response required from community contact to server, closing customer request ESP Community Based Field Service

22. Some comments • Think how SMS based systems can fit into your customer management systems • Think about your customer • Give your customer more choices • Improve service levels • Increase customer loyalty • Improve the image of the utility • Measure and analyse key utility processes • Reduce costs • Increase accuracy of data • Open new communications and marketing channels

23. Thank you For further information please contactRudi Leitner (rudi@spintelligent.com)