IN an effort to meet the needs of its internet-savvy customers, the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) will introduce e-billing in 2015 where water bills will be sent electronically via email, according to Customer Services Manager, Jeanette Thomas.

She also said that GWI is geared towards improving its services to customers and with e-billing; it will also ease the paper clutter and see a timely delivery of water bills to customers.

Thomas stated that customers can subscribe to this service by sending an email with the name of the person who is billed for water service and their account number.

She said that GWI is in the process of installing the required programmes for e-billing to take place and it will officially be launched in early 2015.

The senior GWI official told this publication that they have many requests for this particular service since so many of its customers are electronically inclined and the upgrade was necessary to enable electronic payments through the commercial banks from the comfort of home.

Thomas said that once the bills are generated by GWI it will be filed for future reference, then sent via emails to customers which is quite a simple process.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
The Customer Relations and Commercial Services Department is responsible for billing all customers, as well as debt recovery and complaints resolution.
Since July 2006, the company implemented ‘Hi-Affinity,’ a tailored customer billing and management software. This software has made it possible for customers to receive their water bills and requests for new payment arrangements at precise times in the year and in a timely manner. The standardisation of billing arrangements, cash collections and debt recovery, which will improve the Guyana Water Inc. cash flow position are currently being pursued.

(By Michel Outridge)