MEET THE STAFF SERIES

PPM Monitoring, Customer Sensitization Key to Cash Collection

CCD: Rose Ihiabe as a CSR Supervisor Rigasa, tell us how the Service Center is being run?

RI: Part of my duty is to ensure that all Customer Care Representative work according to the company’s set objective by supervising what they do at all times.

 They, in turn are expected to send in daily reports, where need be, I contact customers to ensure that their complaints have been resolved.

 I am also responsible for ensuring that customers settle their bills, ensuring that PPM customers vend as often as they should while ensuring customers’ utmost satisfaction.

CCD: What would you consider the challenging part of supervising people and managing customers?

RI: One of the major challenges is managing uneducated customers, getting their cooperation can be difficult at times. It is difficult to get them to see things from our perspective, it is difficult to convince them to pay their bills, but we are gradually breaking this barrier.

 As for overseeing the activities of my colleagues, it has majorly to do with my possessing the ability to manage people which I think every leader should have. Sometimes, people come with problems that are related to job while others are personal, I still have to show understanding and support. 

More so, if any of my staff has an issue in the Service Center, I will discuss with such individual so that we can both proffer a solution. 

For aggrieved customers with complaints on their bills, we make all necessary effort to explain their consumption to them, how we came about the figure on their bills, how bills are being accumulated, how to clear their outstanding and where and how to lodge in complaints. That is how a cordial relationship is built.

CCD: Compliant resolution is part your responsibility, what is the most frequent complaint you get from your Area Office?

RI: Their major complaint borders on previous payment not reflecting in current bill, which is part of the reasons they approach us with so much anger and part of our approach  is to apologize them. In most of such cases, after thorough scrutiny of their bills, we find late payment, or the accumulation of the VAT as responsible for the kinds of complaints we get.

The way out in such situations, is to placate them by explaining the reason for getting the kind of bill.

CCD: What are your strategies in achieving the company’s objective?

RI: For me, especially at a supervisory level, I make sure I abide by the company's rules and regulations. I also ensure proper billing and bill distribution. I work towards hundred percent collection by ensuring that Pre-Paid Meters are monitored and that customers are sensitized on relevant matters.

CCD: The company recently celebrated its first ever Customer Service Week, what is your opinion on this?

RI: I must say I was quite impressed given the fact that it was the first CSW commemorated by the company. It recognized and rewarded the Customer Service Providers while using the avenue to appreciate our customers. Most of our customers didn’t expect it and so they were pleasantly surprised, and I believe the next CSW will be bigger and better.

CCD: Since you hold a supervisory role, tell us one thing you want management to do differently.

RI: I want management to look into the issue of inadequate transformer for Rigasa Area Office, which is what is responsible for load shedding. Most of our customers complain of the how supply to them is being rationed thereby using it as an excuse not to pay.

 I will therefore, call on management to provide additional transformers enough to cater for our customers.