May 20, 2002
By Thomas Thale
JOHANNESBURG'S electricity utility, City Power, has unveiled a R73 million customer care facility designed to ensure that inaccurate meter readings, delayed billings and slow responses to complaints become things of the past.
The system, imported from the US, provides accurate information more quickly, improves a telephonic meter reading and billing, and upgrades credit control procedures. It is linked to a call centre that has been in operation for the past month.
According to the CEO of City Power, MK Mohlala, the system has already begun to bear fruit in its two months of pilot operation so far. "This system has improved our cash collections. From March to April, a total of R42-million was collected. When we took over, the total arrears owed to City Power stood at a massive R257-million. Our payment levels have now increased to an average of 97%, year to date," said Mohlala.
In the immediate term, the new system will benefit the top 10 000 City Power customers, mainly businesses, who will get first-hand customer contact and service. These customers already get their bills directly from City Power - not from the city council. The system will be gradually rolled out and made accessible to all 270 000 City Power customers. All customers can access the call centre immediately. Mohlala said that since the call centre was established last month, it had logged 12 733 calls. The average waiting time was 49 seconds.
Councillor Brian Hlongwa, the councillor responsible for municipal services entities, described the installation of the system as a milestone and a vindication of Igoli2002, a plan which provided for the corporatisation of council entities.
Andries Tshabalala, chairman of the City Power board, attributed the success of City Power to the good relations between management and the board. "Our board takes active interest in the day to day operations of the company and we have cultivated good relations with management. This system was installed on time and within budget," Tshabalala said.
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