TasWater has announced a new Retail Value Creation Program, designed to make it easier for consumers to work with the utility, particularly those experiencing financial hardship.
Program Manager, Kendall Mahnken, said she is proud of the difference her team is now making through this program.
“Everyone is busy, and everyone has trouble from time to time,” Ms Mahnken said.
“One way we can help our customers is to listen and understand their circumstances, and to value their time and effort.
“That’s where this program comes in. It has helped us remove duplication, streamline services where possible and introduce smarter automated processes.
“These changes allow our staff to respond more quickly to customer needs, and to improve our overall efficiency.”
An example of one of the changes is the substantially automated Change of Ownership process. When a property is sold, the vendor’s solicitor or conveyancer can complete a simple online form.
“This change has proved popular – over 60 per cent of ownership changes are now done through this faster and easier process,” Ms Mahnken said.
Another key benefit of the program is the increased assistance now available for vulnerable Tasmanians.
“Before the program’s implementation, there were only a few proactive ways to help our customers who were experiencing financial hardship,” Ms Mahnken said.
“The new case management system provides more ways to assist our customers, which is particularly timely with some Tasmanians still impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Through personalised and confidential discussions with a case manager, TasWater customers can receive support through financial difficulties. This could be through extensions to due dates or longer-term payment arrangements.
TasWater said, overall, the program has helped improve the reliability of its services for customers in billing and payment support.
“Even though we have successfully implemented these measures, we know our work is not finished,” Ms Mahnken said.
