Introducing Self Meter Reading to improve customer satisfaction
Ebin Thomas
Account Executive at Anyline
It takes just a few clicks for customers to switch utility providers. The experience of each customer needs to be unique, based on their consumption and offer them the interactions they are looking for. For companies that need to limit churn to a minimum, there is a real need to move to a customer-centric business model. Digitization and the automation of data capture is at the core of this approach, and energy providers can benefit from self meter reading technology made available to their customers.
In this blog, we’ll answer the following questions:
- Why should utilities look out for enhancing their customer experience?
- Reasons for introducing self meter reading
- Rise and shine, OCR
- How can mobile meter scanning be integrated?
Jump to key topics
Jump to key topics
1. Why should utilities look out for enhancing their customer experience?
In the current customer-centric age, utility companies must focus on providing a high level of customer satisfaction and customer experience. If a customer’s needs are not met, it’s easy for them to switch to a different provider – and that can mean the end of business.
Some of the most common problems that limit customer service success at utility companies include:
- Poor communication – Miscommunications about dates and times for service or what to expect can irritate customers. It impacts their day and leads to complications with getting the service they need.
- Scheduling delays – Mobile utility workers must go from one place to the next to meet the individual needs of those clients. Delays with these types of appointments are common, leading to upset customers who have waited around only to have an appointment rescheduled.
- Incorrect invoicing – If an inaccurate invoice is sent to customers, it creates annoyance while also costing customers time as they have to spend time trying to correct the bill.
Even if the competition sometimes doesn’t offer better alternatives, customers that are not satisfied will move from company to company until they find the right match for them. And the companies that can retain their customers over time will be the ones which thrive.
2. Reasons for introducing self meter reading
Self meter reading is a process in which customers are the one taking care of the capture of data from the meters they have at home. Basically, instead of having a utility worker coming at home every month, every quarter or every year, customers are recording their consumption and sending it over to their provider.
Many reasons exist for a move towards self meter reading. The most important include:
- Time savings – Reading meters is a tedious tax for workers as they move from one house to the next, writing and checking the information they collect. With self metering, companies save time, as do customers, as they don’t need to make appointments any longer for service.
- Redirecting resources – Without the need for mobile workers, utility companies are then able to handle many other tasks with those labor hours. That includes meeting more urgent service needs or meeting preventative maintenance requirements, both of which can enhance customer experience and ensure faster service when customers need it.
- Empowering customers – Customers like to be able to handle this task on their own, as it gives them more insight into their use. It is not a complex task and can be done quickly, but it certainly enhances the customer’s role in managing their utilities.
- Accuracy in invoicing – There are no complicated problems with invoicing using self metering. Customers can see what they are being charged and verify the accuracy of it. That means less cost and frustration to customers and utility companies in managing costly errors in invoicing.
The meter reading process has never been so easy and stress-free for both the customer and the energy provider.
3. Rise and shine, OCR
Energy providers still need mobile workers to install and repair software and devices. However, with self metering, utility workers don’t need to take time to visit homes to record consumption, and can focus on servicing customers and making sure they provide the best experience. To streamline this process to ensure it is as easy as possible for all involved, invest in technology solutions such as AI-based technology called optical character recognition (OCR).
Energy providers can automate meter reading by allowing customers to scan their meters using a camera-equipped smart device like the smartphone anyone already owns and uses on a daily basis. With this, OCR technology identifies the numbers on the display meter within milliseconds and can then securely send that information without any concern for third-party access.
Mobile technology can also scan other information, such as meter barcodes or serial numbers, which can make providers and customers sure the right meter is scanned – limiting risks of wrongful invoices.
4. How can Anyline be integrated?
Anyline offers exceptional solutions, including data capture technology that can be integrated into any utility company’s existing website and mobile app, allowing customers to easily use this technology. It helps to preserve resources for other needs the company has.
By integrating Anyline’s OCR technology, utility companies can not only save resources, but they can also guarantee easy use for their customers who already know how to use their smartphones for these tasks.
Anyline utility mobile meter reading technology integrates right into an app using Software Development Kit (SDK) solutions. It is fast and secure. It’s backed by hands-on support. It’s also available for common integration frameworks, including Xamarin, Flutter, React Native and Cordova.
You can find out if mobile meter reading is the right solution for you by downloading our Energy & Water Demo App to test its capabilities.
