Water is open for business

The new Retailer Notification Service from digdat offers important benefits for water wholesalers, retailers and business customers.

As the dust settles on the opening of the non-household water retail market, wholesalers and retailers face specific, yet related, challenges. A new web-based solution from digdat, is now available, offering multiple benefits across the reformed market. digdat Retailer Notification Service is the first service of its type to provide water companies and their retailers with the necessary infrastructure to manage customer information around service disruptions.

At the wholesale end of the chain, there is a need for water companies to comply with the MOSL obligation to keep retailers informed of any disruptions and emergencies that have the potential to affect the end customer. Satisfying the demands of a large number of retailers is a tough challenge, but digdat RNS ensures that information can be managed in a timely and accurate way, from behind a secure login. Anglian Water has already implemented digdat RNS after a period of testing during the run-up to deregulation. Don Maher, Head of Wholesale Market Services explains: “The Open Market presents new challenges in a new operating environment. We needed a solution to keep our retailers informed of planned and unplanned works and incidents that have the ability to affect their service or supply. digdat RNS provides real-time notifications relevant to each retailer all in one place. Retailers are able to follow specific events, receive relevant updates and comments. We are confident that RNS will help deliver the high levels of customer service we strive for.”

The customer service issue is equally as challenging from the other end of the chain. Service and supply disruptions can have a severe impact on businesses – from preventing them from carrying out work, through to loss of clients. It is essential that water retailers give adequate notice to their non-household customers in line with standards laid down by the government. digdat RNS provides one interface through which retailers can view planned and unplanned works, follow specific events and provide comments and feedback. All this is done in a way that integrates seamlessly with their existing processes. Email alerts are also provided as part of the RNS package.

Building a reputation for good customer service will be key to retailers creating a competitive advantage and winning new customers in the new deregulated environment. By facilitating the effective communication of important information to customers, digdat RNS fully supports the building of customer service advantage. Quite simply, digdat RNS provides service teams with important information, freeing up staff to focus their efforts on pushing out the message to customers in a timely way via the most relevant channels.

John Bennett, digdat Business Development Manager, comments: “digdat RNS is the first hosted service of its kind that has been developed in consultation with MOSL, wholesalers and retailers. It ensures full compliance and means that wholesalers and retailers are fully prepared to operate in the new deregulated marketplace.” 

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