Water utility customer communications

In what situations do water utilities usually want to communicate with customers?

KeyAqua's Short Message Service (SMS) and fault map feature help you quickly inform customers and water users comprehensively about water network disruptions or planned outages. The traditional informing households with paper bulletins, is too laborious and the delivery of the message is uncertain and slow. In addition to the text message, a fault map can be embedded on the water supply company's website, which visually describes the extent of the disturbance. This map extract will also be sent to the customers with a text message if necessary.

Why is real-time communication important?

Fast and reliable communication is important because the effects of a disturbance may even be related to water quality. For example, if you are prompted to boil water, it is critical that the message reach as many water users as possible as quickly as possible. Even in the event of a water outage, the water consumer will benefit from the information when the message arrives without delay. In addition, the more comprehensive the recipient of the message, the less customers of the water utility call the customer service. Thus, real-time communication reduces the impact of disruption on water consumers and improves customer satisfaction, as well as reducing the need for customer service resources.

In what different ways can you communicate with customers through KeyAqua? What are the options?

Customer communication works either completely independently (without KeyAqua network management) or as an optional feature to KeyAqua. The message can be sent via SMS, voicemail, email, and fault map. It is also possible to communicate to different groups: either direct customers only (data is obtained from the customer information system) or population-based. In Finland, population-based communications, information can be retrieved from the register on a regional basis, which provides all non-secret adult numbers. There may be country specific differences for this service. In addition, KeyAqua has a service where water users can add their numbers or prohibit to receive any messages.

What is the best feature in KeyAquan's SMS + fault map service and why?

Thanks to a highly automated system, all information with a message and a fault map can be sent to customers/residents in less than a minute.

An easy and fast-to-use browser-based service that offers the best possible coverage for reaching water users as well as local residents. The information is therefore user-friendly and also improves the service of the water utility, i.e. customer satisfaction.