The global pandemic followed by the cost-of-living crisis has made water utilities take a different approach to customer debt.
The default approach is that customers want to pay their bill but are struggling and need support.
Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) has produced a report on better ways to support customers who struggle to pay their bills. This report focusses on three key areas of proactively identifying struggling customers early before debt builds up, how to engage with customers through trusted community advocates and the use of consequences when all avenues for engagement are exhausted. The report uses case studies to illustrate how different organisations have demonstrated a more empathetic approach to customer debt management.
