- 378% increase in retail payments made at Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Dollar General
The Challenge
Trussville Gas and Water has built a sterling reputation for customer service, owing to its dedication to helping meet any customer payment preference. This reputation was put to the test when a municipal campus renovation project forced the closure of the utility’s sole drive-up location, impacting drive-up and cash-dependent customers.
Facing this challenge, Trussville Gas and Water took a proactive approach to ensuring all customers could continue to pay their bills through their preferred payment method by offering convenient alternative payment locations and digital services.
The Solution
Trussville addressed its customer needs by promoting its expanded payment offerings, which included 24-hour interactive voice response (IVR) and cash payments accepted at retail stores including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Dollar General.
To accomplish this, Trussville partnered with the Paymentus Client Adoption Success Team (CAST) to create a comprehensive campaign aimed at achieving two objectives:
- Inform customers of the drive-up location’s closure
- Promote the various ways customers could continue to make payments in line with their needs and preferences
CAST worked with Trussville to deliver several marketing materials including:
- Customer letter
- Flyers
- Brochure
- Drive-up window poster
- Customer service representative scripts
The Result
By all metrics, the campaign was a complete success. As a whole, the community was very excited about the renovations. But for Trussville Gas and Water, the strategic preparation in advance of the window closing paid off in the form of almost instant adoption of in-store payments and IVR.
The deployment of bill inserts aimed at paper bill customers, personalized letters mailed to window cash-pay customers, and flyers shared with City Hall ensured full communications with impacted customers. Two weeks after closing the pay window, Trussville had seen a complete reduction in drive-up cash payments without a significant increase in call volume as customers adapted to their new payment options.
Both IVR and in-store cash payments (two of the most heavily promoted payment options) have seen increases in usage. What’s more, the utility reported no uptick in late or missed payments, proving the power of artfully crafted materials in support of a billing and payment system purpose-built to meet any payment need.
