Overview
Wheaton Sanitary District — which treats wastewater for roughly 62,000 constituents in a 9,000-acre area of Illinois — implemented two major features to its website based on constituent data: online bill payment and information about sewer backup emergencies.
Impact
Customer needs were the driver of this project. The district recognized that a growing number of constituents wanted a digital billing experience. Additionally, the user-friendly website is expected to lead to fewer calls and less frustration from customers looking for information. Now, if a customer’s sewer backs up at 1 a.m., they can find the appropriate number on the website.
The district is also developing a billing department text function that will send reminders to customers’ smartphones about bill due dates. This upgrade is based on constituent feedback about the limitations of reminders delivered via email and audio calls.
Advice
The district has an obvious but useful maxim: Listen to your customers. Their feedback is essential for guiding the implementation of new technology. The solution doesn’t need to be flashy or cutting edge — the important thing is for the technology to make processes smoother for both customers and staff.
