The race to retain clientele appears to be hotting up for two discoms in Mumbai.
Discoms are government licensed electricity distribution companies. Tata Power and Reliance Infra are vying with each other to offer customer-centric programmes focused on retention and are using every opportunity to draw more customers into their fold.
As the battle intensifies, Mumbai consumers are getting a bonanza of the kind of value-added services they wouldn’t have dreamt of a few years ago.
CHAT SERVICE
On Wednesday, Reliance Infrastructure said it has launched an online chat service for its 28 lakh-odd suburban consumers.
Consumers can now chat online with RInfra representatives and have their queries / grievances resolved on a real-time basis. They can also get guidance regarding their application status, bill-related issues, payment options and other procedural information.
RInfra claims it is the country’s first power utility to launch such a consumer-centric service.
To use the service, consumers can log on to the ‘My Account’ services on the company’s Web site and chat with company representatives. The service is available seven days a week - between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
76 ACQUISITION CAMPS
Tata Power has completed the first of its four acquisition camps to attract consumers to its fold. Tata Power has about 3.5 lakh consumers in the city. It is now holding 76 acquisition camps across the city to facilitate switchovers to its network.
The camps, covering all major locations and the city suburbs, will be held until February 17.
Tata Power has embarked on a massive acquisition campaign and it says the camps had been ‘hugely successful,’ securing more than 3,160 applications over the last week and during its phase I.
This will be followed by a third and fourth phase of such camps and will continue on a regular basis to create awareness and acquisition across Mumbai.
Tata Power also said its ongoing retail network expansion will allow Mumbai customers to shift to its own network as opposed to a third party network, eliminating the wheeling charges currently imposed on its customers.
Tata Power also offers a new modern call-centre for queries on electricity bills; a multi-lingual customer portal in English, Hindi and Marathi, to facilitate and ease consumer connect with the company; mobile collection vans and bill payment kiosks.
The company also holds exchange programmes for domestic customers, to help them switch to energy-efficient refrigerators, air-conditioners and fans, conserve energy and save on costs.