Manila Water customers and stakeholders recently expressed generally positive feedback with regards to the company’s efforts to return to normal business operations after community quarantine restrictions were eased last month.
To avoid customer confusion and to help ease the burden of settling ECQ bills, Manila Water, through the guidance of its regulator, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System-Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO), came up with a carefully-studied scheme to avoid bill shock and to give customers, especially those from low-income communities, longer payment period.
Although inquiries on billing expectedly increased in June as the company issued a special statement of account (SOA) detailing adjustments made after actual meter reading begun middle of May from previous ECQ billing based on average consumption, Manila Water’s social media pages reflect general appreciation for the billing scheme and the special (SOA).
Manila Water also made sure that questions and complaints received through the social media channels are responded to and resolve, as evidenced by customers’ feedback.
Out of the one million customers who received their bills in June, only 2% or 21,129 sought clarification on their billing. Of these, 90% were resolved by the call center or by business area frontliners.
Only 0.2% of customers, or 2,614, have cases that were endorsed for further handling and of these, 1,980 were verified to have been billed based on actual consumption of customers. There are 147 cases wherein the spike in billing was caused by undetected underground leak in the customers’ plumbing system.
Manila Water also ramped up its stakeholder engagement activities post-ECQ, as it conducted meetings with key local government units while still strictly observing health guidelines and protocols under the “new normal.”
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto took to Twitter to send a short note of appreciation.
“Quick meeting with Manila Water. Very reassuring that we will not have a water interruption anytime soon. Tumutulong din ang MWC sa mga program ngayon sa quarantine,” he said.
Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchi Abalos also took to Facebook to update her constituents about her meeting with Manila Water.
“Your servant has met with Manila Water representatives for various fun projects in our city including organizing our wastewater treatment facility,” she said.
Mayor Kit Nieto of Cainta, Rizal also shared his sentiments after meeting with key Manila Water officers last month.
“I’m very happy with the way you deal with the LGU, giving us much respect in terms of providing us with ample information of what you do, I really appreciate it,” Nieto said.
Manila Water Group Director for East Zone Business Operations Esmeralda R. Quines, in turn, expressed gratitude for all these positive feedback and assured customers and stakeholders that the company continues to be hard at work to deliver its services no matter what the circumstances may be.
“We ensure that we are not only responsive to the changing needs of our customers and stakeholders, but we proactively seek solutions to continue to adapt and provide excellent service even through challenging times,” Quines added.