De-stress disconnect days with AutoPilot

MACC’s AutoPilot can make disconnect day easier. How much easier? With approximately five minutes of work, Hawkeye Telephone Company reported its disconnections were reduced by 66 percent after it started using AutoPilot to send e-mails to customers whose accounts were about to become delinquent.

If you’re not familiar with AutoPilot, it’s a service associated with the Messenger Suite in Customer Master. MACC associates create a custom, branded e-mail and then install the needed code in Customer Master. The e-mail is sent to end-users automatically based on trigger points, like the closing of service orders, or in the case of delinquent messages, after a company’s employees complete a simple review process.

Besides sending delinquent messages, other common e-mails sent from Customer Master include welcome packets for new customers, reminders of upcoming ACH transactions, and follow-ups to visits by technicians.

At Hawkeye Telephone Company, Brittney Backes, a member of the company’s customer service team, said they send out the delinquent message to customers who have not paid a week before the account will be disconnected. The e-mails contain a friendly reminder payment is due and provide information on how it can be made. The message has the company’s logo and uses colors matching its website.

“The process is very simple. We just review the delinquent list to confirm it is accurate and then send the e-mail. It takes about five minutes,” Brittney said. “Learning the process would be simple for anyone, especially if you’re already familiar with the Delinquency Suite.”

She said the biggest benefit of using the delinquent emails has been the ability to remind customers in an efficient and convenient manner. While the company continues to send out paper notices to delinquent customers who do not respond to the e-mail, the benefits of the AutoPilot messages are clear.

“Calling customers or sending out paper notices can often be tedious,” Brittney said. “This process ensures that the customers will get their notices in a timely manner, giving them plenty of time to send in payment.”

MACC makes it easy to take advantage of AutoPilot and Customer Master’s Messenger Suite. To learn more about AutoPilot, follow this link. You can also contact your MACC Representative for details on AutoPilot or information about training on Customer Master’s Messenger Suite.