In a first for the England and Wales water sector, South Staffs Water will implement a new artificial intelligence (AI) driven collections management system which will enable the company to proactively identify and support customers who are at risk of falling behind with their water bill payments.

As part of the ambitious, innovative and creative approach to delivering its long-term plans, South Staffs Water, has chosen to work with Rimilia and its collections software.

This will enable the company, which has a reputation for providing outstanding customer service and working closely with the communities it serves, in tailoring help and support for customers in a way that best suits their personal circumstances, recognising that they demand individuality, flexibility and choice.

Rimilia’s AI-powered, self-learning engine is a key part of this. It provides real-time customer data and dynamic collection strategies that will enable South Staffs Water to understand even more about its customers and prevent them from falling into water debt. For those who unfortunately fall into debt, this new system will help the team to treat customers as individuals – which our customer research tells us, is exactly what customers now expect.

Phil Newland, managing director of South Staffs Water said:

“We have a reputation for our commitment to high-quality water, our community involvement, customer service and great value for money. We are constantly looking for the best new and innovative technologies which allow us to deliver our vision. This means treating each customer fairly and using rich insight and data so we can work with every individual in a way that is appropriate to their situation.

"Rimilia’s Alloc8 Collect system will give us real-time visibility and data to develop more personalised interactions with our customers. We were deeply impressed by how Rimilia’s team understood our business and the nuances of water collections management. Its Alloc8 Collect system is smart, sophisticated collections management software that we think will deliver real benefits for our customers.”

Steve Richardson, co-founder and chief operating officer of Rimilia, added:

“We are proud to be working with a utility company that is as innovative and customer focused as South Staffs Water. Fair and tailored collections management is fundamental to South Staffs Water and its customers and we look forward to seeing the impact that intelligent, dynamic software and strategies makes to their 1.7 million customers.”