Commercial Division Workflow

The COMMERCIAL DIVISION oversees the District’s needs in term of its commercial transactions.  It is responsible in the maximum generation of funds from the goods/services that it offers; preserve or improve the District’s procedures and policies while sticking to business and regulatory guidelines; develops and implements strategic marketing plans achieve the District’s objectives for customer satisfaction and excellent service.

SANWAD’s Commercial Division is composed of 3 sections namely: (1) BILLING (2) COLLECTION and (3) CUSTOMER CARE/MARKETING.

OPERATIONAL CONTROL AND SUPERVISION

The Division Manager of Commercial Division exercise operational control and supervision over the duties and responsibilities of the three sections.

The BILLING SECTION is composed of one (1) supervisor, two (2) billing assistants and five (5) meter readers.

The detailed responsibilities of the Billing section are as follows:

  1. Meter reading/billing (Read and Bill)-ensures that the customer billing records-subsidiary ledgers are updated and accurate including customer history record and files;

  2. Ensures that all active water meters are accurately read and billed and bills are delivered on time;

  3. Ensures that all disconnected accounts after reading period including those in-active accounts that were illegally opened and incurred consumption are billed on the next billing period and concerned consumers are notified for collection. Illegal connections after investigation and proven to have committed the act will be penalized in accordance to the utility rules and regulations of the district.

  4. Ensures the immediate investigation of customer’s complaint on billing and metering problems and recommends alternative or corrective measures and solutions.

  5. Holds immediate replacement of all defective water meters and appurtenances to further decrease non-revenue water.

  6. Implements immediate reconnection of disconnected water meters.

  7. Prepares the monthly billing reports, billing adjustments (BAM) including Senior Citizens discounts and VAT, Master file of consumers for active and in-active accounts, Aging accounts receivables (active/in-active), Penalty charge.

An account number is assigned to each consumer to identify each service connection as to location (zone) and consumers’ number.  These consumer accounts are grouped by zone and book.   The first ten (10) days of the month is the reading period.  The meter readers assigned in their respective zones and are given a minimum number of meters to be read in a day. After reading, the water bill statement for the month is now given to the consumer with the additional information of the amount to be paid, previous meter reading, present meter reading, cubic meter consumption, account classification, due date and disconnection date.  At the end of the day, meter readers submit the results of their reading to the Billing supervisors to be uploaded, entered into the system for the proper collection of the bill from consumers.  Any erroneous reading uploaded into the system shall be corrected immediately and notify the consumer of the changes.

After the reading/billing period, the consumers who failed to pay on due date are now identified. The meter readers now do the meter sealing/disconnection of delinquent consumers. An account is considered delinquent when it remains unpaid after its due date. It is also the duty of the meter readers to reconnect disconnected/sealed water meters as soon as their delinquent accounts are settled.

Hand in hand with the above enumerated duties of the meter readers is the responsibility to check accuracy of meters, inspect surroundings for possible presence of leaks or other pilferages. Any findings of any irregularity in the delivery of water will be reported to the Customer Care Section for proper evaluation and institute corrective measures.

For accounts with four (4) months delinquency are considered inactive. The inactive accounts are reported to the General Manager who reminds the consumers of their outstanding account with SANWAD to settle the same to avoid mainline disconnection. All accounts with four (4) months or more delinquency are referred to the legal officer.

Billing Process

  • Billing Officer uploads data of active accounts from the TUBS (Billing System) to the Handheld Gadget (meter reading gadget)

  • Meter Reader conducts on-site meter reading to individual consumers.

  • Consumer automatically receives his water bill notice upon input of present reading into the meter reader’s handheld gadget.

  • Meter Reader prints summary report of billed consumers & accounts with remarks.

  • The Meter Reader surrenders his handheld gadget & summary reports.

  • The Billing Officer downloads the data (water usage, reference no., billing no., meter reader remarks) from the Handheld Gadget to the computer.

  • The Billing Officer commits the downloaded Meter Reading transactions.

  • The Billing Officer posts the committed reading transactions into customer’s ledger & customer payment online transaction entry.

  • System is ready for transactions i.e, ¹payment, ²inquiry on account.

  • Billing officer generates report on billing summary & other related reports.

Note: Billing and Collection Sections uses the Total Utility Billing System (TUBS), a system which is linked to the Total Consumer Management System (TCMS) – used in the Customer Care section).

BILLING PROCEDURES AND PROCESS

COLLECTION SECTION is composed of one (1) Collection Supervisor and three (3) Customer Service Assistants (tellers) who are properly bonded.

The importance of Collection Efficiency Cash inflows are essential to enable a water utility to operate in a reliable and predictable manner. The following are the duties and responsibilities of the Collection Section:

  1. Facilitates collection of water bill payments and non-water related receivables.

  2. Ensures that the data base and all billing subsidiary ledgers of consumers are updated and accurate.

  3. Ensures smooth operation on collection of bill collectors, well accounted and remitted properly to the cashier.

  4. Cancel or request for adjustment for errors (system error) in the posting of bills on system.

  5. Prepare reports for overdue accounts and properly endorsed for disconnection and collection reminder (demand letter).

  6. Prepares promissory for delinquent accounts.

  7. Prepare monthly reports on Collection of water bills (on-time, current and previous year receivables, penalties, service line and meter maintenance fees, guarantee deposits, illegal connection penalties, new Service connection fees, payment of materials and fittings, reconnection fees and other non-water related receivables.

The eleventh day of the month is the first due date of water bills. Consumers go directly to the office to pay their bills to the Customer Service Assistants (bill collector), there is no field collection.  They receive payments as reflected on the bills given to them by the meter readers and issue an official receipt. It is also the duty of Customer Service Assistants to receive payments such as penalties, reconnection fee, payments of materials and non-water related receivables.

COLLECTION AND REMITTANCE PROCESS

Daily Collection and Remittance Process p1

  • Customer presents the billing notice (water bill) to the teller or
  • If customer failed to bring the billing notice, he can state the account name or account number for verification.
  • Teller states the amount due to the customer
  • Accepts payment and issues Official Receipt.
  • Teller generates the Daily Collection Report
  • Teller computes all the receipts for counter checking and verification against the daily collection report.
  • Teller remits the Daily Collection Report, Receipts and Cash/Checks to the Collection Supervisor for Checking and Verification.
  • Division Manager signs the Daily Collection Report to validate the correctness of the Report, Receipts and Cash/Checks for Remittance to the Cashier.
  • Collection Officer Remits the Total Daily Collection Report, Receipts and Cash/Checks to the Cashier.

Note: Billing and Collection Sections uses the Total Utility Billing System (TUBS), a system that is linked to the Total Consumer Management System (TCMS) used by the Customer Service section.

CUSTOMER CARE SECTION/MARKETING is composed of one (1) Supervisor and two (2) Customer Service Assistants.

  1. The primary duty of the Section is to receive and process application for new service connections.

  2. Receive complaints of consumers and refer the same to the proper section for appropriate action.

  3. Follow up requests that are not yet acted upon. Refers any unnecessary delays to the General Manager.

  4. Receive and records accomplished service requests from the different concerned divisions.

  5. It is also their responsibility to conduct public information and marketing activities.

New Service Connection Process

  • Applicant/Client signify intention to apply for New Service Connection.

  • Customer Service staff prepares inspection order (M.O), gives the applicant list of necessary requirements for the application.

  • Engineering division’s actual inspection on the location & estimates    materials (list of plumbing materials needed) to be used for the proposed service connection

  • Applicant returns to the office to undergo briefing on the Implementing Rules and Regulations governing the operations of SANWAD.

  • If applicant agrees with the IRR of the district, he will present the necessary requirements.

  • Customer Service staff computes the actual cost of the service connection & prepares contract for water service.

  • Customer proceeds to the teller for payment and receives Official Receipt

  • Customer signs the contract.

  • Customer service staff forwards all the necessary documents to the concerned Officers for approval & signature.

  • Engineering Division schedules the service line installation.

  • Engineering staffs installs the service connection within the district’s specified installation period (2-3 working days after application. Installation may take 1-4 hour to complete)

  • After work completion: recording of the accomplished service line installation & integration into the system.

Delay happens when data supplied are incomplete and/or in the absence of  signatories.  Installation may take more than the usual 4-hour work to complete if activities e.g concrete breaking, cutting and excavation would be performed.

APPLICATION FOR NEW SERVICE CONNECTION PROCESS FLOW

Customer Service Complaints/ Request Workflow

For Complaints & Service Requests e.g Reopen/ Reconnection of service line, Repair Broken pipe, Repair meter leak, for service line/main line disconnection due to non-payment or illegal connection etc.

  • Customer service staff receives and registers request of customer through the TCMS (Consumer Management System).

  • Customer service staff process the request. Forwards it to the concerned division for appropriate action.

  • Concerned division assigns maintenance personnel to act on the customer’s concern.

  • Maintenance Personnel takes appropriate action (within the day under normal circumstances)

  • Customer service staff receives the accomplished Maintenance Order/Request from the concerned divisions on the next day and records result to the TCMS.

Note: Customer Service Section uses the Total Consumer Management System (TCMS). A system which is linked to the Total Utility Billing System (TUBS- used in the Billing and Collection).  All data input on the TCMS will be automatically viewed and transacted on TUBS.