Online Utility Access Improves Efficiency & Customer Service
Organization Profile
- Industry: Municipal
- Location: Clemson, South Carolina
- Number of Employees: 210
- Population: 19,000
- Tyler Client Since: 2019
- Tyler Products Used: ERP Pro, Enterprise Permitting & Licensing, Content Manager, My Civic, Notify
Challenges
The city of Clemson, South Carolina, may bring orange paw prints to mind, but it’s more than a college town. “I’ve worked here for 18 years, and while I’ve watched Clemson grow far beyond just a college town, we haven’t lost our heart. Even with the new high-rises going up, we’ve held onto that genuine small-town charm and the incredible natural beauty of our lakes and mountains that makes living here so special,” said Utility Billing Manager Heather Cartee. But despite having its own identity, the city’s operations are impacted by the university in meaningful ways, including the influx of college students moving in and out before the fall semester, which puts a strain on the city’s utility billing department.
For years, the city handled the utility connections and disconnections of more than 1,000 students with manual, in-person processes. For six weeks each fall, it was all hands on deck. “Prospective residents had to sign up for water in person, which often meant lines stretching out the door. Our team would then stay late into the night, manually processing every single service agreement,” Cartee said. Visiting the utility department ahead of move-in day was especially challenging for out-of-state students, and many utility customers began to question why online options were not available. It was time for modernization.
Solution
In 2022, the city of Clemson became an early adopter of Tyler ERP Pro’s online connection and disconnection function within the Utility Access portal. With this capability, their customers could apply for utility services in advance, upload documentation, and pay their security deposit online. “We didn’t have 10 people standing in the lobby waiting to fill out their piece of paper or for a customer service agent to sign them up for water. They did it online, and we could move their information through the process,” Cartee said. Disconnections can also be requested through the portal, reducing the time the utility team spends on the phone with customers for simple transactions.
ERP Pro has also connected Clemson’s utility billing and finance departments. “Everything is centralized,” Cartee said. “We can see the customers’ consumption, we can see their service orders, their security deposit, and their transaction history in a more user-friendly interface.” Instead of processing transactions at the end of each month, utility data is updated with the general ledger in batches, increasing efficiency and accuracy. Cartee estimates that the time spent on data entry has decreased by 80%.
The anxiety of facing mountains of paperwork has eased. We have breathing room and are finally able to slow down, speak with our customers on a personal level, and focus on their specific needs without feeling like we’re racing against the clock.
Heather Cartee
Utility Billing Manager
Results
Today, overtime hours to process student utility connections and disconnections are a thing of the past. “It used to be a physical and mental drain, and it would require staff to be away from their families,” said Cartee. “We don’t stay after 5 p.m. anymore. We can get everything done.” With online access and self-service kiosks, foot traffic in the utility department has decreased by 75%, and customer service agents spend less time on connection and disconnection phone calls. “The anxiety of facing mountains of paperwork has eased. We have breathing room and are finally able to slow down, speak with our customers on a personal level, and focus on their specific needs without feeling like we’re racing against the clock,” Cartee said.
The added efficiency has improved customer satisfaction. The city’s lean utility team makes same-day service impossible, so establishing service agreements in advance is crucial. “It’s the last thing on your mind when you’re moving into college,” Cartee said. “Now, parents are happier because their kids don’t have to go a weekend without water. They can sign up and get to know the billing process online before move-in day.” The system also allows landlords to maintain water service between tenants, which can eliminate service delays. All of this contributes to a better, more technology-driven experience — something many customers have come to expect. “Customer satisfaction is paramount. If they’re not happy, we’re not happy. If we can take away one inconvenience for them, that’s huge to us,” said Cartee.