Yemisi Izuora
Ikeja Electric has reassured that its metering initiative will be sustained until customers in its network are connected.
It said that in a bid to enhance service delivery, the company embarked on its Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project which will ensure the provision of 300,000 smart meters to its customers by the end of December 2016.
Chief Executive Officer, of the company, Engr. Abiodun Ajifowobaje who gave the assurance said the meters which are being installed free of charge would ensure transparency in billing and reliability for customers.
“Already between 10,000 and 12,000 meters are being installed monthly in line with this project that reinforces our commitment to exceptional service.
We appeal to our esteemed customers for understanding as we continue to upgrade the network as well as their support in bringing cases of sabotage and vandalism within their neighbourhoods to the attention of Ikeja Electric,” he added.
Ikeja Electric is also implementing an ongoing Customer Enumeration, Technical Audit and Asset Mapping (CETAAM) project that involves a door-to-door survey which aims at obtaining accurate customer date and information for strategic and effective deployment of electricity equipment in the network.
The CEO further restated the company’s commitment to improve its customer care machinery to ensure ultimate service experience within its network.
Ajifowobaje said since privatization in 2013, the firm has brought its services closer to consumers through dedicated customer care channels such that “customers are now increasingly embracing and learning to trust for speedy resolution of various power issues.”
He added that the firm’s service channels are driven by robust technology and specially trained staff whose remit is to ensure the best possible solution to customer issues within the least time.
“We now have four service touch points through which our esteemed customers can reach us. These are the Call Centre, E-mail, Customer Care Units at our Business Units, Undertaking offices across our network and formal letters.
These channels have given our customers a voice of their own which we are always delighted to hear and promptly address in keeping with our resolve to serve with passion and utmost professionalism.”
According to him, the company operates a multilingual call Centre (English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba) that gives customers a real time platform for resolution of power issues.
“We are pleased that our customers have embraced these channels as evidenced by the feedback we continue to receive in terms of the issues and commendation on their resolutions.
We are always excited to receive such feedback from our customers as we are passionate about our service delivery. At Ikeja Electric, we are all bound by the mantra of New Spirit, New Drive and New Energy when it comes to customer service.”
Ajifowobaje disclosed that Ikeja Electric achieved 83 percent resolution rate in the first quarter, 84.9 percent in the second quarter and 86.4 percent in the third quarter and expects to move closer to 100 per cent by the close of 2015.