A web based customer care and billing system

Abstract

Currently manual systems such as on desk face to face systems are in use in Uganda, however the systems are characterized with weaknesses such as inaccurate customer records, long queues, late delivery of bills which has led to increased time wastage and customer dissatisfaction. Other companies for example Umeme Limited have tried to merge with banks such as Nile Bank, Crane Bank in an effort to solve the problem of long queues. Clients with accounts in those particular banks can be able to pay their bills in those banks instead of having to go to Umeme offices. LCEC is an example of an existing web based customer care and billing system for electricity customers. It has got unique features such as self login, online registration, and electricity bill payment, billing information, customer service that is connection service, disconnection service, and change of billing address, rate comparison, payment-options and online meter reading. However with LCEC system, customers read their electricity meters online, which in Uganda may require modern or sophisticated technology such as use of a mobile phone which is expensive to acquire and implement. The LOGIK system has been developed to deal with some of the problems faced by the current electricity providers and their consumers. It will be able to address issues such as long queues by enabling on line payments, more efficiently handle customer service inquiries by use of question and answer chat service. LOGIK, is a Web based Customer care and billing System which has been developed with functional capabilities such as; user authentication, login information recovery, system administrator privileges, changing of user profile such as account and password information, online electricity payment, new meter registration by customer care officers, access to website services such as billing information. This system is designed power consumers who have access to internet and the customer care and billing staff members. The web based customer care and billing system entails the Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) that were developed using PHP scripts embedded into HTML tags. MySQL was used to develop the database as well as connecting the interfaces to the database. The companies that will use this web based customer care and billing system will gain competitive advantage over their rival firms by improving customer satisfaction through provision of accurate bills results and improved customer relations.