Access to online electricity services
On 21 December, 2017, the 63rd anniversary of the Traditional day was held and this also marks an important advance in the field of Electricity sector’s business and customer service, when Vietnam Electricity announced providing 100% electricity services across the country in online mode. Accordingly, instead of directly going to transaction offices, customers just need to operate the same on their phone or computer with internet connection, visit the customer care (CC) website of 5 power corporations or e-portals of provinces and cities for accessing to all electricity services.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thang - Head of Business Department under Hanoi Power Corporation said that within 2 hours after registering, EVN’s staffs will make telephone calls, instruct customers to prepare any related procedures and make appointment to directly work with customers. As a result, customers save costs of printing documents and travel time.
Actually, power corporations also have implemented a number of services such as online power supply registration, online payment, etc. Particularly, Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation (EVNHCMC), in 2017, over 80% of customer requests was received online.
The processes are done by software, easily followed and monitored
Utility for customers, convenience for Electricity sector
With online electricity services, electrical staffs will take photo, store electronic records in the service management software so customers do not need to have their records photocopied as in the past. Particularly, all handling processes, and progresses of power supply to customers are publicized on the website of CC Center, ensuring transparency, at the same time, customers can proactively look up and monitor the handling progress conducted by the Sector. With electricity services that need paying charges in accordance with the Electricity Law, customers can also pay their electricity bills at any transaction offices of banks; or select payment services by electronic wallet, automatic debit, bank transfer, etc., via banks providing payment services to the Sector.
The online provision of electricity services not only creates favourable conditions for customers but also helps the Sector improve labour productivity. Previously, when providing any services for customers, Electricity staff had to submit documents through higher levels for approval, which took a lot of time. Currently, all procedures are online processed and approved by electronic signature. As a result, traveling time of staff is saved, speeding up the handling of customer requirements and contributing to optimizing costs.
Along with providing 100% online electricity services, to further provide utility to electricity users, EVN's affiliated units also diversify forms of CC through channels such as CC exchange, websites, e-mail, CC applications on mobile devices, zalo, etc.
Especially, EVNHANOI has launched an automatic CC system using artificial intelligence - trial version of "CC by Chatbot" on Facebook Messenger application and website: cskh.evnhanoi.com.vn. Chatbot's outstanding advantage is that it can simultaneously answer single question, serve different requirements to a large number of customers at the same time, directly give response to requirements 24/7 without being impacted or distracted by emotion and external factors. In addition, Chatbot can also "self-study" to become smarter to more fully meet customers’ requirements.
In spite of being an state-owned enterprise, EVN has been catching up with science and technology development trend of the world, and applying it to production and business activities to bring in practical efficiency.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung – Deputy President cum Secretary General of the Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association - the unit representing for consumers nationwide said: "The transfer of awareness from the "ask and give" mechanism of subsidy period to serving customers in the market economy period; accelerating the application of science and technology, constantly improving service quality is really a successful revolution of EVN."