Sparks Electrical News November 2020

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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Take control of your power T he current market can be described as chal- lenging for electrical contractors. The economy is complex, customer needs are forever chang- ing, and it can be quite difficult to build solid founda- tions when the ground seems to move continuously. Yet, as South Africa looks ahead and explores new lockdown regulations, it is equally a time to take con- trol of your business and find new ways of growing customers and markets. “There are two things that customers need today – control and power,” says Carel Scheepers, General Manager: Sales at Citiq Prepaid. “This may sound like the tagline of a presidential campaign, but these two words really resonate with people today. They want more control over their spend and their utilities. They don’t want to continue struggling with budgets and the vagaries of municipalities on top of all the other prob- lems they face.” So, where does your role as the electrical contractor fit in? Well, as a trusted advisor who can support cus- tomers – be they individuals, managing agents or de- velopers – to make smart decisions around their utility management and control. Decisions that allow them to minimise disruption and admin while maximising ease of use and, most importantly, an easy life. “With prepaid sub-metering, customers can access, manage and control their power without having to leave the home or spend hours in a queue,” says Scheepers. “With Citiq Prepaid, they can do all this, and more. We provide prepaid sub-metering solutions designed to high standards and have developed an array of value- added services that transform how people engage with their utilities and sub-meters.” The first thing Citiq Prepaid does is ensure that

“The last thing anybody wants is to run out of tokens, so we’ve worked hard to make paying for power as sim- ple and seamless as possible,” concludes Scheepers. “We’ve got the largest national network of recharge out- lets, allow payment online and with a mobile device, and cater for a variety of different payment methods. This reassures the client and the contractor when it comes to ongoing service delivery.” Citiq Prepaid provides contractors with the tools they need to grow their businesses in challenging times by ensuring their customers retain control over their power in the easiest and most efficient way possible.

whenever there are issues, I sit down with the custom- er, contact the call centre, and the staff immediately explain everything to them. They talk them through the benefits, the system and payment and make sure that they are happy with everything. It’s made a huge difference to my relationship with my customers and my business.” Along with the handy call centre and exceptional cus- tomer support, Citiq Prepaid has an online platform that is designed to help customers manage their accounts and payments more effectively. The two types of login are for tenant, and owner or landlord and provide a vari- ety of services that range from reporting to online pay- ments.

electrical contractors have access to a product they can trust. The prepaid sub-meters come with tam- per-proof features that significantly minimise the risk of fraud. In addition, the company has invested in two well-trained call centres that offer reliable support to contractors and customers, seven days a week. The call centres not only respond rapidly to customers registering their meters, but they offer swift and helpful advice when users have queries. “When I first started out as a contractor, work- ing in the prepaid sub-metering space, I received a lot of complaints from my clients about registration, tampering and service,” says Samuel Sibusisio, CEO of QSS. “I decided to go with Citiq Prepaid and now,

Enquiries: www.citiqprepaid.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

NOVEMBER 2020