Many managers and owners are turning to water submetering companies to save money. The installation of individual meters is also attributed with increasing the value of their property. Several property managers have given credit to sub meters for reducing the overall expenses annually for tenants and companies alike as they realize their usage patterns and change them. Not just the large property owners are requesting the installation. Smaller companies of less than 5,000 units are working with water management companies to install the devices.
What Can Sub Metering Companies Offer
The services a water management company can offer vary. Some companies are all inclusive. They offer a wide variety of options from which a property management company can choose. Others restrict their services to a select few. Potential services can provide the following:
* Installation of meters and sub meters
* Meter reading services – either manual or electronically
* Calculation of the water bills for the tenants
* Printing and delivery of the bills – electronically or through regular post
* Setting up a system of payment options – including online, direct and/or check
* Processing of the water bill payments
* Late payment arrangements – collections and administration of the various means of resolution
* Integration with the property management systems of accounting
* Repair and ongoing maintenance of the sub meters and related
Water submetering companies also provide customer service and are there to handle any questions tenants/clients have about the system. This should extend beyond the question of bills and water usage.
What Issues to Consider
Customer service is one matter owners and building management companies need to concern themselves with when choosing a water management company. It does not matter whether they limit themselves to providing sub meters or are completely involved in the process. If you, as an owner or leasing management firm want to avoid a plethora of calls, make certain the submetering company has a solid customer service base. It needs to be:
* Responsive – They answer all emails and phone calls within an acceptable period.
Fast
* Friendly – No matter how the client reacts, the customer service representatives must be able to handle it politely and with a friendly tone of voice.
* Consistent
* Reliable
* Well-trained – They know how to politely handle all types of calls and emails. They know exactly who to direct the tenants to if they are not qualified to handle their problem.
While delivering bills correctly and in a timely fashion, or installing the sub meters and maintaining them as required, are important facets of the business, they are negligible if the tenants and the owners cannot be provided with accurate, complete information when requested in a friendly and appropriate manner.
Water Submetering Companies
Today, owners and management companies of multi-unit structures are seeking as many ways as possible to decrease their overhead and expenditures. One way to alleviate high water bills is to provide each tenant with their own meter. By carefully looking at the qualifications and services offered by the available water submetering companies, the owner/management company can find an acceptable means to remove paying water bills from his or her list of least favorite things to do.