13 JUNE 2010 | JALALABAD, AFGHANISTAN

 

Providing better water delivery service and improved customer care are two key goals of the Jalalabad Water Supply Department (JWSD). However, because the main JWSD office is located outside of the city, it was inconvenient for most customers.  To improve service, JWSD established the first customer care center in the Jalalabad city center with assistance from USAID’s Commercialization of Afghanistan Water and Sanitation Activity (CAWSA) project, implemented by the International City/County Management Association.

 

JWSD has long felt the need to become more accessible, and the new facility brings the water department’s services closer to its customers. Conveniently located near local banks, it allows current customers and residents who want to apply for water connections to communicate with the department, report service issues, and check their payment status.

 

The customer care center is equipped with modern facilities, including computers, Internet access to the JWSD main offices and emergency services, customer files, and instantly accessible account information.  Department staff can print bills and status reports on demand, and customers can pay their bills at one of the nearby banks. The JWSD director, Eng. Said Rahman Zabeh, is confident that more customers will pay their bills on time thanks to this improved service.

 

For customers who cannot stop by this office and need to report emergencies or service problems, JWSD has also launched a customer hotline with a dedicated telephone number to serve as a one-stop-shop for all water supply and service-related issues.  JWSD staff and a small group of interns operate and control the new hotline.  Engineers and commercial specialists from the CAWSA team based in Jalalabad provided the initial training.

 

At the center’s inauguration, CEO of the Afghan Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Company (AUWSSC) Eng. Dad M. Baheer said, “This convenient office will play a key role in improving customer satisfaction, and I would request the CAWSA team to establish such centers throughout the country to help AUWSSC achieve commercial viability for all water departments.”