As a utility company, billing practices are crucial to ensuring customers make on-time payments. As many other industries move to digital and paperless options, utilities are one of the few that still rely heavily on timely and accurate delivery of monthly statements. Without monthly statements, utility companies don’t make money.
That leaves a choice to make. Companies can either handle own utility bill printing and mailing services in-house or outsource it to a trusted professional. After comparing the true costs of handling the task in-house, many companies find there are numerous benefits to hiring out the cumbersome task. It can alleviate the burden from full-time staff and save money while still having professional quality statements sent to customers.
Utility companies are unique from other industries. Customers rely on companies to keep their homes and businesses running at peak performance. Whether supplying them with water, gas, or electric services, customers want to ensure their lights stay on. And regular billing statements will allow customers to see the state of their accounts and keep their payments current. But this service comes as an expense. It takes time and money to stay on top of statements and get them out on schedule. This is why outsourcing is such a great option for utility companies.
Let’s explore the benefits of outsourcing bill printing and mailing services. With a million reasons to consider outsourcing, it’s important to know exactly how the decision will benefit companies.
State of the Art Technology
A professional print and mail company invests in the latest and greatest technology so companies don’t have to. Professional print companies know that state-of-the-art technology will give them a competitive edge, so they have an incentive to keep their equipment up to date with the latest features. As a customer, companies can tap into all of the benefits of new technology and capabilities without having to constantly invest in it.
Skilled Staff
One of the most significant advantages of outsourcing is that companies add the skills and professionalism of an entire staff of printing professionals to the team. This partnership means that they will handle the heavy lifting and contribute expertise that only someone who works with mail full-time can bring to the table. This knowledge ranges from innovative ways to save on postage costs, experience with modern design trends, and even mastering the perfect timeline for sending out statements and notices.
Professional Layout and Design
Print and mail services staff are devoted to staying up to speed on the newest innovations in mail. They will ensure that statements look fresh, clean, and professional even with the changing times. As technology advances, they can ensure statements provide customers with a clear pathway to accessing the company’s online information and resources. Integrating printed materials with an online presence will allow customers access to far more information that can be contained in the statements.
Cost Effectiveness
One of the magical things about outsourcing print and mail is that it often saves a company money. Print and mail service providers maintain their equipment, supplies, and staff in a way that allows them to produce an extremely high volume of mail. High volume translates to lower costs, which they pass on to their customers. Companies often find that when they add up the total cost of running an in-house operation, they usually can’t beat the cost savings a professional can offer.
More than Just Statements
In addition to mailing monthly statements, a mail expert becomes a partner for all mail needs. A print and mail company can handle receipts, notices, newsletters, and correspondence. Additionally, they can easily add inserts to envelopes to notify customers of upcoming specials, service changes, or events. Working with a mail expert to plan upcoming marketing campaigns and deliver notices will allow tackling all communication quickly and efficiently. This partnership extends far beyond statements and opens up countless doors to communicate with customers.
Simplified Workload
A big advantage of outsourcing the printing and mailing of statements is that it frees staff up to tackle other things. Rather than trying to handle a massive project every month, they will have the bandwidth to tackle revenue-generating tasks and keep the operation running smoothly. Dealing with statements is no small task, and when potentially saving money while passing it off to a service, it’s a win-win.
Outsourcing print and mail will offer the chance to simplify and streamline utility bill management. This often overlooked solution will lighten the workload so the team can focus on more important things.
By working with a reputable service, sending out monthly statements becomes as simple as transferring the data. Everything else–formatting the statements, printing, folding, stuffing, adding inserts, and getting the statements in the mail – will be handled expertly without raising a finger.
