The Hindu 27.10.2010
Metrowater SMS for complaints
K. Lakshmi
— Photo: K. Pichumani 
The SMS response will be another initiative of Chennai Metrowater to improve customer service. A view of the 24-hour complaint redressal cell at its head office in Chennai.
CHENNAI: Chennai Metrowater will in a week start sending text messages to consumers in response to the complaints they register at any of its offices.
Officials of Metrowater said consumers who lodge complaints with its helpline would receive an SMS giving the docket number of the complaint. By way of the text message, the complaint and the resident's address would be immediately forwarded to the depot engineer concerned.
At present, the depot engineers are informed about the complaints through the integrated computer network. This SMS service would enable them to act faster on the complaints, an official said.
Once the complaint is redressed, the complainant would be informed through an SMS. If they are not satisfied with the action taken, the consumers may contact the Metrowater head office with the docket number, the official said.
The complaints have to be redressed within the stipulated period – two days to a week depending on the nature of the problem – as specified in the citizens' charter of the water agency. In case of delay, the area engineers or superintending engineers would be given an SMS alert, the official added.
The SMS response would be extended to even those registering their complaints online next month after modifications to the software. On an average, the water agency receives nearly 18,000 complaints, including those registered online, every month. A majority of them pertain to sewer blocks on the main pipeline. There are nearly 6.84 lakh assessees of Metrowater.
