| , many companies are getting pressure to convert their | | | | have trouble converting some of their business |
| traditional paper billing systems to online billing systems | | | | customers to online billing either because they have a |
| for many reasons. Whether it be environmentalism, | | | | current process that includes paper billing or they see |
| convenience (or inconvenience of sifting through | | | | no real benefit in switching. Some providers have |
| hundreds of pages of bills), or to acquire the added | | | | taken the approach that they will put all customers on |
| functionality available with online bill presentment, the | | | | online billing and then charge those customers that |
| trend is consistently leaning toward eBilling. | | | | require a paper bill a small nominal fee for the cost of |
| In addition to the above advantages to online billing, | | | | printing the bill. This works if your customer base is |
| there are some other advantages that you might not | | | | largely comprised of customers that are already |
| have considered. For example, with many online bill | | | | convinced to switch to online billing, but could cause |
| presentment software packages you can advertise | | | | some issues if the bulk of your customers are not on |
| on the online bill. Online bill presentment will also drive | | | | board. |
| traffic to your website, increasing customer | | | | Other providers have taken the approach to convert a |
| awareness. And finally, all bill presentment can be | | | | segment of their customer base to their online billing |
| specifically branded for your company as if there | | | | system. Then, they provide case studies and success |
| were no outsourced billing system, as if it were your | | | | stories to the late adopters to try to persuade them to |
| internal system itself. Free marketing to your existing | | | | change over. When you are able to provide real |
| customer base provides a significant revenue | | | | numbers as to dollars saved, efficiencies achieved, etc. |
| opportunity to those customers that are already loyal | | | | in real customers on this particular system, it can have |
| to your company. | | | | some pull in convincing customers to switch over. |
| For the end user, there are some advantages that you | | | | The biggest issue, by far, is convincing business |
| might not have considered as well. Bills are delivered | | | | customers to educate themselves on the system and |
| directly to the person that will be handling them – | | | | think outside their normal processes. It is easy to get |
| whereas paper bills usually are sent to a general mail | | | | bogged down in day-to-day activities, making it far |
| box and are delayed in being delivered to the person | | | | more difficult to see the big picture. It is difficult to see |
| responsible for processing them. This processing | | | | how this new system could save time and money. It |
| person can also look forward to immediate updates, | | | | just seems like a gimmick to save the service provider |
| trending analysis, and monitors that can keep them on | | | | money, but the fact is that, in the end, it will save the |
| top of their bill usage rather than having to backtrack | | | | business customer time and money as well. So, the |
| when the bill finally arrives. No more sifting through | | | | biggest obstacle in online billing adoption is convincing |
| hundreds of pages of bills…eBilling make bill | | | | business customers to learn how to use the product |
| processing easy and efficient. | | | | and then to try to think outside their current processes |
| Some companies have found transitioning from paper | | | | to find a way to incorporate this new software in a |
| to online billing a daunting task. The providers might | | | | manner that can actually benefit them in the long run. |