Preferences Management
1. Problem Statement
Core Problem: Customers using the consumer self-service portal lack the ability to manage their account preferences, particularly around communication channels and notification settings. This results in customers receiving unwanted communications or missing important service updates through their preferred channels.
User Role: Consumer/Customer
Pain Points:
- Cannot control how they receive important utility communications (email, SMS, app notifications)
- Receive notifications through channels they don't prefer or monitor regularly
- Miss critical service alerts like outages or billing reminders due to communication channel misalignment
- Have no visibility or control over what types of notifications they receive
- Experience communication overload with irrelevant notifications
2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?
Primary User Role: Consumer/Customer
- Utility service account holders who use the self-service portal
- Responsible for managing their utility account and staying informed about service-related matters
- Need to receive timely, relevant communications through their preferred channels
- Should have access to this feature as part of their self-service portal experience
3. Jobs To Be Done
For Consumer/Customer: When I need to manage how I receive communications from my utility company, But I cannot control my notification preferences or communication channels in the self-service portal, Help me easily configure my communication and notification preferences with granular control over channels and content types, So that I can receive important utility information through my preferred methods while avoiding unnecessary communications.
4. Solution
The solution provides a comprehensive communication and notification preferences management system within the consumer self-service portal, allowing customers to have full control over how they receive utility communications.
Key Capability Areas:
1. Communication Channel Management
- Toggle email notifications on/off with descriptive explanations
- Control SMS/text message delivery preferences
- Manage app push notification settings
2. Notification Type Configuration
- Billing & Payment Reminders control (upcoming bills, payment confirmations, past due reminders)
- Service Outage Alerts management (notifications about outages affecting service area)
- Usage Reports & Insights preferences (consumption patterns and efficiency tips)
3. Preference Persistence & Sync
- Real-time saving of preference changes
- Cross-platform synchronization of settings
- Visual confirmation of active/inactive settings
4. User Experience Design
- Clean, intuitive toggle-based interface
- Clear descriptions for each notification type
- Organized sections for easy navigation
5. Default Settings Management
- Intelligent default preferences for new users
- Ability to reset to recommended settings
- Guidance on optimal notification configurations
6. Accessibility & Usability
- Mobile-responsive design for all devices
- Clear visual indicators for enabled/disabled states
- Consistent interaction patterns across all preferences
7. Communication Validation
- Verification of contact methods before enabling
- Test notification functionality
- Contact information update prompts when needed
5. Major Steps Involved
Consumer/Customer Flow:
- Access Preferences
- Log into consumer self-service portal
- Navigate to account settings or preferences section
- Locate "Communication Channels" and "Notification Preferences" sections
- Configure Communication Channels
- Review current email notification status (enabled by default)
- Toggle SMS notifications on/off based on preference
- Enable/disable app push notifications
- Read descriptive text to understand each channel's purpose
- Set Notification Types
- Configure "Billing & Payment Reminders" (upcoming bills, confirmations, past due)
- Set "Service Outage Alerts" preferences for area-specific notifications
- Choose "Usage Reports & Insights" delivery preferences
- Verify and Save
- Review all selected preferences
- System automatically saves changes in real-time
- Receive confirmation of updated preferences
- Test Notifications (Optional)
- Send test notifications to verify settings
- Confirm receipt through chosen channels
- Adjust settings if needed based on test results
6. Flow Diagram
7. Business Rules
General Rules
- All preference changes are saved automatically in real-time
- Default state for email notifications is enabled
- Users must have verified contact information to enable specific channels
- At least one communication channel must remain active for critical notifications
Channel-Specific Rules
- Email notifications require valid, verified email address
- SMS notifications require verified mobile phone number
- App push notifications require app installation and permission grants
- Users can enable/disable channels independently
Notification Type Rules
- Service outage alerts - user will recieve the services , complaints, disconnection notice related notification
- Billing reminders - notifications related to billing and payments
- Usage insights - notification related to usage and consumption
Error Handling
- If email address is invalid, email notifications automatically disable with user notification
- If SMS delivery fails repeatedly, system prompts user to update phone number
- If app is uninstalled, push notifications are automatically disabled
8. Sample Data
Communication Channels Sample:
Email Notifications: Enabled
- Email: john.doe@email.com (Verified)
- Description: "Receive notifications and alerts via email"
SMS Notifications: Disabled
- Phone: +1-555-123-4567 (Not Verified)
- Description: "Receive text messages for important notifications"
App Push Notifications: Enabled
- Device: iPhone (Active)
- Description: "Receive push notifications on your device"
Notification Preferences Sample:
Billing & Payment Reminders: Enabled
- Upcoming bills, payment confirmations, and past due reminders
Service Outage Alerts: Enabled
- Notifications about outages affecting your service area
Usage Reports & Insights: Enabled
- Regular updates on your consumption patterns and efficiency tips
9. Acceptance Criteria
- The system must display all communication channel options with clear toggle controls
- The system must show descriptive text explaining each communication channel's purpose
- The system must automatically save preference changes in real-time without requiring a save button
- The system must maintain preference settings across user sessions
- The system must disable channel options if required contact information is not available/verified
- The system must show current status (enabled/disabled) for each preference clearly
- The system must allow users to enable/disable email notifications independently
- The system must allow users to control SMS notification preferences
- The system must provide app push notification management capabilities
- The system must allow users to manage service outage alert preferences
- The system must provide options for usage reports and insights delivery
- The system must maintain at least one active communication channel for critical notifications
- The system must provide appropriate error messages when contact information is invalid
- The system must integrate with notification delivery systems
10. Process Changes
Process Area | From | To | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
Communication Delivery | System sends all notifications via default channels (primarily email) | System delivers notifications based on individual customer preferences across multiple channels | 35% improvement in notification engagement rates |
Customer Support | Customers call to change notification preferences, requiring manual updates | Customers self-manage preferences through portal, reducing support tickets | 60% reduction in preference-related support calls |
Notification Management | One-size-fits-all notification approach with high unsubscribe rates | Personalized notification delivery with granular controls | 25% reduction in opt-out rates |
Contact Information Updates | Manual process requiring customer service intervention | Self-service contact verification and updates | 40% faster contact information maintenance |
Channel Effectiveness | Limited visibility into preferred communication channels | Data-driven insights into customer communication preferences | 20% improvement in communication effectiveness |
11. Impact from Solving This Problem
Metric Category | Improvement Description |
|---|---|
:white_check_mark: Customer Satisfaction | Increases by 30% due to receiving communications through preferred channels |
:white_check_mark: Notification Engagement | Improves by 35% as customers receive relevant notifications via preferred methods |
:white_check_mark: Support Ticket Volume | Reduces by 60% for preference-related inquiries through self-service capabilities |
:white_check_mark: Communication Delivery Costs | Decreases by 15% through optimized channel usage and reduced waste |
:white_check_mark: Customer Retention | Improves by 8% due to better communication experience and reduced frustration |
:white_check_mark: Portal Usage | Increases by 25% as customers engage more with self-service features |
:white_check_mark: Operational Efficiency | Improves by 20% through automated preference management and reduced manual intervention |
12. User Behavior Tracking
Consumer/Customer Tracking Plan:
Event Name | Properties | Questions Answered |
|---|---|---|
preference_page_viewed | user_id, timestamp, page_section | How often do customers access preference settings? |
communication_channel_toggled | user_id, channel_type, new_state, timestamp | Which communication channels are most/least preferred? |
notification_type_configured | user_id, notification_type, enabled_status, timestamp | What types of notifications do customers want to receive? |
preferences_saved | user_id, total_changes, timestamp, session_duration | How many changes do customers typically make in one session? |
test_notification_sent | user_id, channel_type, success_status, timestamp | How often do customers test their notification settings? |
preference_reset | user_id, reset_type, timestamp | Do customers frequently need to reset their preferences? |
error_encountered | user_id, error_type, preference_type, timestamp | What issues do customers face when setting preferences? |
contact_verification_attempted | user_id, contact_type, success_status, timestamp | How successful is the contact verification process? |
Key Insights from Tracking:
- Preference Adoption: Understanding which notification types and channels customers prefer most
- User Journey Analysis: Identifying common paths and pain points in preference configuration
- Feature Utilization: Measuring how effectively customers use granular control options
- Error Patterns: Identifying common issues to improve user experience
- Channel Effectiveness: Determining which communication channels drive highest engagement
- Customer Behavior Trends: Understanding how preferences evolve over time and across customer segments
13. Wireframe
https://preview--consumer-self-service.lovable.app/profile/communications