JXN Water opens Customer Care Center to help Jackson residents pay bills and resolve service issues

For many residents in Jackson, dealing with water bills has long been a frustrating experience. Confusing statements, long wait times on the phone, and difficulty getting clear answers have left some customers feeling disconnected from their water system. Now, JXN Water says it is taking a step toward rebuilding that relationship by opening a new full-service Customer Care Center designed to bring support directly to the community.

Located inside the Jackson Medical Mall, the center allows residents to speak face to face with representatives about billing questions, service issues, and account concerns. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and walk-ins are welcome.

According to Aisha Carson, Lead Communications Officer and Spokesperson for JXN Water, the new center is part of a broader effort to improve how customers interact with the city’s water utility.

“One of the reasons that we are here in the Jackson Medical Mall is because we saw a need and really needed to meet the community where they are,” Carson said during a recent interview with the Jackson Advocate. “For a lot of years in this city, people have had a lot of confusion around their water bill. … For many customers, they want to talk to a real person,” Carson said. “They want to bring their bill and ask specific questions about discrepancies or anything they might be concerned about. Being able to sit down and talk through that with someone can resolve those issues much faster.”

Carson said JXN Water is working to move beyond the crisis management phase that defined much of the system’s early operations and toward a focus on customer service and quality experiences. “When you’re in crisis mode, you’re just putting out fires,” Carson said. “Now we’re at the point where we can really focus on quality. What is our customer experience and how can we improve it?”

The location of the center was chosen carefully. JXN Water officials analyzed customer data and call center records to identify where the greatest needs existed.

The Jackson Medical Mall stood out for several reasons. It is a well known and trusted location in the city, easily accessible by public transportation, and frequently visited by residents.

“We tried our best to choose a location that is accessible to people,” Carson said. “It’s on a public bus route. It’s somewhere that people in our community are used to coming. It’s a trusted place.”

Carson also noted that the center helps address a major barrier for some residents, especially seniors, who may struggle with digital systems.

“Some people don’t necessarily have digital access or aren’t comfortable navigating online tools,” she said. “We understood that a large segment of our customer base wasn’t getting their needs met because of that.”

In addition to face to face support, JXN Water is introducing another option designed to make bill payments easier – self-service kiosks.

A payment kiosk has already been installed at the Customer Care Center, allowing residents to quickly pay their water bills without waiting for assistance. JXN Water plans to expand the program by placing additional kiosks at libraries throughout Jackson.

“We are deploying three more kiosks at libraries in Jackson,” Carson said. “It’s a fee-free way to pay and we’re excited about that partnership.”

The kiosks are intended to provide a fast and convenient option for customers who simply need to make a payment while avoiding additional service fees.

Beyond physical access points, JXN Water reports it has also made internal changes to improve how customer concerns are handled. Carson said the third-party utility manager has invested more resources into staff training and new systems designed to track customer issues more efficiently.

Those improvements are intended to ensure that when customers reach out, whether by phone, online, or in person, they receive quicker and more accurate responses.

For customers dealing with billing disputes, past due balances, or service interruptions, Carson says the new center is designed to provide direct assistance and solutions.

“Our goal is that when someone comes in, we can walk them through their account and help them understand what’s going on,” she said. “If there is an issue, if there is a leak, or if a plumber fixed something and you need an adjustment, we have people here who can help.”

Carson acknowledged that trust in the system has been damaged over the years, particularly because of past billing issues that left some residents skeptical of their monthly statements.

“There is a history here where people were getting bills that were just outlandish,” Carson said. “So we are fighting an uphill battle to convince people that they can trust the bill they’re getting.”

However, she believes consistent service and open communication will gradually rebuild that trust.

“It starts with people getting their water bill and expecting that if they have a problem, JXN Water is going to handle it,” Carson said.

In addition to the new center, JXN Water has hosted quarterly community meetings, created educational programs such as the Water Academy, and published financial reports detailing how funds are being used to improve the system.

Still, Carson says the most important step forward may be the simplest one, giving residents a place where they can speak directly with someone who can help.

“We want people to know there are real people here working to resolve these issues,” she said. “We are making a commitment to get better and to meet the community where they are.”

With the opening of the Customer Care Center and the rollout of new payment kiosks, JXN Water hopes Jackson residents will find it easier to get answers, pay their bills, and reconnect with the system that delivers one of the city’s most essential services.

For more information, visit https://jxnwater.com or call 601-500-5200.