DivDat Kiosk Network receives “Diversity Focused Company” award from Corp! Magazine

DivDat Kiosk Network receives “Diversity Focused Company” award from Corp! Magazine

DETROIT – The DivDat Kiosk Network is pleased to announce its company initiatives in diversity, equity and inclusion has been recognized by Corp! magazine and DivDat awarded as a “Diversity Focused Company” honoree for 2020.

“DivDat is very honored to be recognized for our program and efforts in focusing on diversity, equity  and inclusion but there remains a lot of work to do in the payments industry,” said President Jason Bierkle. “It is very encouraging that corporate America is beginning to focus on payment system inequities that we have been well aware of for many years. Far too many companies still force the underbanked consumer to pay so-called ‘convenience fees” to pay their essential bills.”

The DivDat Kiosk Network promotes diversity in all aspects of its business and in deploying payment channels that help people of all walks of life “Level the Paying Field” through its Kiosk, Web, Mobile, Phone and Point-of-Service payment channels.

“Our multi-biller kiosk model in Southeastern Michigan is an industry-leading standard that is rewarding those companies who embrace inclusion by offering payment options to the 25% of Americans who do not have checking accounts or credit cards,” said Bierkle. “This same issue was exposed by the Covid-19 crisis when 30% of the ‘off-line’ residents were asked to conduct at-home learning. Few bothered to ask if they had internet access or even laptops and that the same technology discrimination gap we find in the payments industry.”

For its part, DivDat promotes diversity in the hiring of staff, consultants and contractors and general business service providers. The company is especially proud of its Kiosk “Ambassadors” program where we have people who speak English, Spanish and Arabic trained on the kiosks stationed at newly deployed biller locations to help people walk through the touch-screen process and answer their questions.

The DivDat Kiosk Network assists some 100,000 people in metro Detroit each month that rely on DivDat’s fee-free payment kiosks to pay their essential bills such as water, taxes, gas and electric, court fees and fines and many other essential services each month. Payments can be made at the kiosks or other channels safely, for free at a place of convenience in a non-judgmental format with dignity. Perhaps that may be the best solution DivDat offers the community, the ability to pay bills – with dignity – as easily as someone of privilege does from their phone or laptop.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of DivDat`s service offering is that during this pandemic period, DivDat is collecting money for cities and other government entities that otherwise would not be able to collect funds owed. DivDat experienced payments at 80% of normal during the peak pandemic period. Meaning during a stay-at-home order, during civil unrest, loyal kiosk users made payments while out getting groceries or conducting other essential business.

During the Covid-19 Pandemic the DivDat Kiosk Ambassadors have been working in great strides to keep the kiosks safe and clean for the kiosk users. The Ambassadors have adopted and demonstrate “touchless” payments at the DivDat kiosks on how to make a payment and avoid skin contact with the kiosk touch screen. This is done by using gloves, finger cots or with the tip of an eraser on a pencil. Signage and videos were also posted explaining the way to make a “touchless” payment.

“Imagine English is a second language as an immigrant from a foreign land and going to a payment center to pay an essential bill such as your water, property tax, gas or electric or court fees or fines,” said Bierkle.  “Imagine taking off on your lunch hour to pay these bills because the offices are only open from 9-4:30. Imagine the stress of waiting in line to pay, knowing you will need to catch a ride back to work. Imagine going to a store where you have been directed to pay your bills using cash and being required to pay as much as $5.00 for the ability to pay a single bill.”

The high cost of being poor or economically challenged or unbanked or underbanked falls disproportionately on people of diverse backgrounds and DivDat’s mission is to Level the Paying Field.

To read the full story go to: http://www.corpmagazine.com/interest/diversity/amid-heightened-racial-awareness-corp-honors-diversity-leaders

DivDat™ is a national, privately-held company in Detroit, MI. While founded in 1971 as a print and mail invoicing and payments company, the firm has pioneered web-based payments, IVR, over the counter, mobile app and kiosk payment models unique to the industry. DivDat is a high-tech electronic invoicing and payments solutions provider to corporate and government entities seeking to provide greater customer service and inclusion while increasing collections and streamlining treasury reporting models.