IMPROVING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Turning obstacles to opportunities: revolutionising UK utility customer care
By Richard Gregory, Senior Sales Executive, Odigo
How can we deliver quick customer service wins to keep everyone happy? Richard Gregory, Senior Sales Executive at Odigo, explains.
Recent media scrutiny of sewage leaks and Ofwat penalties, coupled with a drop in...
Tapping into personalisation: The key to improving water customer satisfaction
The personal touch is crucial for consumers, says Alan Newman, Enterprise Manager, Utilities, Quadient.
The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has put more pressure on companies to improve customer experience as consumers are more conscious of where they spend money.
Water companies face...
Boosting diversity improves water sector customer service
Increasing diversity and inclusion across the water sector has the potential to improve innovation, customer service, and contribute to the diversity of thought needed to overcome key challenges, writes Lila Thompson, chief executive of British Water.
Research and advisory experts...
Water sector collaboration will light up customer service
By Lila Thompson Chief Executive, British Water
In the ever-evolving landscape of customer expectations, the water sector stands at a critical juncture, and collaboration illuminates the way to enhanced customer satisfaction and a strengthened water industry, writes Lila Thomspon, chief...
ESG – the emperor’s new clothes?
By Nicola Williams Partner at Eversheds Sutherland
Do customer voices in the boardroom improve ESG reporting and how can water company Boards remain engaged? Nicola Williams, Partner and regulatory lawyer in the Energy and Natural Resources team at Eversheds Sutherland,...
Water utilities achieve new Inclusive Service Kitemark™ certification
Two water utilities have achieved certification to the new Inclusive Service Kitemark.
Anglian Water Services Limited and South East Water are among nine companies to be recognised by BSI for providing an inclusive and flexible service that benefits all consumers,...
Creating a tide of productivity for the water industry
Water companies are under a tidal wave of pressure to innovate. The already looming challenges of population growth, net zero targets, water scarcity and deteriorating asset health were further compounded by the global pandemic that saw demand for water...
Wessex commended for customer service excellence
Wessex Water has once again retained its Customer Service Excellence (CSE) quality mark from the world-leading independent inspectorate SGS.
The water company became the first of its kind to achieve this coveted award back in 1996 and is currently one...
The digital innovator that delivers a fluid customer experience
Most people in the UK take for granted a plentiful supply of clean water. However, with estimations that demand for water in England will exceed supply by between 1.1 billion and 3.1 billion litres per day by the 2050s1...
Could core systems be the key to improving water sector complaints management?
Since the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) and Ofwat published a joint report in November on complaints practices within the sector in England and Wales, there has been a real focus on complaints management, and water companies have been...
How do we improve customer satisfaction in the water sector?
Twice a year, we publish the nation’s barometer of service satisfaction – the UK Customer Satisfaction Index. It is the most in-depth cross-sector measurement of customer service in the UK, with 10,000 consumers rating 45,000 service experiences across over...
Customer Improvement Programme sees reduction in written billing complaints
Southern Water has reported an 18% drop in written billing complaints since April as part of our Customer Service Improvement programme.
The transformational programme will deliver improvements to our billing and digital services. We also launched three new online journeys...
Fortune favours the wave of improved customer experience
It is with good reason 85 of the Fortune 100 companies choose to work with NICE LTD UK.
For when it comes to creating the right conditions for a smooth and harmonious customer journey through a company’s multi-channel means of...
Customer satisfaction is flat lining – we must focus on our service offering to help drive the UK forward
The government’s announcements in late September of a raft of new coronavirus restrictions has taken us into a new period of challenge and uncertainty for businesses across the county. The effects of continued economic uncertainty, job losses and increasing...
Harness customer feedback for business success
The water industry is under immense pressure to change, so in this issue, we speak to Guy Letts, Founder and MD of CustomerSure, about how customer feedback can drive business success.
Guy is well placed to offer us insights into...
Help your people to stand tall and bristle with pride!
United Utilities use positive customer feedback to recognise their people and top the SIM charts. Derek Williams, Founder and Chief Executive of The WOW! Awards, shares his thoughts.
Once upon a time…
Basil Martinez, a young man, was clearing tables in...
How Chatbots can improve customer engagement and increase survey responses
Survey fatigue is an issue every company can relate to – so what can you do to improve survey completion rates and gain better quality insight?
The water sector has long been demanding a more engaging way to communicate with...
Speed, friendliness and service recovery
Over the last five years United Utilities has been on a journey to improve customer service. At the heart of it has been listening to what our customers have to say and focusing on what’s important to them.
Our strategy...
Innovation in understanding leakage
Understanding what customers want from a 21st century Water Utility is high on the UK regulator, OFWATS’s, agenda when reviewing UK Water Utilities business plans for the five years between 2020 and 2025.
James Bateman,
Senior Account Manager, 1Spatial
Customers do not...
Water Market Reform – A Year On: How are wholesalers improving their service?
2017 saw the biggest transformation to the UK’s water market since privatisation in 1989. In April, we welcomed the opening of the non-domestic water market in England, allowing eligible non-household customers the opportunity to choose their water retailer for...
Why water companies need to tap into artificial intelligence to improve their customer experience
Customer experience (CX) is a hot topic for all industries. But the demand for a more sophisticated approach in the water sector is particularly pressing.
performing industries in The Institute of Customer Service 2018 UK Customer Satisfaction Index, and Ofwat’s...
Embracing technology to improve the Customer Experience
At Severn Trent our vision is to be the most trusted water company by 2020 and we know that to do that we must be available to our customers when and how they choose. No matter what time of...
