Martin Brown, CCO at FM Outsource, commented: “According to Ofwat, sadly many water firms across the UK are ‘falling short’ on performance targets to do with supply, leakages and reducing pollution. As such, they’ve been ordered to return money through lower bills to customers who have suffered subpar levels of performance.
“Providing the right communication and a timely refund will be an essential short-term gesture for these providers. But when it comes to maintaining trust with the customer, the importance of effective customer service should not be underestimated.
“In the interim, providers need to be prepared for an influx of enquiries following this announcement. To help cope with demand, suppliers should make use of various communication channels to funnel through the enquiries and cater for customer preference. For instance, chatbots can be programmed to answer specific FAQs, offering quick resolutions. Encouraging customers to get in touch via social media channels is also a great way of reducing the number of people reaching straight to the phone lines for support.
“However, in the long-term, the impact of failing to hit these targets could have damaging implications beyond the cost of having to simply refund customers. Customer relationships and reputation more broadly could be affected, so providers need to do all they can to enhance their offering and customer service. Unlike other types of service provider, customers don’t have the opportunity to switch water suppliers if they are unhappy with the service or cost. So, this means it’s even more important for water providers to regain trust and protect long-term customer relationships. Providing the right service going forward is critical, and customers should feel confident that they can access the necessary support and advice if and when they need it.
“Leaks and supply issues, for example, can cause real disruption to customers’ daily lives, and therefore need to be acted upon quickly and carefully. This means it’s essential to have a highly skilled team available to customers 24/7, so that direct contact is accessible whenever a problem arises.
“Scalability can also be critical during peak periods. For example, during hot weather, supply may be reduced and in the coldest months, pipes can be prone to burst, meaning that customer service teams need to scale up accordingly to cope with an increase in enquiries. Offering the same level of support year-round is not always a viable strategy for a service provider that will face varying levels of demand, but scaling up can provide a flexible solution.
“Ultimately, without learning from this review and adjusting their customer service strategy accordingly, water companies potentially risk long-term financial implications and damaging customer relationships. But by acting quickly and taking meaningful steps towards better supporting customers, further reputational damage can be mitigated.”
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