South East Water’s commitment to providing excellent services for its vulnerable customers has been once again recognised with a prestigious BSI Kitemark™certification.
Originally certified to the Kitemark in 2022, the drinking water company passed its annual assessment of the gold-standard, internationally-recognised Kitemark following a rigorous and thorough review by BSI in January.
BSI, the business standards and improvement company, commended South East Water (SEW) on its inclusive and flexible approach to customer service, ensuring that the correct level of support is available for all its customers. The assessment highlighted how teams across the business place vulnerability and a quality customer service at the heart of every customer interaction.
The assessment involved an in-depth review of all parts of the business, including customer communications, website accessibility and an assessment of SEW staff who have been trained in how to have conversations with customers who have a variety of needs and might require additional support.
Rowena Hammond, Head of Customer Experience and Insight at South East Water, said: “We have held this BSI Kitemark since 2022 and are delighted to have once again received this recognition, which reflects how we have embedded a culture of care for our customer experience in everything we do.
“We recognise that customers can all benefit from extra help from time to time and we currently support some 115,000 customers via our Priority Services Register. At the end of last year we announced a new partnership with Kidney Care UK, supporting vulnerable customers living with chronic kidney disease.
“We take great pride in making every contact count with our customers and I am very proud of our teams across the business who work tirelessly to support our customers, particularly those who require extra help.”
Shahm Barhom, Group Product Certification Director at BSI, said: “When organisations put in place measures to ensure inclusive services and make accessibility a priority, they are taking a positive step forward towards creating a fairer and more equitable society. Congratulations to South East Water on achieving the BSI Inclusive Service Kitemark.
“This certification demonstrates the organisation’s unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional, inclusive services that cater to the diverse needs of all their customers. By meeting the rigorous standards set by the Kitemark, South East Water has shown leadership in inclusivity, setting a high bar for customer service in the sector.”
Further information about South East Water’s Priority Services Register can be found here https://www.southeastwater.co.uk/help/priority-services/
BS ISO 22458 is an international standard that aims to increase positive outcomes for vulnerable consumers when dealing with service providers and the standard gives organisations practical advice for providing an inclusive service to consumers in vulnerable situations at all stages of delivery.
