Back to news
Building Trust Through Exceptional Customer Experience in the Water Sector
A post highlighting the importance and method of delivering exceptional customer experience to customers who may lack trust in the Water Industry.
- CX
- Water
- Excellence
Customer Experience is vital
Water companies face a significant challenge in maintaining public trust. With frustration over service issues, environmental concerns and supply interruptions, engaging with customers in a meaningful and positive way is more crucial than ever. Research shows that 80% of customers consider their experience with a company to be as important as the products or services they provide. For water companies, this presents an opportunity to rebuild trust and strengthen relationships by prioritising customer experience, both in person and digitally.
The Importance of Customer Experience
A positive customer experience is essential in any industry, but for a service as fundamental as water, it carries even greater weight. Due to water being a fundamental right, customers have an expectation of affordability and quality from their providers, which are usually tradeoffs in the private sector. When these expectations are not met, reputation and satisfaction falls. However, when water companies invest in high quality customer experience, they not only improve perceptions but also future behaviours of their customers.
How Customer Experience Builds Trust in the Water Sector
Frustrated Customers
Trust is difficult to earn and easy to lose. The water industry often faces public scrutiny, making it essential to focus on customer experience as a way to bridge the gap between companies and households. Especially since households can't choose between water companies, they feel a certain level of distrust that needs to be worked on.
By improving customer interactions, companies can:
- Show that they listen and respond to customer concerns (particularly around flooding and sewage). When customers not only hear about but partake in community-led initiatives, they feel as though a proactive effort is being exerted by water companies to improve their services, more so than when they hear of a project the water companies have completed without the households.
- Householders often only see the bad news regarding water companies and feel as though they aren't making any investment, therefore demonstrating transparency in their services and showcasing projects will help negate this.
- When customers have a better relationship with their suppliers, they will be more likely to reach out and contact. Meaning that they will be more likely to report leaks or manage their accounts, which is of vital importance to water companies in improving efficiency.
The Role of Our Expertise
We understand the challenges faced by water companies and have extensive experience in delivering outstanding customer engagement. Our customer engagement specialist, Dan, has delivered exceptional customer experience throughout his career.
Most recently Dan worked for a rental car chain that prides itself as going above and beyond and making experiences memorable for each and every customer. In this role Dan would meet with potential corporate customers, holiday makers and even those who had been in car accidents and were scared of getting behind the wheel of a new car. "It was a challenge modifying your language to suit every communication style but ultimately very rewarding when a customer was left with a smile on their face". This role required developing a relationship with the customer via the platform, online and over the phone, before meeting face to face.
How We Help Water Companies Build Stronger Relationships
We offer tailored solutions designed to enhance customer experience and rebuild trust. Our approach helps water companies:
- Encourage household participation
- Promote water-saving behaviours
- Reduce sewer misuse
Engaging customers in rainwater management helps reduce flood risks and supports sustainability efforts. Clear, accessible and proven communication ensures that households understand their role and see the benefits of taking part.
With increasing pressure on water resources, encouraging households to use water more efficiently is vital. Our platform ensures that our interventions aren't just fit and forget and encourages participants to engage in long term sustainability and cost saving strategies.
Improper disposal of wet wipes, fats, oils and grease is a major issue for water companies. A well-executed customer experience strategy such as newsletters, notifications and emails can help inform and educate households about the consequences of sewer misuse, leading to better practices and fewer blockages.
A Solution for a More Trusted Water Sector
By prioritising customer experience, water companies can shift perceptions and build more positive relationships with the public. Our expertise in customer engagement, both in person and digitally, enables companies to connect with households in a meaningful way, fostering trust and increasing cooperation on key initiatives.
At the end of the day, water should always be of good quality and customers expect no less, the challenge then for water companies is to make the experience of dealing with them, a pleasant one, as these are the memories they will take away with them. Improving customer experience is not just beneficial, it is essential. Water companies that invest in clear communication, responsive service and positive interactions will ultimately see greater trust, engagement and long-term support from their customers. We are here to help make that happen.