Understanding customer attitudes for a water company

Examples of our Work - Public Services and Utilities Market Research Consultants

Background

Understanding levels of customer satisfaction allows public service providers to assess how they are meeting local needs and what they can do to improve. As part of its five year review this waterworks company wanted to update its understanding of both its domestic and business customer base and levels of satisfaction in order to inform future planning.

Objectives

• To understand what factors were regarded by customers as important.

• To assess the general level of satisfaction.

• To understand attitudes to metered supply and other methods of charging for unmeasured water supply.

• To understand perceptions of water quality.

• To understand customers attitudes towards increases in rates in order to invest in measures to reduce risks or increase investment in maintenance so reducing leakage and potential supply interruptions.

• To understand customer attitudes to policies to promote efficient use of water.

Methodology

A mixture of qualitative and quantitative research was conducted. Three focus groups were conducted with domestic customers in order to understand aspects and standards of service which they considered to be important and why. This also gave an opportunity to explore aspects of service which they considered important which had not featured in the original. Views were also sought on a customer information leaflet and the issues raised within it.

The second quantitative stage of research consisted of telephone interviews with 300 domestic customers and 100 business customers. All customers were given advance notice of interviews by letter explaining the objectives of the research and inviting them to take part. Both customer groups were interviewed using a structured questionnaire based on the important issues and views which were explored in the first qualitative stage of research. Three defined groups of business customers were interviewed. These consisted of the top 23 metered customers, other metered business customers and all unmetered business customers. Quotas were used to ensure that the difference in views between metered and unmetered customers could be fully represented and accurately reported.

Outcome

The first stage of research using focus groups helped greatly in understanding the reasons why customers felt as they did about the service offered by this water company. A full report was issued with verbatim comments to illustrate particular points of view. The second stage quantitative research provided a broader picture of how many customers held those particular views. The report issued gave results of the domestic and business surveys with results reported on both a standard numerical basis and in weighted terms to reflect the relative levels of importance of the metered and unmetered customers. The research ensured that our client had a full understanding of their customers' level of satisfaction and was able to use the research within its planning process to ensure its continued success in the future.