CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION"

Aubrie Harrell
8 years ago
Views:

1 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Customers are the focal point of any water services business. They essentially dictate the demand for water, which accordingly informs the supply of water. It is imperative for any WSI to reach and maintain high standards of customer services throughout its region. Such high standards emanates from providing customers with safe drinking water; affordable tariffs; knowledge pertaining to water conservation and reducing the demand for water, and efficient customer care centres. Managing the risks of poor customer satisfaction needs to be incorporated in a successful water services business. These risks are not easily measured, as satisfaction is very personal.

It is imperative for any WSI to reach and maintain high standards of customer services throughout its region.

2 3. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Customer Care Policy to include: 3.1.Customer Care Policy a) Philosophy, b) Objectives, c) Key elements and, d) Roles and responsibilities Customer Care Strategy to include: a) Vision/Mission i) Indicate Municipalities intent ii) Describe area of emphasis iii) Reflect values and philosophies of management and key decision makers 3.2. Customer care strategy b) Consumer Charter i) WSAs commitment to service delivery; ii) Consumer awareness on the duties and responsibilities of the WSA; iii Needs-response orientated service; and iv) Consumer education on the rights of the consumer c) Consumer Care Principles i) Underlying vision; ii) Basic consumer rights;

Municipalities intent ii) Describe area of emphasis iii) Reflect values and philosophies of management and key decision makers 3.2.

3 iii) Integration of consumer views in the development of consumer care; iv) Management of consumer complaints; v) Efficient, effective and integrated system processes; vi) Staff training and development; vii) Maintaining a professional image throughout the business; viii) Regular consumer-orientated awareness within the WSA; ix) Acknowledge consumers as the critical components to the sustainability of the business; and x) Areas for improvement or action plans. d) Action plans in place to address at a minimum the following improvement areas i) Employee development - Consumer care training at all levels (eg. Seminars and workshops) - Consumer care code of practice - Monitor and evaluate staff attitude and commitment to consumer care principles (eg. bi-annual staff survey and consumer focus groups) - Promote and incentivise consumer awareness amongst employees ii) Consumer rights development

sustainability of the business; and x) Areas for improvement or action plans.

4 - Promote consumer rights and its integration with consumer care - Monitor and evaluate consumer care - Ensure equality, bilingualism and disabilities are fully integrated in consumer care iii) Process development - Consultation activities and consumer feedback - Communications - improve response time and quality of written communications - Easy access to all consumers and maximum range of services offered at consumer service centres - Improvement in call-handling - Ensure consumers are aware of the level of service they can expect Senior management's commitment include: 3.3 Commitment from Senior Management a) Involvement in resolving critical customer complaints b) Attendance at customer campaigns/events c) Internal communication to staff providing feedback on consumer care Customer care service centres to ensure: 3.4 Customer Services a) Consumer Care Code of Practice for staff Informs staff conduct in Customer Service in areas

services offered at consumer service centres - Improvement in call-handling - Ensure consumers are aware of the level of service they can expect Senior management's commitment include: 3.

5 of; i) Staff attitude; appearance & approach ii) customer relationship iii) complaints handling b) 24 hour customer care contact number Customer services staff training to include: 3.5 Staff training a) Legislation pertaining to customer services - Water Services Act, Bill of Rights & The Constitution b) Municipal Customer care policy, strategy and charter c) Consumer Care Code of Practice Customers receive communication through: a) Annual performance publication 3.6. Customer Communication b) Notification methods - website; bill; ; sms; radio; telephone c) Annual satisfaction survey d) Education and awareness (different customer types) Consumer water bills must demonstrate invoicing that is; 3.7 Invoicing a) Accurate b) Timeous c) Clear, readable

Care Code of Practice Customers receive communication through: a) Annual performance publication 3.6.

6 d) Block tariff structure reflected e) Billing period (dates) f) Actual consumption and unit costs g) Contact information for queries h) Historical consumption trend 3.8 Customer Complaints 3.9 Continuity of service Number of complaints associated with water supply Number of complaints associated with wastewater supply Number of financial complaints associated with billing queries Response time to address a complaint Total number of consumers satisfied with service based on consumer surveys Total number of consumer surveys conducted Total number of consumers Total number of unplanned service interruptions No. of service interruptions longer than 24hrs Number of consumer connections Existence of an electronic or manual customer relations management system 3.10 Customer Relations Management System or Manual customer complaint system Accurate customer information maintained through: a) Regular updates against payment records or b) Customer surveys Customer relations management system (electronic or manual) functions:

Response time to address a complaint Total number of consumers satisfied with service based on consumer surveys Total number of consumer surveys conducted Total number of consumers Total number of

7 a) Captures all queries and logs them into categories b) Linked to queries that come through the Municipal website c) Sets and reviews response times d) Escalates unresolved queries e) Reviews quality of response f) Captures sequence of responsibilities and the report back to the customer g) Develop management reports where statistics are easily generated and viewed Customer Service Centres should be: a) Clean, organised, welcoming Customer Services Centre/s b) Visible and easily accessible

responsibilities and the report back to the customer g) Develop management reports where statistics are easily generated and

Schneps, Leila; Colmez, Coralie. Math on Trial : How Numbers Get Used and Abused in the Courtroom. New York, NY, USA: Basic Books, 2013. p i.

Schneps, Leila; Colmez, Coralie. Math on Trial : How Numbers Get Used and Abused in the Courtroom. New York, NY, USA: Basic Books, 2013. p i. New York, NY, USA: Basic Books, 2013. p i. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/mcgill/doc?id=10665296&ppg=2 New York, NY, USA: Basic Books, 2013. p ii. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/mcgill/doc?id=10665296&ppg=3 New