Page 40 - Gi flipbook August 2018

IGEM NEWS | Young Persons Paper Competition 2017

meaning customers could now hold
and feel the new services as they
were being replaced. (See Figure 4). FIGURE 4: Encrypted USB inside recycled 25mm PE Pipe
In 2017, we had 167 schemes. The
cost of 500 PE USBs was only £500
inclusive of VAT.

CARBON MONOXIDE
SAFETY MESSAGE
In 2016/2017, I become a Carbon
Monoxide (CO) Ambassador for Wales
& West Utilities after realising just
how little customers currently know
about the dangers of CO.
I had the idea to include Wales &
West Utilities’ current lifesaving CO
campaign at the end of all the videos
we play to customers, so they’d know
what to look out for, how they can
stay safe and, most importantly, to
encourage them to buy an alarm.
CONCLUSION
As a direct result of customers
watching these videos, I found that FIGURE 5: Improving customer satisfaction
customer satisfaction on my mains
replacement schemes improved.
As well as having zero negative CUSTOMER FOCUS
feedback or complaints on my
customer questionnaires at the end of
the scheme, I spoke with my Wales & IMPROVING
West Utilities Customer Service CUSTOMER
Officer who said that there was a SATISFACTION
noticeable drop in questions being
asked at her office from my scheme.
By utilising these videos, it also gave BENEFITS TEAM FOCUS
engineers the chance to increase their
performance on the job, as there were
significantly fewer customers chatting
to them while they tried to work. I also attached a list of useful this had on customer satisfaction when
Often the engineers have to work agencies a customer may find returning to the customers, many of
down excavations or inside units, helpful, which included: whom said they had made contact with
changing main taps, and it’s not ideal • The Gas Safe Register, should the these organisations after we finished.
when you have to keep entering and customer be completing their own From a safety critical point of view, I
exiting to talk to customers. internal copper work also spoke to customers who now
From a corporate point of view, it • National Energy Action, a campaign for know the dangers of carbon monoxide
ensured that the correct information everyone to afford to heat their homes poisoning, some of whom had actually
was being conveyed to the customer, • Energy Saving Trust, to give independent purchased a carbon monoxide alarm
as we were not relying on engineers advice on how to save energy as a direct result of seeing my videos.
to remember information or give • Citizens Advice Bureau, (to know (See Figure 5)
accurate information to them. The their rights as a consumer After field testing my videos, I
videos outlined everything that • Age UK/Age Cymru realised that in order to improve
needed to be outlined, every time. I realised the impact and importance customer satisfaction, you need to be
customer focused. Wales & West
Utilities is a value-driven company that,
As well as having zero negative always tries to “put customers first”. In
feedback or complaints on my customer order to improve customer satisfaction,
you also need to outline the benefits
questionnaires at the end of the to the customer, giving them a reason
why Wales & West is there.
scheme, I spoke with my Wales & West Finally, I realised that in order to
Utilities Customer Service Officer who improve customer satisfaction you
need the engineering teams fully on
said that there was a noticeable drop in board and focused on the customer,
delivering the correct messages at
questions being asked at her office often difficult and challenging times. ■

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