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Happy Customers through
Better Workmanship
©WRc plc
Let me set the scene…
It is a bright autumn day and a tier 3 contractor is called to attend a blockage. They
have 5 other jobs to complete in the remaining 5 ½ hours of their shift - including
post flooding clean-ups - so they have to spend as little time as possible on the job.
They are under pressure to provide a ‘first time fix’ to the problem and so
must sort the issue before they can move on.
The crew has an old and poorly maintained van pack jetter, with just one nozzle
in working order. They identify a blocked interceptor for which their one working
nozzle is unsuitable. With some quick thinking they seize on an opportunity to
borrow another nozzle from a nearby crew - but disaster strikes - when they use
this the jetter hose bursts.
Eventually the crew do get the flow moving in the interceptor and they move onto
the next job… but had they looked they would have found that the flow was still
sluggish and the real cause of the problem had not been identified or resolved.
The Sewerage undertaker meanwhile is left scratching their head – first time fix
seems like an obvious way to improve the customer experience and reduce
unnecessary costs through repeat visits and the logistics involved in arranging
these. So why is the first time fix approach costing them so much money?
At WRc, we believe all stakeholders involved need to understand and act on the needs of customers, contractors
and utilities collaboratively.
This document sets out a programme of activities to achieve happy customers through better workmanship.
Let me set the scene…
2 ©WRc plc
Contents
The contents of this document were developed at a workshop of enthusiastic attendees from across utilities, contractors and the supply chain in November 2014.
Follow the links to access more detail on each action:
We look forward to working with the industry and stakeholders to drive change when planning, managing, communicating and actioning activities on work sites.
Other needs identified during the workshop can be found towards the back of the document here.
Deliver to service level agreement or reset expectations
Respect people’s homes
Explain why work is needed
Provide the site ‘back story’
First time resolution
Clean up promptly
Deliver the service you would expect
Access the right information to select tools, equipment, resources and materials.
The priority score assigned during the workshop for each of three perspectives is provided against each action:
Utility
Contractor
Customer
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Deliver to Service Level Agreement or reset expectations.
There is a need to:
Where are we now?
Service Level Agreements (SLA) for a utility might not be acceptable to customers – this needs addressing – reset the SLA. Differing expectations from utility and customers. Have SLAs and can measure them.
Open and honest discussion with customer about appointment/fix times and expectations.
Explore benefits of dynamic service level agreements. Reduce the total customer journey – not focus on moving from one service
level agreement to another (internal processes). Get communication right – method, time etc. and make personal – Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram. Education and setting expectations - explain why jobs take time for customers.
Action Aims
Customer (feedback) and customer services. Resource planners. Contractors and utility. Local authorities. Information services. Futurologists perhaps. At appropriate point in journey need buy in from: CC water and Ofwat.
Who needs to be involved?
Now – overdue – change in SIM very relevant (as open jobs can be included). Need a continuous evolution rather than revolution every 5 years. When is this
needed by?
Focus groups (or similar) with customers – understand what is acceptable . Could mystery customers have a role? Track customers through whole process (some companies do this). Take advantage of retail split. Have ‘facts’ available through relevant media channels – website, apps. etc. Work with contract partners. Performance manage people.
What do we achieve?
How do we do it?
Improved service for customers.
Pri
ori
ty S
core
20
21
0
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Respect people’s homes – think about mud, hygiene, and cleanliness
There is a need to:
Where are we now?
Correct behaviour known but not being applied consistently.
All field staff to respect homes and leave a positive customer impression.
Action Aims
Utility customer service teams for analysis of customer complaints. Contractors – field staff and supervisors. Best Practice Ambassadors. Communications and Training.
Who needs to be involved?
Now. When is this needed by?
1. Understand why correct behaviours not applied. 2. Agree measures of behavioural standards for “good” customer service – what
does good look like? 3. Develop solution, e.g. training, implementing consequences, best practice
ambassadors. 4. Roll out. 5. Monitor.
What do we achieve?
How do we do it?
• Reduced inconvenience to customers. • Improved SIM scores. • Reduced costs from damage claims.
Pri
ori
ty S
core
45
20
21
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Explain why work is needed and the benefits to customers including clearly signed street works and community visibility.
There is a need to:
Where are we now?
Large schemes – planning is communicated, during the work communication is more variable, and post scheme there is little, or no, communication. Reactive work – benefits not explained, value for money message not getting through.
Have people engaging with customers throughout the process of planning, implementation, following up on both planned and reactive work and the benefits it provides.
Have information available to customers through a variety of relevant media. Action Aims
Utility corporate media and customer communications staff (to derive message and develop process).
Project managers from delivery teams for capital projects and reactive team leaders (for specific job details).
Field staff. Everybody else in utility – for general messages.
Who needs to be involved?
As soon as possible due to imminent SIM changes When is this needed by?
Develop general messages that can be used for different types of work in a language that is relevant to different customers.
Develop training / skills development process and materials e.g. ‘pub packs’.
What do we achieve?
How do we do it?
Improved SIM scores. Positive reputation impact. Informed customers builds trust.
Pri
ori
ty S
core
45
50
65
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Provide the contractor with a ‘back story’ of site requirements and any special customer needs
There is a need to:
Where are we now?
No quality checks on data going into the system on site (currently QA the soft stuff and the job).
Ad-hoc spreadsheets of data stored offline developed by contractors. No consistency and no transparency.
Don’t know where all our assets are. Have lots of systems that don’t talk to each other– both people and IT. Outdated technology used and still a lot of manual notes. When a person leaves, knowledge leaves with them.
To prove that integrating all data sources with information about a job improves the customer, contractor and utility experience.
Effective integrated system for customer, operational and asset management. Appropriate investment in IT systems. Improved cross-department operations. Need an owner for each job from first
contact with responsibility through to completion.
Action Aims
Contractors. Utility – information services, customer relationship managers. Someone with vision and drive to tackle the difficult problem (WRc). Highway authority. Local authorities. Other utilities
Who needs to be involved?
This is key to a number of other needs – it is transformational change. Urgency will escalate as fines get too expensive. When is this
needed by?
Complete integration between utility and contractor? Amnesty on individual spreadsheets / databases – Make positive. Accurate data input. Power from GIS front end.
What do we achieve?
Fewer aborted jobs. Faster time to resolution. Improved customer satisfaction.
Pri
ori
ty S
core
71
36
1
How do we do it?
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Get the job right first time.
There is a need to:
Where are we now?
A mixed position, depending on which: Utility. Function. Location (particularly whether it is in a highway).
Getting it right first time. Set customer expectations. Provide ‘a silent service’. Same day re-instatement (provided quality and urgency can be balanced). Action Aims
Utility customer contact centre. Contractor. Procurement. Field teams. Operations teams.
Who needs to be involved?
As soon as possible. When is this needed by?
Identify and promote benefits of joint attendance at site (utility and contractor) where appropriate (depends on the type of job).
Align KPI’s between utility and tiers of contractors and individual staff. Right information at all stages (customer, raising work, contractor). Contractor customer awareness training. Call centre staff training on what actually goes on in the field. Timely communications via the best methods with customers.
What do we achieve?
How do we do it?
Improved SIM score. Improved operational efficiency. Positive reputation impact.
Pri
ori
ty S
core
110
61
118
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Clean up after job resolution and incidents
There is a need to:
Where are we now?
Sometimes a delay between resolution and restoration although this has improved. It is not unusual to wait a week for reinstatement.
Clean up and reinstatement on same day immediately following resolution. Customers informed of timescales and practicalities Action Aims
Utility customer relationship managers. Utility operations managers. Contractor resource planners. All field staff.
Who needs to be involved?
As soon as possible - has visible impact to customers therefore potential to directly improve satisfaction. When is this
needed by?
Same day reinstatement (provided quality and urgency can be balanced). Contractor customer awareness training (on attitude to clean up). Informative signage when sites are left unstaffed awaiting follow up work.
What do we achieve?
How do we do it?
Reduced customer complaints. Positive press. Improved street works performance. Reduced risk for utilities and contractors through shorter jobs.
Pri
ori
ty S
core
25
20
32
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Deliver ‘the service you would expect to receive’ as a customer, not what the utility wants to provide.
There is a need to:
Where are we now?
Customers expectations/demands are more advanced/higher than we are delivering.
Deliver the service that customers expect. To provide a “silent” service – no hassle. Action Aims
Customer. Utility. Contractors. Other stakeholders such as Environment Agency, Highway Authority, Local
authorities and Environmental Health Officers.
Who needs to be involved?
Customer wants it yesterday! When is this needed by?
Find out what customer expectations area. Identify how to meet expectations – what changes are and are not required. Implement engagement changes. Implement operational changes. Identify how to manage expectations where service requirements are
otherwise not cost effective or possible to meet.
What do we achieve?
How do we do it?
Improved customer service.
Pri
ori
ty S
core
25
26
25
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Access the right information to select tools, equipment, resources and materials.
There is a need to:
Where are we now?
Jobs are being done but not always effectively or efficiently. Inconsistent standards. Lack of accurate information about site before work starts. Poor planning. Poor instructions. Not enabling jobs properly or taking all the right kit.
One visit. Flexibility to empower people/staff. Accurate asset information and instructions given to contractors. Area knowledge from planners and field staff. Action Aims
Contractors. Utility company – field staff, resource planners. Innovators and technology providers. Other utilities – to share ideas.
Now! When is this needed by?
Better technology. Capture local knowledge. Improve the job planning process. Optimise the materials and tools carried by teams. Local stores of materials and tools. Empowering staff.
What do we achieve?
How do we do it?
Improved operational efficiency. Reduced operational cost. Improved field staff morale.
Pri
ori
ty S
core
10
20
10
Who needs to be involved
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And the rest…
The actions described are a starting point, meeting all the needs of customers, contractors and utilities is a considerable journey.
The following illustrations highlight the other needs identified during our workshop. Some of these needs cannot be met until the actions developed in this document are completed.
In time, as the industry completes these initial actions the remaining needs will rise in importance and meeting them will be an achievable ambition.
The highest ranking of these remaining needs are shown with a red outline.
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So what happens now?
We will be developing three projects:
1. ‘The customer mind-set’ This project is to explore what customer’s real expectations are from work both on public areas and in and around their home. This will inform Service Level Agreements, communications strategies and training for field staff.
2. ‘Integrate’ This project will build the case for integrated customer, operational and asset data and identify the best portal through which all stakeholders should have access.
3. ‘Right first time’ This project will look at how to align the whole supply chain to deliver a first time fix including the risks and benefits of joint utility contractor field teams. The logistical issues with same-day resolution will be explored (including reinstatement) and solutions identified and trialled.
If you would like to get involved or collaborate on one of these projects please contact us, we want to hear from you…
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Carmen Snowdon Head of Customer Engagement +44 (0) 1793 865150 +44 (0) 7775 625445 [email protected]
Nick Orman Head of Network Operations +44 (0) 1793 865117 +44 (0) 7919 548551 [email protected]
Mark Kowalski Head of Asset Strategy +44 (0) 1793 865080 +44 (0) 7776 165705 [email protected]
Contact Us
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© WRc plc 2014
WRc plc is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered
office address: Frankland Road, Blagrove, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 8YF.
Company registration number 2262098. VAT number 527 1804 53.
‹#› ©WRc plc
