Wales & West Utilities and The Institute of Customer Service have partnered to host a ‘Best Practice’ conference which focussed on insights on what it takes to be a service leader in today’s customer-centric world.
Gas emergency and pipeline service Wales & West Utilities, which has recently been reaccredited by The Institute in achieving its ServiceMark with a distinction, led the event which was attended by more than 50 people from a range of businesses from within the utility industry, retail sector and both private and public sector.
Wales & West Utilities Chief Executive Graham Edwards, and Jo Causon, Chief Executive of The Institute of Customer Service
Held at the Celtic Manor Resort, insight sessions included how Wales & West Utilities is delivering on its customer strategy and how its internal culture drives outstanding service for the 7.5 million people the company serves. Guests were also able to hear from key leaders within the business on how Wales & West Utilities uses data to drive customer service and the importance of engaging colleagues to build a better organisation that delivers.
In January the company was awarded a ServiceMark with distinction by The Institute of Customer Service after receiving an overall customer satisfaction score of 90.4, considerably higher than the utility sector benchmark of 73.3 and the all-sector benchmark score of 77.4, reinforcing Wales & West Utilities market leading customer service standards. ServiceMark is granted for the next three years and is The Institute of Customer Service’s most meticulous and thorough accreditation.
Wales & West Utilities Chief Executive, Graham Edwards, said:
“Customer service is at the heart of our business and drives how we consistently deliver on our goals. We are delighted to have partnered with The Institute of Customer Service to share our best practice with other businesses.
“Having achieved The Institute of Customer Service ServiceMark with distinction at the beginning of the year we are not complacent and are always trying to improve our service to customers. We’re proud to have been held up as an exemplar business by The Institute of Customer Service and be able to share best practice with others. To deliver on the expectations of modern customers, it is essential that a business’ customer service strategy, internal culture and performance management tools are aligned to achieve great things.”
Jo Causon, Chief Executive at The Institute of Customer Service, said:
“Efficiency, effectiveness and empathy are key components of any great service delivery. At last week’s showcase event, Wales & West Utilities’ commitment to the service agenda was evident right from the very top of the organisation. They demonstrated through the use of clear and transparent measurement, and genuine commitment from the front line to the CEO, how they provide clarity for employees and customers about what needs to be done in real time, supporting their purpose and delivering for customers.
“Events like these provide a great platform for customer service professionals to share and learn from different industries, ensuring we are all truly striving for best practice and never settling for complacency.”
Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales. If anyone smells gas, thinks they have a gas leak, or suspects carbon monoxide poisoning, they should call us on 0800 111 999 and our engineers will be there to help, day or night.