Wales & West Utilities is marking Customer Service Week by celebrating its position as the leading utility for customer service.
In July the Institute of Customer Services (ICS) published the latest customer satisfaction index score for the UK utility sector - placing utilities as the lowest of the 13 sectors of the UK economy with a score of 71.4.
However Wales & West Utilities results show that it is a monopoly gas utility business very much bucking the trend, with a set of customer scores that positions it amongst the leading companies of any sector in the UK, not just utilities. The company recently scored 91.8 - positioning it as one of the top companies in the UK. The UK all-sector average score is 76.
A score of over 80 is classified by ICS as delivering world class levels of customer service, so Wales & West Utilities is even outperforming this category too. Indeed, a score above 90 gains a ‘Distinction’ rating from ICS, with only three other companies (and no utility company) across the UK achieving this classification.
Wales & West Utilities Chief Executive Graham Edwards said: “I am delighted with this endorsement of the quality of customer service that we aim to provide, and which continues to be one of our key business priorities. Sadly, due to previous experiences, many people often expect poor levels of customer service from utility companies - but this certainly isn’t true of us based on the feedback we get from our customers. I know that our people put our customers at the heart of what they do, and to see that our customers agree is fantastic news.
“We have recognised since our start up ten years ago that as a monopoly service provider it is incumbent on us to deliver the very best service that we can, and when I see the number of positive endorsements that we get from customers I realise we are doing something right.
“It is also very pleasing to note that our highest scoring category in the review was the friendliness of our people - so I want to say a huge thank you to all my colleagues for being such a professional and friendly bunch! We know that customers can’t choose their gas network, but our aim has always been to ensure that if they could they would choose us.
“Even with these fantastic scores however, we are not complacent and resting on our laurels - we are continually looking at how we can further improve the customer experience.”
National Customer Service Week (NCSW) takes place during the first full week in October. It is a week-long opportunity to raise awareness of customer service and the vital role it plays in successful business practice and the growth of the UK economy.
Wales & West Utilities doesn’t sell gas, instead it uses its network of pipes to deliver gas safely to the homes and businesses of the 7.5 million people across Wales and the south west of England who rely on the company to provide a level of service they can trust. And if someone smells gas or thinks there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, Wales & West Utilities’ skilled engineers are on hand to help 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The company began operations on 1 June 2005, previously one of four local gas distribution zones sold by National Grid plc.