Wales & West Utilities have told Newport West Assembly Member Rosemary Butler how driving outstanding customer service has helped it top the utility league table and how this continues to be top of its agenda.
On a recent visit to the gas distribution networks head office in Newport, Mrs Butler toured the office and met colleagues in the secure control room, customer service team and despatch. This followed a briefing on the company’s work in the ten years since it was set up and its plans for the future.
Graham Edwards, Wales & West Utilities chief executive said:
“It was a pleasure to show Mrs Butler around our offices and to have the opportunity to explain just what we do. From our control room, we manage our 35,000km of pipe, making sure homes and businesses across Wales and the south west of England continue to receive a safe and reliable supply of gas now and in the future. Our dispatchers schedule our Gas Emergency Service colleagues’ work so we can keep our customers safe 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
“We took the opportunity to share with Mrs Butler our Institute of Customer Service customer ratings on the quality of service we provide, where we have scored a utility-leading 91 percent, which puts us in the same league as companies such as Virgin and John Lewis. As part of this survey, our customers also said that we are easy to deal with and that our colleagues are friendly and approachable. Driving forward an excellent customer service ethic throughout our business is, I believe, the best way to continue to be a successful business and remain highly rated by our customers.”
With winter upon us, Wales & West Utilities is now urging people to make sure they’re informed about gas safety and the potential dangers of carbon monoxide – and to make sure they have arranged their annual service of their gas appliances. As part of its aim to help spread the gas safety message, the company has partnered with Age Cymru to support its HandyVan service which is helping to educate older people about gas safety and making their home safer by installing carbon monoxide detectors.
Rosemary Butler, Assembly Member for Newport West, said:
“It was very interesting to visit the headquarters of Wales & West Utilities, and see how the company has developed over the past ten years.
Wales & West Utilities is committed to keeping customers across Newport West safe, with a reliable gas network and a level of service that they can trust. Their continued investment in the pipe network will bring benefits to my constituents, and I look forward to following the project’s progress.”
Wales & West Utilities provides the gas emergency service across Wales and the south west of England. 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.
The company is also carrying out multi-million-pound 30-year mains replacement programme, across Wales and the south west of England, which began in 2002. Old metal pipes within 30 metres of buildings are being replaced with new long-lasting plastic pipes with a lifespan of more than 80 years.