South West Water’s customer service recognised with national accreditation

South West Water’s customer service team has been awarded a prestigious accreditation from The Institute of Customer Service.

The nationally recognised ServiceMark accreditation was officially presented to South West Water’s Customer Service Director Jo Ecroyd and Managing Director Stephen Bird at South West Water's headquarters in Exeter by The Institute of Customer Service on Wednesday (9 May).

ServiceMark is a national standard recognising an organisation's achievement in customer service, and its commitment to upholding those standards.

Between September and October 2017, 356 South West Water employees took part in the ServiceMark employee survey. At the same time, 100 customers completed an online customer satisfaction survey to share their views on South West Water’s services. Action plans were then developed before a three-day on-site assessment in March 2018.

Jo said: “ServiceMark is a national standard that recognises the commitment to and achievement of customer service.

“I am really proud that this recognises the efforts our people are making to put customers at the heart of everything we do.

“We will continue to work with our customers to understand their needs and to deliver a range of services that exceeds their expectations.”

South West Water’s Managing Director, Dr Stephen Bird, said: “The achievement of this accreditation is a reflection of how our customers and employees feel about the service that we provide.

“We are all privileged to provide essential services that directly impact on the quality of life of the customers and communities we serve. Achieving such prestigious recognition demonstrates that our customers really matter to us, that we listen to them and shape our plans around them.

“I’d like to say well done and thank you to all our customer service staff for their dedication, drive and passion to deliver first-class customer service.”

Jo Causon, CEO of The Institute of Customer Service, said: “Consumer priorities are changing, with 1 in 4 customers now prepared to pay more for better quality service.

"At the same time, more customers are experiencing problems and against this backdrop, South West Water is clearly one that understands how a sustained focus on their customers’ experience can make a real difference to their ability to deliver.”