Our approach is built on trust, transparency, and long-term relationships. Whether it’s through formal panels, market research, community events, or one-to-one meetings, we stay connected, because strong relationships result in better outcomes. The insights we gain directly influences everything we do, from Board decisions to strategy and social purpose.
Why we engage
The best way to serve our customers is to listen to them. Engagement gives us insights into customer views, needs and ambitions. This enables us to improve our services. Whether it’s a phone call, a doorstep conversation, or a community drop-in, every interaction helps us understand what matters most to the people we serve. From this contact, we know what customer key concerns and priorities are, and the sense of urgency there is about improving the network, and the impact it has on the environment they love. We know that trust is earned through action. That’s why we’re committed to listening carefully and responding meaningfully, so our customers feel heard, respected, and supported.
Away from the frontline of customer service, we also know that broader engagement is crucial. We visit schools to inspire the next generation about the water cycle, meet one-to-one with customers who need extra support, and host public events where customers can ask questions directly. We also engage with the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which provides an independent voice for water consumers in England and Wales.
How we engage
Our customer contact and support centres focus on continuous improvement to deliver excellent service to customers. We’re proud to hold the BSI ISO 22458 Kitemark for Vulnerability and Inclusive Service, recognising our commitment to supporting all customers. We use customer feedback to drive improvements.
The WaterShare+ Customer Advisory Panel is an important part of our customer engagement. The panel of independent customer, business and social representatives is strengthened by expert advice from representatives of the Consumer Council for Water, the Environment Agency and Natural England. Thanks to the WaterShare+ scheme, 80,000 of our customers are now shareholders, giving them a stake and a say in how we operate.
To provide transparent data for customers, our WaterFit Live interactive map displays near real-time storm overflow activations. This helps customers make informed decisions about whether and where to enter the water, while also showing where we’re investing in improvements. We hold regular customer roadshows and local drop-in events, which brings experts from around the business into communities to listen, learn, and act on local concerns. Across our regions we run an extensive customer research programme with surveys delivered by independent research agencies. The surveys help us identify what matters most to customers and where our efforts should be focused in future. We ensure that research reaches harder to reach and vulnerable customers from our Priority Services Register (PSR).
We also use research to understand customer needs in specific areas. For example, we undertook a series of interviews with customers to explore their responses to our new bill design. Their thoughts and suggestions helped to make the bill as user-friendly as possible.