We’re delighted to have been awarded a 3-year contract by OFWAT for customer satisfaction and experience research among water companies’ domestic and developer customers (known as C-MeX and D-MeX). The research encompasses all water and sewerage companies across England and Wales and is worth £1 million. It’s a big win for us – and testament to the in-depth experience we’ve accumulated over the years, reporting the voice of the customer to a wide range of clients in a variety of sectors. This type of research is particularly important in regulated industries where it’s essential that operators meet strict guidelines and work within designated parameters to deliver against set targets.

But what is it that makes Accent such experts in delivering this type of study? We believe that it boils down to three key areas where it’s really important to be on the ball.

First, it’s essential to ensure that any research is a true reflection of the whole customer base, including vulnerable customers who are often very hard to reach. With this in mind, we often opt for a mixed methodology approach – using a combination of telephone, face-to-face, online and sometimes even postal surveys to capture responses. And whilst this may result in highly complex fieldwork, it certainly pays dividends in terms of delivering insights to our clients that have been captured across the broadest range of customers.

Second, it’s crucial to capture and retain the interest of participants. And this often means that surveys need to be constructed creatively and innovatively to ensure optimum response. We’ve got a great deal of experience working in sectors where there is low engagement – so we’re particularly adept at ensuring that questionnaire design and flow will deliver the required levels of response. It’s relatively easy to keep people’s attention when you’re asking them how they went about buying a car – but their recent interaction with their electricity supplier is definitely more of a challenge!

Finally, we know that it’s vital that the findings from any voice of the customer study are understood and acted upon across the organisation. Results should not be simply filed away and consigned to the equivalent of a desk bottom drawer. That’s why we ensure that we work in partnership with our clients about the best ways of bringing research findings to life and what materials need to be created so that insights will be truly embedded within the company.

If you’d like to talk to us in more detail about our specific experience, or you’re planning customer research in the near future, please contact rob.sheldon@accent-mr.com