Customer Needs and Values Project

Background

In 2011, IWN commissioned Accenture to research and compile the Water Services Needs and Values report. Key objectives of this research were to identify the needs and values of residential water customers, opportunities for better products and services, barriers to the adoption of smart technologies, and developing the technologies’ value propositions for different customer groups.

Description of project

Research was obtained via:

-          A literature review

-          Focus group meetings

-          Stakeholder interviews with water corporations, consumer groups and government and welfare agencies

-          A consumer survey eliciting 1095 responses

Outcomes of project

The research found:

1. Water corporations are trusted

2. Consumers want regular data on their water usage, by appliance and compared to other households. They would prefer to pay based on consumption rather than fixed supply charges.

3. Water corporations must prove that they are ‘environmentally friendly’ with meaningful action.

4. Several challenges to water corporations’ trusted community status are emerging:

•             Maintaining quality as supply sources diversify

•             Maintaining consistent delivery during infrastructure upgrades and changes

•             Allaying concerns over rising water prices

5. Tap water has no brand, and brands provide a focus for customer loyalty and engagement; crucial when introducing new products, services and technologies in an inherently conservative market.

6. Water corporations must consider partnering with smart tech companies to meet growing customer demand for product personalisation.

7. Like electricity, customers of water corporations are unaware of how the industry is structured and what technology can do to improve services.

Water corporations are strongly advised to heed the lessons highlighted by this research to develop more persuasive technology value propositions for their different customer groups.