Achieving a customer-centric approach - The Portsmouth Water Customer Advisory Panel

The annual MRS Utilities conference took place earlier this month, providing an opportunity for research agencies, utilities companies, regulators and watchdogs to showcase their work over the past 12 months. Paper presented covered Ofgem trialing letters to encourage behaviour change relating to customer switching; through to Citizens Advice looking at ‘smart’ charging offers for electric vehicles which are convenient and fair for drivers – and everything in between.

Community Research and Portsmouth Water jointly presented their Customer Advisory Panel (CAP). The CAP was set up to inform Portsmouth Water’s business plan by educating a small group of customers about some of the key issues facing Portsmouth Water and seeking their views on Portsmouth Water’s future strategy. Portsmouth Water’s Head of HR, Ian Limb, went on to explain how it achieved this, but equally as important, how it encouraged customer-centricity across the whole organisation.

The last word was given to one of the CAP members who summed up what it was like to be involved in the 18 month process.