ofwat sim survey 2017/18 annual report · sutton & east surrey 4.16 ±0.09 18 significantly...

Ofwat SIM Survey 2017/18

Annual Report

Prepared for: Ofwat

Prepared by: BMG Research

• The overall objective of the research is to provide a robust comparable measure of consumers’ experience and satisfaction with the handling and resolution of a recent water or sewerage query by their supplier.

• Combined data for 2015-16 to 2018-19 will be used to support Ofwat’s decision on financial incentives in 2019.

Objectives

• For each water company taking part, a target was set of 200 telephone interviews per wave with customers who have had a water or sewerage query resolved in the previous week, equating to 800 interviews per Water Company per year.

• The following targets have been set for the different aspects of service:– 100 billing interviews and 100 operation interviews for Water only companies

– 67 Billing interviews, 67 Clean operation interviews and 66 Waste interviews for water and sewerage companies

• A slightly different approach is required for Bristol and Wessex, who share call handling for billing, but have separate call handling for operations.

– The target number of interviews for the operations elements for Bristol and Wessex is as outlined above (i.e. 100 for Bristol as a Water only company, and 134, split equally between water and waste, for Wessex as a WaSC).

– For billing, Water only companies have a target of 100, and WASCs have a target of 67 interviews. Consequently 167 billing interviews are undertaken on behalf of Bristol and Wessex (100 for Bristol and 67 for Wessex), and these are included for both of the companies.

• For the purpose of comparing overall satisfaction between companies, water and sewerage company (WASCs) data is weighted to 50% Billing, 25% Clean operations and 25% Waste operations. Water only company (WOC) data is weighted 50% Billing and 50% Clean operations. As a result, direct comparisons can be made between companies with regard to billing and operational results.

– Q8 Overall satisfaction with the handling of the matter is the only question where data is weighted as direct comparisons between all companies is required.

• All surveys were administered using our in-house Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) unit. Each individual water company’s survey was undertaken by multiple interviewers to prevent any possibility of interviewer bias.

Methodology

Number of interviews achieved per company

Total 17/18

TOTAL 14, 973*

Affinity Water 806

Anglian Water 810

Bournemouth Water 793

Bristol Water 1,076

Dee Valley Water 570

Northumbrian Water 810

Portsmouth Water 805

Severn Trent Water 814

South East Water 809

South Staffs Water 803

South West Water 792

Southern Water 815

Sutton & East Surrey Water 791

Thames Water 819

United Utilities Water 815

Welsh Water 813

Wessex Water 1,216

Yorkshire Water 816

Confidence levelsAt the 95% confidence level, these sample sizes provide overall levels of accuracy for individual percentages of at least:

14,973± 0.79%;1,216 ± 2.81%;800 ± 3.46%;570 ± 4.10%.

Of the 14,305 interviews completed,

less than 0.5% were challenged by

water companies for removal; of these,

15 interviews were removed

*14,973 is the total number of observations reported as a result of the sampling approach taken for Bristol and Wessex billing.

The total number of interviews achieved is 14,305 with an associated confidence interval of ± 0.81%

Satisfaction – Q8 weighted*

Customers were significantly more satisfied with the handling of Billing enquiries than either Clean or Waste enquiries.

Those who contacted their water company online were significantly more likely to be satisfied with the handling of their matter than any other method of contact.

Satisfaction was highest in Quarter 3 of the SIM, significantly so compared to Quarter 1.

*For the purpose of comparing overall satisfaction between companies, water and sewerage company (WASCs) data is weighted to

50% Billing, 25% Clean operations and 25% Waste operations. Water only company (WOC) data is weighted 50% Billing and 50%

Clean operations. As a result, direct comparisons can be made between companies with regard to billing and operational results.

4.40 4.414.37 4.38 4.38

4.43 4.40

4.49

4.26

4.39 4.40

4.12

4.23

4.49


Customers who considered their matter resolved were significantly more likely to be satisfied with the way their enquiry was handled as were those who did not consider their enquiry to be a complaint.

The length of time that had elapsed between the initial contact and the data of interview had no significant impact on satisfaction.




4.404.67

3.07

3.48

4.55 4.40 4.38 4.41

Total (14,973) Resolved(12,031)

Unresolved(2,544)

Complaint(2,250)

No complaint(12,723)

8-14 lapseddays (4,534)

15-21 lapseddays (4,295)

More than 21lapsed days

(6,144)


Satisfaction with query handling has significantly improved across the industry since 2016/17. This increase is driven by the significant improvements in satisfaction with the handling of Waste queries.




4.374.40

4.47 4.49

4.24 4.264.30

4.39

2016/17Overall(15,196)

2017/18Overall(14,973)

2016/17Billing(6,686)

2017/18Billing(6,640)

2016/17Clean(5,818)

2017/18Clean(5,650)

2016/17Waste(2,692)

2017/18Waste(2,683)


WOC

WASC

Anglian Water achieved the highest overall satisfaction score in 2017/18. WASCs made up four of the top five companies in 2017/18.

113446669

101111131415161718

Rank

Average:

4.40




4.52

4.51

4.49

4.48

4.48

4.47

4.46

4.45

4.44

4.42

4.42

4.38

4.38

4.33

4.32

4.26

4.17

4.16

Anglian

Wessex

United Utilities

Northumbrian

Portsmouth

Welsh

Bournemouth

Dee Valley

South Staffs

South West

Yorkshire

Bristol

South East

Severn Trent

Southern

Affinity

Thames

Sutton & East Surrey

1

2

3

4

4

6

7

8

9

10

10

12

12

14

15

16

17

18

Company Q8 Confidence Interval Rank Significant Difference

Anglian 4.52 ±0.07 1 Significantly above industry average

Wessex 4.51 ±0.05 2 Significantly above industry average

United Utilities 4.49 ±0.07 3 Significantly above industry average

Northumbrian 4.48 ±0.07 4

Portsmouth 4.48 ±0.07 4

Welsh 4.47 ±0.07 6

Bournemouth 4.46 ±0.07 7

Dee Valley 4.45 ±0.08 8

South Staffs 4.44 ±0.07 9

South West 4.42 ±0.07 10

Yorkshire 4.42 ±0.08 10

Industry average 4.40 ±0.02

Bristol 4.38 ±0.06 12

South East 4.38 ±0.07 12

Severn Trent 4.33 ±0.08 14

Southern 4.32 ±0.08 15

Affinity 4.26 ±0.08 16 Significantly below industry average

Thames 4.17 ±0.08 17 Significantly below industry average

Sutton & East Surrey 4.16 ±0.09 18 Significantly below industry average

Satisfaction – Q8 weighted




Resolutions - unweighted

Overall, four in five (80%) customers considered the matter they contacted about fully resolved. Billing enquiries were significantly more likely to be resolved than Clean or Waste enquiries.

WOC customers were significantly more likely to consider the matter they contact about resolved

80% 79%

82%

85%

77%75%

78%80%

82%

Total(14,973)

WASC(8,520)

WOC(6,453)

Billing(6,640)

Clean(5,650)

Waste(2,683)

8-14lapseddays

(4,534)

15-21lapseddays

(4,295)

More than21 lapsed

days(6,144)

Proportion of resolved contacts - by

company - unweightedPortsmouth Water had the highest proportion of customers who felt their query was resolved. Thames Water had the lowest proportion of resolved contacts.

WOC

WASC

Average:

80%

73%

77%

77%

78%

79%

79%

79%

80%

81%

81%

81%

82%

82%

83%

83%

84%

84%

84%

Thames

Severn Trent

Sutton/East Surrey

Northumbrian

Affinity

United Utilities

Yorkshire

Southern

Bristol

South West

Wessex

Bournemouth

Welsh

South East

South Staffs

Anglian

Dee Valley

Portsmouth

• SIM results have improved significantly since 2016/17 overall and this is largely driven by the significant increase in the mean satisfaction score for Waste queries. Billing’s SIM score remains significantly higher than Clean or Waste. In the previous year, the SIM scores were very similar for WOCs and WASCs but this year the SIM score for WASCs is significantly higher than that of WOCs.

• Customers who contacted their water company online are significantly more likely to be satisfied with the handling of the matter than those who contacted their water company via the telephone.

• Four in five customers considered the matter they contact about to be resolved. This figure is significantly higher for Billing queries than Clean or Waste. Those who considered the matter to be resolved were significantly more likely to be satisfied than those who considered the matter to be unresolved.

Conclusions

• Market Research Society Company Partner

• The provision of Market Research Services in accordance with ISO 20252:2012

• The provision of Market Research Services in accordance with ISO 9001:2008

• The International Standard for Information Security Management ISO 27001:2013

• Investors in People Standard - Certificate No. WMQC 0614

• Interviewer Quality Control Scheme (IQCS) Member Company

• Registered under the Data Protection Act - Registration No. Z5081943

• A Fair Data organisation

• Cyber Essentials certification

ofwat sim survey 2017/18 annual report · sutton & east surrey 4.16 ±0.09 18 significantly...

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