From Asset Performance to Customer Experience: Customer Service in Tap Water
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From Asset Performance to Customer Experience Peter Prevos PhD Candidate, School of Business Manager Systems Monitoring, Coliban Water
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Judging by the available publications and conference papers, the water industry is dominated by engineers, scientists and economists, with much less attention given to research into customer service. The application of marketing theories to provide value to customers of water utilities is an under-researched area given the monopoly status of service provides. The purpose of this presentation is to share some of the results of this research on the relationship between engineering and customer satisfaction. A paradox appears to exist in the provision of reticulated water services. Providing service at a high level of technical proficiency is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition to ensure customer satisfaction. To further research this problem, several stakeholder organisations of reticulated water customers have been interviewed to investigate the factors determining customer centric service provision. These interviews revealed that a ‘professional orientation’ can exist, obstructing the creation of a positive customer experience. Focusing on the professional aspects of service delivery (engineering, finance, procedures and politics) carries the risk of losing sight of the human dimension, leading to dissatisfaction. The core of the issue is that technology and science are predictable―engineering problems can be solved in neat equations―while human behaviour is more complex and cannot be captured in models and equations. Tensions between marketing and engineering have been extensively researched in the manufacturing industry, but not in service provision. More detailed research is being conducted, collecting data from water utilities to further investigate the relationship between customer service and engineering. In this presentation the preliminary results from this researched will be outlined. Based on these findings, a model for experiential marketing of water services is proposed, which moves away from a focus on asset performance to a focus on customer experience.
Transcript of From Asset Performance to Customer Experience: Customer Service in Tap Water
From Asset Performance to Customer Experience
Peter PrevosPhD Candidate, School of Business
Manager Systems Monitoring, Coliban Water
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 2
From Asset Performance to Customer Experience
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 3
Customer Perception
Water quality spectrum
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 4
Stakeholder Interviews
● Professional Orientation– Technical– Financial– Procedural– Political
Classic cartoon about product development failures.
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 5
Stakeholder Interviews
● Customers– Low involvement– High expectations– Hardship as a
moderator
Hardship was the most discussed topic.
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 6
Relationship Between Engineers and Other Employees
Employees with engineering degree perceive potential conflict with customer service employees as lowest.
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 7
Customers Don’t Care about Tap Water
Cognitive Affective
Customer acknowledge that tap water is important (cognitive), but don’t have an emotional connection with tap water (affective)
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 8
“We care about water, even if you don’t”
Professionals have stronger emotive connections with tap water.
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 9
The Invisible Water Utility
● Low involvement● Low profile branding● High level of service● Minimise contact● ‘Moments of Truth’● Focus on experience,
not technology
Consumers are mainly interested in sensory qualities of water services
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 10
12 September 2013 The Invisible Water Utility 11
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