Leading change for UK water company’s customer services

Our client entered the pandemic with a huge task: aggressive savings targets to meet their revenue allowances, ongoing low customer satisfaction and scrutiny from the regulator, as well as supporting their customers (and staff) through lockdown. Their leadership team asked Baringa to shape and accelerate their transformation programme and deliver the impact they needed.

Our team of water industry experts brought skills across transformation delivery, digital customer experience, billing, debt management and process excellence. Working at pace, we set clear targets for a series of tightly defined projects and remained focused on outcomes in the face of constant change.

We made online channels easier to access, which increased the proportion of digital contacts from 10% to 29%. We improved the user experience and fixed broken parts of the journey, resulting in a 20% increase in successful self-serve online journeys (to pay bills and submit meter reads).

Our team designed and delivered a new debt management approach by segmenting customers into tailored pathways that implemented the lowest cost option at the earliest point, which more than halved debt costs. This was particularly important as some customers experienced changing circumstances (including furlough) and found they needed greater support with payments.

Before starting work with our client, their escalation rate of customer complaints was greater than that of all other water companies due to poor complaint handling and resolution. With enhanced reporting and process improvements it fell from 30% to 6%.

Through working collaboratively with our client, we built and trained their transformation capability and shaped the next steps to improve customer experience. Our team coached our client’s data scientists, developed product owner capabilities in our client’s teams, and led the delivery across our joint team.

Over two years, we supported a 19% reduction in annual costs.

Find out how we help our clients in the Water Industry

"I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. It’s so much better than it was three years ago and a great foundation to build on. Baringa has a fan for life here!"

Head of Customer Services

"I’ve worked with a few consultants in my time, but I can definitely say none as knowledgeable and supportive as you guys. You really have been fantastic."

Customer Service Manager

"Adaptable, great collaboration – Baringa is able to lead, manage, support and engage stakeholders up and down the organisation"

Head of Change and Programmes