Utilities lag behind other sectors on customer satisfaction

The number of people finding fault with their utility provider has increased to the highest level since 2015, the latest Institute of Customer Service report has found.

According to the institute’s UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) 14.7 per cent said they were experiencing issues. Of these more than 23 per cent said the quality/reliability of services was the main cause for concern.

The study, based on customer surveys, is carried out every six months and looks at the quality of customer service across 13 sectors of the economy.

The utilities sector has the highest proportion of customer problems that reference cost (23 per cent).

Furthermore all complaint handling measures have lower satisfaction than in July 2019, especially speed of complaint resolution (down 0.7 points) and outcome of the complaint (down 0.6 points).

Overall the utilities sector sits second from bottom and was scored 72.6, only a slight improvement from July 2019’s score of 72.1.

Water saw a better increased year-on-year performance, with a score of 74. Energy was not far behind and saw a slight improvement from last year, with a score of 71.7.

Among the top 50 performers across the sector are new entrants Octopus Energy, which came 29th and scored 80.9, and Bulb which was ranked 37^th and was scored 80.4.

Welsh Water was the top water company, coming 47th with a score of 80.1.

Both Anglian Water and Severn Trent were cited amongst the most improved companies, with the former receiving a score of 78.1 (up from 73.8) and the latter 76.8 (from 73.2).

Jo Causon, chief executive of The Institute of Customer Service, said: “The latest UKCSI results show that customer satisfaction is stable overall in the sector, with a small rise (up 0.5 to 72.6 out of 100) led by new entrants to the UKCSI Top 50, Octopus Energy and Bulb.  Across the sector, website experience has improved, but customers are less satisfied with their phone experience. The biggest issue frustrating customers was difficulty contacting the right people to help.

“Worryingly, the number of customers experiencing problems has increased to 14.7 per cent (the highest since July 2015), we know that addressing this is critical in this sector – where consumers want organisations to be easy to deal with, responsive and efficient. Getting it right first time is absolutely critical.”

In response to the report Welsh Water chief executive, Peter Perry, said: “As a not-for-profit company, now more than ever, our sole focus is to deliver services to our customers at the level they expect – and beyond. It is therefore very encouraging that customers in Wales feel more positive about the service they are getting from us, and that we are continuing to deliver this despite the very challenging times we live in.

“But we know we need to listen to our customers more than ever to build on these positive findings – and this research will provide a vital basis for us to work from.”

Meanwhile a Bulb spokesperson said: “Our members are central to everything we do at Bulb, and our priority during the coronavirus outbreak has been to continue delivering great service while looking after our team.

“Over the past few months, we’ve provided extra support for our vulnerable customers, sending out topped up prepay cards or creating a dedicated phone line for our members who are over 70. Our switch to remote working was so seamless that we were appointed by Ofgem to take over Gnergy’s customers when they ceased trading.

“We’re grateful to be recognised as one of the top energy companies in the UK for customer service, and to be helping 1.7 million households lower their bills and reduce their carbon emissions.”