Customer experience
Bridging the gap between residents and service providers
Low-income residents are customers too.
Low-income households are a huge potential customer base for water, sanitation and hygiene service providers, but one that is still relatively untapped and underserved.
It’s a common misconception that low-income communities cannot afford household water connections. They will almost certainly be buying water at a much higher price on the black market.
By enabling service providers to better understand and engage with customers, we can help them reach the poorest residents who are most in need of safe and affordable services.
Households can pay to access the standalone toilet on a subscription basis, through “little and often” payments, which are often better suited to the day-to-day economy of low-income families.
Building a valuable customer service through Clean Team in Ghana
The service provided by Clean Team, a container-based sanitation business in Ghana owned by WSUP, is highly rated by customers. The business provides thousands of families with a safe, convenient service.
November 2021: Valuing toilets: how customers rate the container-based sanitation experience
What can the water sector learn about customer service from UK energy providers?
Learning from other sectors is a fundamental part of WSUP’s approach. We share a snapshot of great customer experience from a UK service provider that could be replicated by water service providers in sub-Saharan Africa.
August 2020: What can the water sector learn about customer service from UK energy providers?
The power of community-based organisations
Community-based organisations can be a useful way for water utilities to ensure that their services are targeted towards the needs of local residents, and can help to bridge the gap between service providers – which can often appear disconnected from the needs of vulnerable people – and residents.
August 2020: The virtuous circle of good customer service: experience from Mozambique
Testing ways to market sanitation services to the poorest
In an environment where many are unwilling to pay for sanitation, how can we promote safe services? In Bangladesh, WSUP is trialling different marketing models to encourage greater uptake of services.
July 2020: Marketing the unmarketable? Selling sanitation in Bangladesh
How can utilities embed improved customer service into their operations?
Many utilities are looking to improve their customer service. But without clarity as to which departments are responsible, efforts can falter.
July 2020: Customer experience: everyone’s business and no one’s responsibility
Why marketing is not just about demand creation
Successful marketing is more than just demand creation. Prioritising activities that create demand focuses on short-term sales promotion and neglects the importance of activities that sustain demand, protecting long-term revenue.
July 2020: ‘Leaky bucket marketing’: the importance of balancing acquisition with retention
Improving customer service through community-led operators
In Zambia, delegated management models – where the utility sub-contracts service in a particular community to a community operator – are helping improve water access. Delegated operators have been shown to ensure a more reliable water supply and provide better customer service. As a result, residents become more positive about the service and more likely to invest in their own household water connections.
May 2020: Delegated Management Models: ensuring service delivery at a local level
