Customer priorities online survey December 2017 and January 2018

Background and objectives Following the qualitative PR19 Foundation Research, where we reviewed customers’ priorities in focus groups, this survey was designed to help quantify customers’ priorities, alongside our other PR19 research projects. The survey started with demographic questions and then asked customers to choose their top 3 priorities from 3 areas: water quality & water supply, customer service & bills and planning for the future. We then asked customers to choose their top 3 priorities from all of the options shown together. Please see appendix A2, table 2 for an econometric model (rank ordered logit) to derive a priorities scale based on all the 3 statement choices. Customers who completed the survey were uninformed; they viewed the statements with no context setting (e.g. how much each option might cost). There was also no comparative data provided (e.g. how SSC is performing relative to other water companies).

Methodology and sample Respondents were recruited via a pop up link to the online survey on the SSW and CAM website home pages. 716 SSW customers and 307 CAM customers completed the surveys. The main question with the full list of attributes (Q16) was completed by 291 SSW customers and 166 CAM customers. The survey ran from early December 2017 to the end of January 2018. Data has been reweighted for age and gender so that the data reflects the age and gender profile of each region’s demographics. The independent consultancy PJM carried out the data reweighting and analysis with the charting carried out by SSC.

Key findings Water quality is the top customer priority, in line with all of our PR19 research so far (quant/qual/informed/uninformed). Making sure water always comes out the tap is the second area of priority among all water and quality supply attributes When asked to choose from billing and customer service areas, fair and accurate billing is the top customer priority. When it comes to planning for the future, SSW customers place affordable bills as highest priority, whereas CAM customers are more likely to choose reducing leakage.

Customer priorities Key findings

Water quality is the top customer priority, in line with WTP customer priorities In all of our PR19 research (quant/qual/informed/uninformed), water quality is the top customer priority Sample size SSW: 291 CAM: 166

Water quality customer quotes “It is always important that the water in our home is safe to consume” - SSW customer “Water quality is most important for health” - SSW customer “As a water company, that is the minimum expectation of service: to provide safe, drinkable water” - CAM customer “Clean and safe water will always be a priority” -CAM customer

As a large proportion of customers said WQ is their top priority, other areas tended to be voted second or third priority Lead pipes are lower down the priority list compared to the max diff exercise in our WTP study due to the more emotive way it was presented Sample size SSW: 291 CAM: 166 Same survey question. Chart is a continuation of chart on slide 6.

When asked to choose from list of water quality and supply issues, water that’s safe to drink remains the top priority Customers who’ve experienced any issues with their clean water supply are more likely to put water quality as their top priority Sample size SSW: 388 CAM: 182 %’s calculated by weighting customer priorities 1, 2 and 3

Fair and accurate billing is the top customer priority when asked to choose from billing and customer service areas Customers who’re considering getting a water meter or have asked to have one installed are more likely to put fair and accurate billing as their top priority Sample size SSW: 386 CAM: 185 %’s calculated by weighting customer priorities 1, 2 and 3

Fair and accurate billing customer quotes “Offering fair billing for all customers should be a high priority” SSW customer “Accurate billing and helping people who are in financial difficulty should be made a priority” SSW customer “People do not want to pay more than is fair for a product or service” CAM customer “Fair and accurate billing means I can budget for a water bill and don’t need to spend time disputing this” CAM customer

When it comes to planning for the future, SSW customers place affordable bills as the highest priority, whereas CAM customers more likely to choose reducing leakage Sample size SSW: 373 CAM: 179 %’s calculated by weighting customer priorities 1, 2 and 3

Reducing leakage customer quotes “There are too many leaks that are just left for days or weeks” CAM customer “Leaks in the long term lead to rising costs” CAM customer “Leaking water is a clear waste and could damage it’s surroundings” CAM customer