To help the water companies increasingly enable passive water customers to become active participants, we were commissioned by UK water regulator Ofwat to research, write and produce an in-depth investigation into customer participation in the water sector.
The resultant report, ‘Tapped In: From passive customer to active participant’, is an entirely new piece of research and strategic guidance, which explores a variety of customer participation topics, including: how to co-imagine and co-create the future of water services with customers; how to empower communities to improve their relationships with water; the barriers and motivations to customer participation; the role of innovative technologies in enhancing customer participation; and case studies from other sectors of customer participation best practice.
The report was launched by then Ofwat CEO Cathryn Ross, and Corporate Culture Chairman John Drummond at the #TappedIn event in London. Attendees from across the water sector and other industries were present for what was an appropriately participative debate, and described by delegates as: “One of the most significant events for the water sector in many years.” Several water companies are now actively using the thinking from the report to enhance their approach to customer engagement.