Social science research: the people behind the water meter

“As drinking water utilities, we are monopolists and customers have to work with us. They cannot just walk away to another supplier. That should mean that you will do your best even more to serve that customer,” says Ernst van Aagten, customer manager at Groningen water utility and the former chair of the BTO Customer theme group. “Being aware of our position is why we keep the customer in mind and have made the change.” Van Aagten believes that the fact that the Customer research theme now has an established position in BTO provides added value for the drinking water utilities. “For example because we benefit from knowing what customers expect and care about. Not on the basis of a traditional pigeonholing approach but in line with people’s beliefs and values.”

Importance of social science research

Stijn Brouwer saw the establishment of the Customer theme group in 2018 up close. As a social scientist, he joined KWR ten years ago and found that it took time for him to realise how important it is to study customers from a social science perspective. “It was a new discipline for the technically-minded water sector. Both at KWR and elsewhere. At the same time, developments in society mean you have to pay attention to the customer. Because the image of water as a low-interest product began to change more and more. That led to a change in the water sector. A switch from thinking in terms of ‘connections’ to thinking about the customer. We wanted to get to know the people behind the water meter better. After a period spent setting up shop and individual projects, the water utilities decided to dive deeper into customer research in the BTO context. What I hope is that our theme will continue to grow and can strengthen water awareness.”

Four customer perspectives 

Van Aagten does not have to think long about the most valuable insight that the first BTO phase of the Customer theme group has produced. A classification with four customer perspectives that has turned out to be very stable over the course of the years helps water utilities with their communications. Van Aagten: “You have customers who are more self-centred, who have no issue with water. Others are more oriented towards society as a whole. There are customers who say: I have confidence in the drinking water utility, that’s fine by me. And then you also have customers who are more concerned.” The study also provided valuable insights about influencing behaviour, including how to get customers to save water in the long run. Do these results mean that the water companies now know enough? Far from it, believes Van Aagten. “There are still hundreds of questions. There are, for example, the threats posed by PFAS in water; do you have to be completely transparent about this issue, or not? You would say so but you also don’t want to create unnecessary panic with your transparency.”

People in the Randstad are not more water-aware than elsewhere

Brouwer also sees that studying the customer perspective has come a long way. “Several water utilities had assumptions about how the different types of customers are distributed across our country. People in the Randstad were thought to be more water-aware than elsewhere. As we have seen, that isn’t the case. The four customer perspectives are incredibly evenly distributed throughout the Netherlands.” The theme group is enriched by the involvement of the Belgian drinking water company De Watergroep. Looking at Flemish water customers turns up surprising differences, and that also makes us look at Dutch customers differently,” Brouwer explains.

Ownership and co-creation 

Nevertheless, it is also a challenge to involve all drinking water companies equally in BTO research. Van Aagten: “We try to distribute input evenly. The trick is to choose the right approach to projects: daring to adopt a broader perspective makes it interesting for everyone.” In addition, given his role as coordinator, Brouwer thinks it is his job to get different representatives of the drinking water utilities involved in each project. “During a project, I organise as much ownership as possible. Each project group has two or three theme group members from the drinking water utilities. They continue to be involved during the research and present the results in the interim. Co-creation helps to ensure that the results are communicated better.”

Shaping implementation  

With retirement around the corner, Van Aagten is also concerned about the usefulness of research results. “We want to shape implementation in the project group. You shouldn’t leave that to KWR; it’s a job for the drinking water utilities themselves. I want to encourage young water professionals to look outside the water sector as well, and bring in valuable ideas to the BTO. We can only get better if they do that.”

Ernst van Aagten (of the Groningen water utility and the former chair of the Customer theme group) does not have to think long about the most valuable insight that the first BTO phase of the Customer theme group has produced. A classification with four customer perspectives that has turned out to be very stable over the course of the years helps water utilities with their communications. Right: theme coordinator Stijn Brouwer (KWR).

More information 

Would you like to know more about how the BTO Customer theme is contributing to a future-resilient water sector? Take a look at the projects Customer, Citizen Science Handbook for the Water Sector (kwrwater.co.uk) or read more about the 2024-2029 BTO/WiCE Research Vision.

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