project

The customer perspective toolkit

In a world where water company customers can no longer be seen as all the same, an understanding of the different types of customer becomes more and more important. This project considers how knowledge of different water perspectives can be translated into a practical toolkit for water companies to further optimise their services.

Customer segmentation

Previous KWR-research into the diversity of customers’ beliefs, values and presumptions about water show that water company customers can no longer be seen as all the same. Looking at customers’ subjective experiences, four different perspectives can be identified:

  • customers with an egalitarian and solidary or ‘they’ perspective;
  • customers with an aware and involved or ‘we’ perspective;
  • customers with a quality & health concerned or ‘I’ perspective and;
  • customers with a matter-of-fact and fully-trusting or ‘you’ perspective.

However, how water companies can readily apply this knowledge and form of modern segmentation in practice is not always clear.

The aim of this project is to make a transition and forge a bridge from science to practice. This involves translating research results about different customer perspectives into a number of practical tools to go from customer thinking to customer doing. In this way the project aims to develop knowledge and tools that can be used:

  1. to explain (the importance of) customer differentiation company-wide;
  2. to put different customer perspectives into concrete form;
  3. to enable water companies to follow customer journeys on the basis of customer perspectives.

Toolkit

In addition to translating knowledge from previous KWR studies into customer segmentation, in this project knowledge will be gathered by following up on two campaigns that water companies are launching in the summer of 2019. In the course of these campaigns knowledge will be collected about the experience and effectiveness of a focused, target-group approach, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research. This knowledge will then be incorporated and translated into a number of tools that water companies can use in optimising and/or revamping their services, including the improvement or development of new customer journeys.

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Video – 02:03
Klantperspectieven – Bedrijfstakonderzoek met de drinkwaterbedrijven