Severn Trent’s water specialist teams in Derby and Shelton customer contact centres recently celebrated a 25-year partnership with HomeServe.
Amongst them was Kate Lester, who’s managed the HomeServe contract on behalf of Severn Trent Services for over 12 years.
Kate said:
“I obviously wasn’t in this job 25 years ago! But I do remember the day we went live across the customer contact centres back in 2013. It was the first time Severn Trent started introducing HomeServe to customers when they rang about a billing or payment enquiry. Until then, direct marketing was used to mail customers about HomeServe's emergency assistance cover.”
Today, Kate and her team help ensure that the Severn Trent water specialist teams are equipped to confidently and compliantly introduce HomeServe to customers.
Kate explains:
HomeServe offers an insurance service to homeowners and landlords should they ever encounter a plumbing and drainage problem in their properties, such as a leaky supply pipe or a blocked toilet.
“So if a Severn Trent customer rings in and it’s appropriate to do so, the water specialist will talk to them about supply pipe ownership and ask if they’d like to be transferred to HomeServe to find out more as a possible option.
“HomeServe is also introduced to customers through our website and WhatsApp chats.
“The partnership is a natural fit. In the main, Severn Trent takes care of the public pipes, and HomeServe takes care of the private pipes.
“And what’s more, introducing HomeServe is proven to improve the customer experience because we’re educating customers about who’s responsible for which water pipes and giving them an option that provides peace of mind that should any future plumbing or drainage issues crop up, they can reach out to HomeServe for help.”
On average, Severn Trent’s water specialists introduce around 150,000 Severn Trent customers to HomeServe every year, and over 129,000 HomeServe customers have rated HomeServe ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot.
Kate’s team manages the partnership contract, reports on its performance, keeps all stakeholders informed of its progress, ensures operations remain compliant and negotiates contract renewals.
Over the years, the team has had to navigate many changes, including ongoing technological advancements, new rules around General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), changes in consumer habits, new working environments across the customer contact centres, and much more.
Kate adds:
“Change has been a constant over the years, but it’s been positive. For example, the customer experience is much better, our processes are slicker and more robust, the customer contact centres have been transformed, and we have a fantastic relationship with HomeServe and our colleagues in Severn Trent Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy.”
Kate enjoys working on the HomeServe contract. She’s proud to be a HomeServe customer herself and remembers receiving messages from friends and family when they saw her signature on the bottom of customer letters!
She said:
There have been loads of highlights over the years. Winning three contract renewals, launching HomeServe into the customer contact centres, getting positive feedback from the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) about how we govern the work, ensuring that at its core, this is about customer education, and hearing how customers have appreciated being introduced to HomeServe. It all makes the changes over the years worthwhile.”
So, what does the future hold for Kate and the team?
Kate concludes,
Severn Trent has just announced a new customer contact centre that will create 40 new jobs, and I’m looking forward to getting to know the people who will be working there.
“We’ve also got some exciting new customer contact centre technology being rolled out, which will make the customer experience even better.
“And, of course, we’re already reviewing the opportunities that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will bring. All in all, there are good times ahead, and I look forward to the partnership with HomeServe continuing to go from strength to strength.”
Severn Trent introduces insurance cover, which is sold, arranged, and administered by HomeServe. For more information, please visit the website.
