Service to customers at the heart of success

10/11/2008

Success is flowing in a North East contact centre after water workers scooped a top award.

Northumbrian Water has been crowned North East Contact Centre of the Year 2008 (under 200 seats) – one of eleven categories at the sixth Contact Centre Awards 2008, organised by the Tyne & Wear Development Company and supported by Sunderland City Council as the main sponsor.

The accolade, sponsored by One NorthEast, was presented at a glittering dinner held on Friday, November 7 2008 at Rainton Meadows Arena, Houghton le Spring, between Durham and Sunderland.

One hundred and forty Northumbrian Water contact centre staff serve 2.6 million customers who live in Berwick down to North Yorkshire and across to the Pennines.  They deal with more than one million written and telephone enquiries a year striving to ‘get it right first time every time’ and are proud that customers will, except in extreme circumstances, speak to a real person and not a machine.

Stella Wright, who has worked at Northumbrian Water, in their Durham-based contact centre, for three and a half years, was also awarded runner-up in the Customer Service Champion of Champions category.  The 43-year-old mother of two who was born in Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne, and lives in Chester le Street, County Durham, is known for always ‘going the extra mile’ to achieve excellent customer service and satisfaction.

Delighted at her achievement, Stella said:  “I am thrilled and very proud of the wider team too.  To be rewarded in this way for doing a job I love is great.  My daughter, Laura, also works in the contact centre and my son, Harry who is seven, wants to when he grows up because we have a vending machine near the office!  Friday night was my 21st wedding anniversary and it beat our 20th anniversary celebrations when we had a kebab and beer!”

Claire Sharp, Northumbrian Water’s contact centre manager, said: “We’re all delighted to have won this prestigious award and it is a real reflection of the first-class team we are very lucky to have here at Northumbrian Water.  They are truly passionate about delivering outstanding service, always aspiring to get things right first time every time for our customers.  They work extremely hard and I’m extremely proud of each and every one of them.”

Northumbrian Water’s customer service is constantly and closely monitored by economic regulator, Ofwat, along with consumer watchdog, Consumer Council for Water (CCWater).  Andrea Cook, Chair of CCWater Northern, said:  “We know that consumers value a personal approach rather than an automated service. We congratulate the team who provide human  contact and demonstrate the commitment of Northumbrian Water to its customers.“

One NorthEast’s Peter Shields, who had the difficult task of being one of this year’s judges, said:  “The judges had an extremely difficult job deciding between the finalists. However, we were blown away by the people at Northumbrian Water, especially those on the floor answering the phones.  They live and breathe customer service. 

“When the judges asked why Northumbrian Water should win and for them to explain what was meant by ‘the magic’ in the contact centre, we were asked to walk around the contact centre and to talk and listen to the team to understand.  We did and it worked!”

This year’s achievement follows last year’s success when the customer complaints team won Contact Centre Dream Team at the Contact Centre Awards 2007.  More recently Northumbrian Water was ranked the multi-utilities sector national leader in the Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index - the UK’s leading benchmark of responsible business practice – and achieved a platinum rating and Impact on Society Big Tick for work done in the marketplace, workplace, environment and community. 

The water company has also been short-listed in the Utility Company of Year 2008 in this year’s Utility Week Industry Awards to be held in London next month.

For further information contact Cara Hall on 0191 301 6720.