success story
Water Authority
Sweetwater Authority (SWA) is a public water utility that’s operated since 1977. It provides water to approximately 200,000 residents in a 36 square-mile area of San Diego’s South Bay, which includes overlapping areas of National City, Chula Vista, and Bonita, California.
Surveying Success: Sweetwater Authority’s Data-Driven Approach to Customer Satisfaction
Challenge
Sweetwater Authority’s service area is undergoing demographic change. Because five years had passed since SWA last surveyed ratepayers in 2016, the agency decided in 2021 to take a fresh look at its customer base and put its finger to the pulse of their needs. The agency wanted to know the real story: how do ratepayers feel about its personnel and services, what’s driving their decisions, and how are SWA’s auxiliary services perceived? Identifying the drivers of ratepayer preferences, satisfaction points, and areas of concern would enable SWA to make informed decisions about service improvements and enhancements.
Response
Competitive Edge Research & Communication, Inc., (CERC) has been providing public opinion research solutions to clients for 35+ years. The firm employs sophisticated data analysis techniques to help clients make great decisions in whatever context they operate. CERC designed and implemented a SWA ratepayer survey to supply Sweetwater with a clear demographic picture of current customers, measure customer attitudes and satisfaction about agency-related matters, and advise on communication modes and areas for potential improvement.
Solution Set
For this 2022 project, Competitive Edge leveraged its deep experience in survey research and expert statistical analysis to yield key insights about Sweetwater Authority ratepayers.
COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY & ANALYSIS
CERC administered 403 surveys to SWA ratepayers responsible for household water use or bills. It implemented a multi-modal methodology that employed telephone and web-based survey invites. SWA posted notices about the survey on its website and twitter account before and during the data collection phase. The survey was administered in English or Spanish. It was pre-tested, included a battery of bias avoidance techniques, and used statistical weighting for optimal data analysis
Key Findings
CERC’s 2022 ratepayer survey discovered that SWA is doing well with customers, and demonstrates strong performance in several key areas. It also expanded SWA’s understanding of its customer base by adding demographic dimensions to the analysis. The research identified several areas where the agency could enhance its relationship with ratepayers and share its story with the community.
GENERAL PERCEPTION
SWA enjoys high name recognition, with 88% of ratepayers able to spontaneously recall it as the agency that provides their household with water. Trust in SWA is also highly favorable – 7 out of 10 ratepayers trust the authority’s information. Unsurprisingly, some ratepayers feel that their water bills are high.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Customer service is a very strong point for SWA. When asked why they are satisfied, almost half point to some element of outstanding personnel, i.e., responsiveness, friendliness, good customer service, helpfulness, and strong communication. Words such as “quick,” “friendly,” and “helpful” are mentioned frequently.
SERVICES
Few customers who use SWA’s services & programs are dissatisfied with them. Ratepayers are most satisfied with the agency’s hiking and riding trails – 89% of users like them – followed by “water smart” check-ups, clothes washer rebates, toilet rebates, and fishing. However, more than six-in-ten respondents are completely unaware of SWA’s hiking trails. The rebate, landscape audit, and bill adjustment services are unknown to even more ratepayers.
CERC furnished SWA with key takeaways based on thorough data analysis. The most important: the surest way for SWA to bolster positive perceptions is to work to ensure ratepayers perceive their bill as fair and avoid the dreaded “high” label. The bill’s actual amount is not the issue; it’s about ratepayers’ perception of the amount. A second strong lesson is that stellar interactions with SWA personnel truly pay off. The survey shows that SWA communicates extremely well with certain segments. SWA could look for ways to replicate these types of interactions across all customer touchpoints. The survey also demonstrates that water taste is a deciding factor when it comes to trusting the water’s safety, and, by extension, overall trust in SWA information. An additional survey lesson was that SWA could make its auxiliary services and amenities better known to the public. And, though SWA’s hiking trails are highly appreciated by those who use them, they do not in and of themselves drive ratepayer satisfaction.
GENERAL PERCEPTION
SWA enjoys high name recognition, with 88% of ratepayers able to spontaneously recall it as the agency that provides their household with water. Trust in SWA is also highly favorable – 7 out of 10 ratepayers trust the authority’s information. Unsurprisingly, some ratepayers feel that their water bills are high.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Customer service is a very strong point for SWA. When asked why they are satisfied, almost half point to some element of outstanding personnel, i.e., responsiveness, friendliness, good customer service, helpfulness, and strong communication. Words such as “quick,” “friendly,” and “helpful” are mentioned frequently.
SERVICES
Few customers who use SWA’s services & programs are dissatisfied with them. Ratepayers are most satisfied with the agency’s hiking and riding trails – 89% of users like them – followed by “water smart” check-ups, clothes washer rebates, toilet rebates, and fishing. However, more than six-in-ten respondents are completely unaware of SWA’s hiking trails. The rebate, landscape audit, and bill adjustment services are unknown to even more ratepayers.
Lessons
CERC furnished SWA with key takeaways based on thorough data analysis. The most important: the surest way for SWA to bolster positive perceptions is to work to ensure ratepayers perceive their bill as fair and avoid the dreaded “high” label. The bill’s actual amount is not the issue; it’s about ratepayers’ perception of the amount. A second strong lesson is that stellar interactions with SWA personnel truly pay off. The survey shows that SWA communicates extremely well with certain segments. SWA could look for ways to replicate these types of interactions across all customer touchpoints. The survey also demonstrates that water taste is a deciding factor when it comes to trusting the water’s safety, and, by extension, overall trust in SWA information. An additional survey lesson was that SWA could make its auxiliary services and amenities better known to the public. And, though SWA’s hiking trails are highly appreciated by those who use them, they do not in and of themselves drive ratepayer satisfaction.
Results
Perhaps the most interesting action SWA took as a result of this 2022 survey was renewed emphasis on shaping its messages about water taste and quality. Ratepayer perceptions about both were subject to an array of outside factors and misinformation during Covid-19. Armed with scientific findings from this ratepayer survey, SWA confidently increased its post-Covid community outreach, even taking a water truck to local events to promote its tapwater.
The ratepayer survey was also well received by Sweetwater Authority’s Board. It provided data as to how SWA engages ratepayers, and provided insights for continuous improvement. By involving ratepayers in its decision-making process, SWA advanced its objective to build trust and strengthen community relationships.
Competitive Edge would like to thank SWA for its responsiveness throughout the duration of this project.