UK Power Networks (UKPN) has topped the rankings for the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKSI), despite the utilities sector as a whole seeing a slight slide in public perception over the past six months.
UKPN’s customer satisfaction score of 86.5 out of 100 was above the likes of Timpson’s, John Lewis and Waitrose, as the distribution network operator improved its score year-on-year by 7.9 percentage points, and shot up from its 101st ranking in July 2021.
Despite UKPN’s success, the utilities sector as a whole saw average customer satisfaction dip by 0.4 points compared to the most recent survey in January of this year. However, year-on-year the sector was up 0.6 points.
Average satisfaction with water companies improved by 1.5 points year-on-year to 76.1, while the tally for energy companies, at 73.2, was almost the same as in July 2021 and 0.9 points lower than January 2022. Although the period in which the latest UKCSI data was collected (21 March to 14 April 2022) does not yet fully reflect the scale and impact of recent energy price rises, customers’ average satisfaction with price / cost in the energy sector dropped by 0.3 points compared to a year ago, to 6.6 (out of 10).
Across the board, the UKSI was flat, with the Institute of Customer Service, which compiles the rankings, saying that improvements seen in the latter part of 2021 had stalled since January of this year.
The body’s chief executive Jo Causon said: “In the next six months, the environment will get even tougher through a combination of rising inflation, geopolitical upheaval, supply chain blockages, recruitment challenges, the escalating cost of living and potential future Covid-19 risks. Organisations cannot avoid these issues: they will need to develop service strategies that are responsive to evolving customer needs but also protect short and long-term business performance. For me it’s clear that a carefully calibrated focus on service is crucial to addressing economic performance and productivity and broader challenges of societal polarisation, inclusivity and well-being.”