WWT ROUND TABLE 2009
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the water, of what we do and how we
“It is a difficult message and one that people
protect the environment and the services
that we provide, in a way that customers
sometimes hear with disbelief”
can relate to. That could help move their
perspective on the value without having to done, and which Defra has done separately, When I talk to customers and tell them that
put them through a painful experience like on the issue of climate change, shows that we have less rain than Nairobi, Barcelona,
the Australian consumers. This is one of the in the round, customers are pretty receptive Istanbul or Dallas, they don’t believe me
challenges that, collectively, you would have to doing their bit, and you are right, Bob, to and I have to get the figures out and prove
thought the EA, Ofwat, DWI and the say that it changes according to what the it. During the drought, there was a famous
industry could usefully undertake. circumstances are. It is certainly more acute Daily Express leading article – and it would
in Australia, no doubt. be the Daily Express, wouldn’t it? – which
Bob Baty That is the issue: how far along Beyond that, it is wrong to consider said: “If seriously dry places like Florida and
on that journey are we? How cohesive are customers as an homogenous group, Sydney can get this right, why can’t wet old
we in terms of that industry in addressing it? because they are not. Customer groups are London?” I wrote and told them that both
How are we actually engaging with in different places in terms of their those places get twice as much rainfall as
customers? When the reality happens, receptiveness to messages about saving London – but of course they didn’t print it.
customers will respond and I think we all water and about doing their bit on climate There is a real perception issue here. With
know that in our own industry, when you change. There is a customer group that says, all due respect to Ian, per capital
have an emergency, it is fantastic to see “Why should I?” so you need to engage consumptions are important, but not
how well people can respond to it. them in the “why?” question. There is a everyone really understands that. Yes, it’s
However, how to prevent that emergency group of customers – and probably quite a damp, grey, miserable, grotty – but it isn’t
happening is the bigger management sizeable group – that says: “I understand wet and this is basically a dry part of the
challenge and that is what we are exploring why, but what do I need to do about it?” world. If you look at a list of capital cities,
here. And then there are those who are clear on London is at the drier end of the spectrum,
what they need to do about it, but they ask but it is very hard to convey that. I don’t
Tony Smith Could I just add in the for help – they would like some pretty easy know what your experience is, Ian, but it is a
customer’s perspective? If you ask, are we things to do, to enable them to act. Then call to action to customers. While they think
communicating as effectively as we could there are people who are already doing it – it is wet, they think that we are just making a
be, the answer is no, and we probably need they know very clearly what they have to fuss about nothing.
to be more consistent and have messages do. At the moment, however, our sense
from different sources. from our research is that that group is a Ian Barker Yes, it is a difficult message and
The other important point is that we can relatively small one, so as an industry we one that people sometimes hear with
paint this a little too black in terms of what are trying to move customers over time into disbelief about the relative dryness of major
customers think. Research that we have that direction of engaging in it. inner cities compared with international
Of course, circumstances change. Two or cities, and the relative water availability
three years ago, during the drought, more compared with that of other countries that
customers became very alive to the issues are perceived to be dry. We have been
and the companies in the South-east are banging this particular drum in terms of
discovering that some of that has stuck. The trying to provide some compelling statistics
point about the environment is that it is not that we can all use – and Bob has used the
environment versus customers, because statistic that we each use a tonne of water a
customers have absolute interest in not week. That is something that started out
compromising the future and the water from the Environment Agency, because it is
industry is very important to them. The something that makes people think,: “Good
issue is about how we communicate, and Lord. I have a tonne of water delivered to
the pacing of things – and we will probably me every week and then taken away again
come back to that later. and cleaned up.”That is the sort of thing
that makes people sit up and take notice.
Richard Aylard When we have talked to Tony referred to the 2005/6 drought,
customers in deliberative research, where which I think was a very good example of
we have a cross-section of 100 customers how, by working together, it is possible to
together and spend all day talking to them have consistent messages that different
about things, to a surprising extent they say: customer groups will hear and reflect upon.
“We trust you to get this right, and we’ll do We had each of the eight or 10 water
our bit but you’ve got to educate us and companies impacted by the drought. We
help us. By the way, don’t charge us a had Ofwat, the Consumer Council for Water,
penny more than you have to.” the government, and the Environment
The other point, which is a regional issue Agency, all using consistent messages about
forLondon and the South-east, is that we all this dryness not being due to
have to find ways of countering this media mismanagement by the water industry. It is
Ian Barker: Difficult message perception that we live in a wet country. down to the fact that this is one of the most
8 Round Table June 2009