Our customers

We are responsible for providing reliable, high-quality water supply and sewerage services to almost one third of the Estonian population. We have more than 22,000 contractual customers.

We understand how important our service is for people and therefore, we focus on maintaining and improving the quality and reliability of our services. In 2014, our special focus was on enhancing the customers’ awareness of our actions that impact their quality of life. We also made efforts to increase the quality of resolving customer contacts, which would reduce the customers’ need for repeated contacts.

Feedback from our customers

We deem it very important to have a systematic and regular feedback from our customers. This is important in order to have a fair assessment on our activities and understand both our strengths and the issues, which should be addressed more in the future. Each year, an independent market research company TNS Emor carries out a survey among our customers as well as end users. Satisfaction is based on the measured on the basis of the TRI*M method developed by the research company to characterise the strength of customer relationships and to allow comparison with other companies. This model focuses on three elements:

TRI*M index, which measures the strength of customer relationships and comprises further four elements – general satisfaction, recommendation, repeated use and usefulness/necessity of services/products;

TRI*M typology of customer relationships, describing the satisfaction and loyalty of customers;

TRI*M grid analysis to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of a company.

Customer services in 2014

In 2014, a total of 900 customers and end users were surveyed by EMOR to map changes in our customer relations’ strength and factors influencing it, as well as to receive feedback on our activities’ success.

The survey that has been carried out for seven years now, has indicated an increase in satisfaction year-on-year. However, the satisfaction in 2014 was the highest ever – the average satisfaction index was 85 points and that is significantly higher than the average customer satisfaction in the European utility sector (which was 55 points).

Continuously positive trend can be seen in the number of people drinking tap water. While five years ago, only every second end-user drank tap water, in 2014, the number of tap drinkers among all customer segments has increased to 80%-90%. “Drink Tap Water” campaign that we have been carrying out for several years now, has played an important role in this. Also, this was the most frequently noticed media message among all customer segments. Increasing tendency in tap drinking is certainly related also to the improvements in the quality and taste of water. This is also supported by the results of the survey among end-users and the assessment they have been given to the water quality, and within last year especially in Maardu-Muuga area.

Assessments given to the taste, odour and clarity of water have improved compared to the previous year, both in commercial and private customer segments. Also the assessments given to the price-quality ratio have improved.

Trends in 2015

Even though the feedback to our services continues to be good, it also indicates a need to focus more on the constant strengthening of the emotional side of customer relations. Therefore, we will keep focusing on maintaining and increasing the satisfaction mainly through the improvements in the services provided and in customer service.

In 2015, we see a continuous possibility to develop the problem solving in the customer service. Though the number of customer complaints has reduced year by year mainly as a result of preventive activities, it is still important to provide quick solutions that meet customer expectations. We also try to provide more information about our activities and keep customers better informed about the solution being provided to them.