For utilities and essential services providers, customer satisfaction is more than a performance metric. It is a key requirement of regulatory accountability and an ongoing indicator of service quality, trust and community connection.
For essential service providers, customer insights are not just a compliance requirement – they are a powerful tool for continuous improvement.
Over the past five years, JWS Research has partnered with Lower Murray Water (LMW) to deliver a customer satisfaction program that goes beyond reporting, helping translate feedback into clearer priorities, stronger communication and measurable service improvements across both urban and rural communities. In the wake of major bushfires or when communities are dealing with low rainfall and water restrictions, catchment authorities and essential services right around Australia have an enormous amount to deal with when it comes to properly understanding their customers and communicating with them successfully.
This case study highlights how asking the right questions, using the right channels and focusing on what the results mean can drive better outcomes for customers and regulators alike.
The background: regulatory needs and real-world service feedback
LMW completes a customer satisfaction survey each year to meet reporting requirements for the Essential Services Commission and to provide internal visibility on customer experience.
Some of the survey content is regulatory. Other parts are entirely about improving customer experience, communication and service levels. Customers often use the survey to highlight challenges that are not easily solved, particularly in regional networks. It becomes a vital tool for LMW to illuminate things they may otherwise know little about given plenty of issues are not high profile or longstanding but found in the dynamic intricacies of household experience.
One recurring theme is water pressure and water colour among rural customers, with ageing infrastructure and long-distance supply realities that cannot always be quickly fixed. Yet the feedback is valuable because it helps LMW understand expectations and prioritise communication.
Five years of focus on continuous improvement
JWS Research has now delivered LMW’s survey for five years, re-winning the work in competitive tender processes.
When a client keeps coming back year after year, especially in a tendered environment, it tells you they are genuinely happy with the work. They would not return if the results and insights were not valuable.
LMW’s results continue to trend upward (click here to view a recent report), indicating LMW has acted on the feedback and continued to strengthen its service performance.
"JWS Research has been Lower Murray Water’s trusted partner for customer satisfaction surveys over the past five years. Their team is genuinely easy to work with and consistently brings valuable ideas to enhance our survey approach. What we appreciate most is their reporting – it delivers clear, insightful, and actionable results that have directly contributed to improving our customer satisfaction scores across both our urban and rural customer base. We couldn't be happier with the partnership."
Owen Russell – Manager Strategy and Communication
Designing the right questions: where research delivers real value
A large part of JWS Research’s value comes from ensuring the right questions are being asked.
In our experience, clients often arrive with topics they want included, but the questions may not actually reveal the information they need. When this happens, we go back to the client to clarify what they want to use the data for, then reframe questions accordingly.
A good example is around customer service response times. LMW wanted to understand whether customers felt their enquiries were handled promptly. Rather than simply asking if the response was fast, we recommended questions around whether a clear timeframe was given and whether the response was delivered within that timeframe. This approach captures both expectation and satisfaction, which is far more actionable. Good research often starts with precise definitions.
Capturing regional voices: digital and paper channels
The LMW survey is delivered online and via paper forms. Urban customers typically respond online, but rural communities have historically had lower engagement.
In 2024, LMW and JWS Research reintroduced a paper option. The paper survey produced a significant lift in rural participation. The inclusion of QR codes helped bridge both preferences – noting that the use of paper adds cost and workload, including the need to scan and verify every response, but in this case the improved representation justified the approach.
From data to meaning: insights that matter
After data collection, JWS Research provides LMW with a full analysis report plus a public-facing version for publication (click here to view a recent report). The findings are shared with LMW’s team, who use them to guide service priorities, communication planning and operational improvements.
The reporting focuses heavily on what the results mean, not just what they say. JWS Research always asks the question: what could the organisation do with this information? High quality research expertise should never leave the client with data and insights absent of recommendations. We understand that the greatest value is often in the interpretive skill of shaping evidence based advice on what to do next.
In sectors like water, councils or government-backed lenders, customers cannot simply switch providers if they are unhappy. Which means that high satisfaction scores can be more difficult to achieve. Understanding this context is essential for meaningful interpretation.
Why this matters for utilities and essential services
This case study highlights why customer research is so valuable in essential services:
- It provides evidence for regulatory reporting.
- It identifies where expectations are not being met, even when issues are unavoidable or cost-prohibitive to fix.
- It reveals what customers actually want, including communication priorities.
- It provides a clear, repeatable way to measure improvement over time.
- It strengthens trust between the provider and the community.
For utilities such as water and energy providers, this type of research is often the difference between assumptions and genuine insight.
About JWS Research
JWS Research works extensively with utilities, councils, government agencies and essential services organisations across Australia. Our approach combines technical research skill with practical, actionable recommendations that support continuous improvement.
If you would like to discuss a customer insights program for your organisation, contact the JWS Research team.
