Archive for the ‘Consumer matters’ Category
Why customer expectations are rising in the communications sector
June 29th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
I recently attend a breakfast meeting to discuss customer service in a part of the communications sector (digital terrestrial television). I was asked to make some opening remarks and highlighted the following reasons why customer expectations are high and rising: The technology itself is driving expectations as we see falling prices, increased speeds, increased capacity, […]
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The problem of card clash and how modern life can be so complicated
May 20th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
When I checked my credit card statement today, I found that last month I was charged for 12 journeys on London Transport even though I have a Freedom Pass. A quick check on the Transport For London website and I realised that I had fallen victim to the dreaded card clash – London Transport’s machines […]
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The world’s water is now a political issue
April 5th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
You could view the history of the world through the prism of water. As I explained in an earlier posting,the first civilisations arose in the alluvial basins of four major rivers. Today, almost wherever you look (think California, Ireland, Pakistan, China, Australia …), water is becoming a more and more serious environmental and political issue. […]
Posted in Consumer matters, Environment | Comments (2)
Have you thought of opting for a water meter?
March 3rd, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Today, I chair the last meeting of the Customer Challenge Group at South East Water which has spent three years critiquing the company’s customer engagement programme and resultant business plan for 2015-2020. However, I have signed a two-year contract to chair a successor Customer Panel which will monitor how well the company actually fulfils this […]
Posted in Consumer matters, Environment | Comments (4)
Why the world needs water that is clean and affordable
February 3rd, 2015 by Roger Darlington
For the last three years, I have chaired the Customer Challenge Group for a regional water company in the UK (South East Water) so, more than ever, I have been aware that clean and affordable water is vital to all communities both in the UK and around the world. But, according to the latest IFC […]
Posted in Consumer matters, Environment | Comments (0)
How the customer voice has been heard in the water sector (3)
January 25th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
The last three years have seen a fascinating experience in how to embed the consumer voice in a regulated utility – the creation of Customer Challenge Groups by the 18 water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. I have chaired the CCG for South East Water and I was invited by “Utility Week” to […]
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How the customer voice has been heard in the water sector (2)
January 24th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
This week, I spent a day in Birmingham attending a “Utility Week” conference on customer service in the water sector. I was the last speaker in a roster of 15. I began by explaining how the voice of the consumer in regulated industries has been institutionalised in three different ways and then set out how […]
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How the customer voice has been heard in the water sector (1)
January 23rd, 2015 by Roger Darlington
The monthly magazine “The Water Report” has produced a very comprehensive and fair assessment of the role of Customer Challenge Groups in the last three years in the price review process conducted by the regulator Ofwat which has recently concluded. Four CCG chairs were interviewed for the feature including me as the Chair for the […]
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Let me assure my American readers: I have no problem at all visiting Birmingham (UK)
January 13th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
“There are actual cities like Birmingham that are totally Muslim where non-Muslims just simply don’t go in,” This was the absurd comment made at the weekend on Fox News by the so-called terrorism expert Steve Emerson who amazingly has advised all sorts of Congressional committees. Birmingham is not totally Muslim; some 22% identify themselves as Muslim. […]
Posted in American current affairs, British current affairs, Consumer matters | Comments (0)
My first experience of an audio boom courtesy of the TSI
January 9th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
I’ve recently been appointed by Ofcom to chair the Consumer Forum for Communications and the Trading Standards Institute – a valued member of the CFC – kindly gave me a minute to make what they call an audio boom.
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