Accessible and Equitable Customer Service for all South Australians

In May, SA Water presented its Wider World program at the 2022 Plumbing Roadshow.

Through the Wider World program, SA Water is working to provide products and services that are accessible to all South Australians.

Including people who are living with a disability, customers experiencing vulnerability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and ageing customers.

A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for the utility because it excludes people who cannot access standard services and channels.

SAPIPERELINING

While striving to achieve equitable and accessible products and services, SA Water’s workforce is providing more support to some customers so they can receive the same outcomes and experiences as others.

Advisory groups and customer research provided four key areas SA Water and their partners can improve on, including:

1. “Give us choice” – there is no one-size-fits-all for customers with a disability as the barriers they face are diverse. All customers need and deserve choice in how they interact with service providers. As SA Water continues to implement efficient self-serve channels, they will ensure customers who need more support are not excluded.

2. “Help make our complex lives easier” – people living with disability navigate multiple organisations, often fighting for their rights or on behalf of their loved ones.

High bills, leaks, water outages and even unexpected visits from a meter reader can become extremely stressful events. There is high interest for receiving priority services.

3. “Be human” – for many of SA Water’s Wider World customers, organisations can appear to be a faceless entity. Human interaction, a single point of contact and simple touchpoints are incredibly important to them.

When these customers approach SA Water for human contact (on the phone or in person) it is because they need extra help.

4. “Keep us involved” – customers are grateful to be included, and impressed with SA Water’s work to date, and encourage the utility to take concrete actions.

As a result, SA Water is now implementing a variety of short- and long-term actions that impact both workforce and customers including:

• making communication, digital channels, worksites, and other public spaces more accessible

• training for customer-facing teams to build empathy and understanding so they can adjust their interactions

• investigating a priority services program for customers to access extra support services such as early warnings and regular updates during a water supply interruption.

As licensed plumbers you can contribute to providing a higher level of support by undertaking disability inclusion training, getting approved or accredited to support customers living with disability or other specific needs, and include that expertise in advanced search filters on your website.

Together with SA Water you can make sure customers with specific needs feel comfortable and safe having you in their homes.

To express your interest in attending SA Water’s Diversity and Inclusion training email accessibility@sawater.com.au.

For more information read SA Water’s Disability Access and Inclusion plan at www.sawater.com.au