Wordnerds

How might we use predictive insights and proactive customer engagement to deliver an unrivalled customer experience?

The challenge

Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) gathers and analyses vast amounts of customer feedback via platforms like Medallia and Wordnerds. While currently used as a lagging indicator, there's a significant opportunity to use this data more proactively. How can we harness existing feedback, AI, advanced analytics, and behavioural science to move from reactive analysis to predictive insights and proactive customer engagement? How can we effectively nudge customer behaviour for critical campaigns like "Bin the Wipe" and "Water’s Worth Saving" and gain a true 360o view of our customers?

Proposal

This sprint will be a multi-disciplinary deep dive into the "art of the possible." We will explore how to:

• Build predictive models from existing customer feedback to signal forthcoming issues and determine the next best action.
• Apply behavioural science principles to customer communications to shape behaviour change.
• Prioritise messaging by predicting what will resonate most with customers.
• Identify and overcome data challenges to achieve a holistic customer view.
• Explore additional sources of customer conversations.

Target Objectives

1. Identify Key Predictive Use Cases: Determine what customer behaviours, concerns and expectations would be most valuable to predict using existing feedback data.
2. Develop Behavioural Nudge Concepts: Brainstorm and outline specific ways behavioural science can be applied to NWG's customer communications for campaigns like "Bin the Wipe" and "Water’s Worth Saving," informed by data insights.
3. Prototype a Predictive Model/Insight Framework: Build a proof-of-concept model or an MVP analysis framework demonstrating how customer feedback can generate predictive insights or prioritise messaging.
4. Outline a 360 Customer View Strategy: Identify key data sources (existing and potential new ones) and outline steps to overcome challenges in achieving a more integrated view of the customer.
5. Capture Value & Next Steps: Articulate the potential benefits of these approaches and define actionable next steps for NWG to pilot or implement the most promising ideas.

Target Audience

NWG colleagues from CX, Operations, Communications, Data/Insight teams, and those involved in campaigns like "Bin the Wipe" and "Water's Worth Saving." Representatives from Medallia and Wordnerds. External experts in behavioural science. Potentially, counterparts from other sectors (Banking, Housing, Transport) to share learnings. Anyone interested in learning—and shaping—how the latest techniques of AI, data science and Customer Experience can be used in more ambitious ways.

What will we do?

• Lightning Talks & Demos: Hear from NWG experts on campaign challenges, David Hall (Behaviour Change) on behavioural economics, counterparts from Banking and Housing on predictive modelling, Transport for Wales on data science for behaviour change, and a tech start-up on AI for data integration.
• Live Data Analysis: Medallia and Wordnerds will conduct real-time analysis of NWG data to test hypotheses and explore use cases.
• Ideation & Problem Solving: Use design thinking techniques to unpack challenges, generate innovative solutions, and develop predictive models and behavioural nudge strategies.
• Prototyping: Develop proof-of-concept models, MVP analysis frameworks, or detailed concepts for applying insights.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work in multi-disciplinary teams to bring diverse perspectives to the problem statements.
• Action Planning: Define clear next steps and outline potential pilot projects.