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Hong Kong people are in general satisfied with the services provided by the Water Supplies Department (WSD), according to a survey.

The benchmark opinion survey, conducted by AC Nielsen on behalf of the department, found that among all domestic and commercial customers, 56 per cent were either very or quite satisfied with the overall services. Another 43 per cent rated the services as "average".

Only a minimal of one per cent were dissatisfied with the overall services.

Domestic customers were relatively more satisfied with the overall service performance than commercial customers.

The market research company had successfully polled 1,200 domestic and 1,224 commercial customers by telephone or face-to-face interviews between September and November 1999.

Customers were generally satisfied with the department's six key services: fresh water quality and supply, flushing water quality and supply, customer services and billing & payment services.

Of the key services, customer services won the highest recognition. Some 96 per cent were satisfied with the services provided. Landed in the second was fresh water quality and supply, with 95 per cent gave the thumbs up to the services.

Flushing water quality was considered as the least important factor contributing to the overall satisfaction with services of the WSD.

In the survey, customers were also asked to give scorings on the overall performance of the WSD and four other public utilities in the private sector.

The customers ranked the WSD third on the league with a score of 75 out of a 100-point scale. All five utilities scored high marks for their services offered.

A spokesman for the WSD thanked the community for its support for the services provided by the department.

"The findings are encouraging and showed that the public has high regard for our services. We will double our efforts to provide a even better service to our two million-plus household customers."

The spokesman said that the department would regularly monitor customers' opinion and needs so as to meet their rising expectations. The WSD also welcomes suggestions to improve its services.

He stressed that Hong Kong enjoyed one of the safest water supplies in the world. He said the department had been taken stringent water quality monitoring to ensure treated water complied with the WHO Guidelines.

But he reminded customers that it was essential to clean storage tanks and regularly maintain the water supply system in buildings to ensure good water quality at the tap.

In the survey, more than half of the respondents considered that the building management should be responsible for the service maintenance of water supply system in the building. Only 13 per cent of domestic customers and four per cent of commercial customers thought that it was the job for the WSD.

The survey also found that most of the customers were not aware that the Government was currently subsidising water charges.

"It shows that publicity is needed to boost public awareness that the Government is subsidising the water services. The Government's goals of "full cost recovery" and "user-pays" should be brought out to our customers," the spokesman said.

End/Friday, April 21, 2000

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