Global seeking input through online survey

Global Water wants to know what it can do to improve customer service and has developed a survey residents can respond to on its website.

The survey can be found by clicking here.

Customers also can use the link to sign up for e-billing and enter a contest to win a free iPad3.

In the survey, the water company is asking what it can do to improve its call-center operations, website and smartphone application. The Phoenix-based private company provides water and sewer in Maricopa and several communities in the Valley.

Last week, the company held a focus group at its Maricopa offices, but only a handful of people attended to fill out a paper survey and make suggestions to Global managers.

It was the company’s first focus group with Maricopa customers, said Scott Thomas, operations manager of FATHOM, which is Global’s IT platform.

“The goal of the event is to gather feedback,” Thomas said. “How do we provide better customer service?”

Jim Rives, president of the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance, attended the focus group and said he had nothing but praise for Global’s management. The challenge, he said, was for those managers to reach out to residential customers.

He suggested that Global managers attend Maricopa City Council meetings. Like the local electric company, Electrical District No. 3, Global had a negative public perception to work through when it raised its rates a couple of years ago, he said.