HomeServe signs up to SBW venture
Emergency repair business HomeServe has agreed a long-term partnership deal with Sembcorp Bournemouth Water (SBW).
The venture takes the number of HomesServe's UK water utilities partners to 15 covering 23.5 million UK households.
Under the agreement, Walsall-based HomeServe will promote its home emergency and repair policies using SBW's brand to more than 200,000 residential households.
Richard Harpin, chief executive of HomeServe, said: "We are pleased to have signed a long-term affinity partnership agreement with Sembcorp Bournemouth Water enabling HomeServe to further extend its UK water utility footprint."
In addition to the joint venture announcement, HomeServe also told the Stock Exchange this morning (13 December) that it has begun implementing plans to "reinvigorate its UK customer focus".
Following an investigation which halted its UK telesales activity, HomeServe said inbound activity has now increased to cover about 70 per cent of UK affinity partner households.
"As we mentioned in our interim results, we have undertaken a review of our complaints handling function and appointed a new director of customer relations, reporting directly to Jonathan King, chief executive of HomeServe membership limited, to make recommendations and improvements in this area," read a statement from the company.
"We now intend to outsource our complaints handling function in early 2012, reflecting our commitment to ensure customers receive at all times the high standards of service that we and they expect."
