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Case study:
Understanding satisfaction with social housing services

Npower

Featured in this case study: Gas, Electricity, Qualitative, Business to business (B2B), Market research project design & management, Market research in-depth interviews, CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing), Customer satisfaction

The challenge

Npower wanted to ascertain what influenced their clients' decisions when selecting a contractor, what the key service points were whilst the contract was ongoing, and to gauge the satisfaction of their social housing customers with account management, complaint handling and the overall level of service, as well as to highlight any areas for improvement.

This was the second wave of a multi-wave research project.

The approach

Qualitative research can take many forms, but at its heart it is about understanding how and why. For example, how do people feel about a certain product, brand or a new idea? Why are sales down? Why is a marketing message not cutting through? Why are people behaving in a certain way and how can we change that? Qualitative research is about detail, depth and understanding, and can be used to explain data trends or patterns of human behaviour.

At DJS Research, our researchers have a wealth of experience moderating qualitative research, putting research participants at ease and exploring experiences, attitudes and behaviours to unlock those ‘golden nuggets’ of insight.

Methods in our qualitative toolkit

We develop a bespoke approach to meet each client’s objectives, but some commonly used methods in our qualitative toolkit include:

We draw on behavioural science to understand why people do what they do, not just what they say they do. We go beyond a basic question and answer format to examine the all-important context for decision-making, for example spending time with participants at home, observing their day-to-day life or asking them to complete a diary. We consider the behavioural biases at play and apply relevant frameworks or models to guide our analysis and recommendations.

Ultimately, by uncovering and sharing real life stories and applying our knowledge of human behaviour, we deliver deeper insights that impact our clients’ decision-making.

To find out more about our qualitative research capabilities, and discuss how we could craft a tailored solution to meet the specific needs of your organisation, contact us today.

The results

DJS Research was able to provide Npower with a detailed explanation of the energy provider’s satisfaction scores.

Overall satisfaction with Npower increased markedly between waves one and two, with scores for customer service rising most notably.

In addition, Npower was rated more highly against a main competitor in this wave of the research, particularly in relation to the politeness of engineers.

Satisfaction with account management, tenant satisfaction and value for money all also improved between waves one and two.

The difference between the two waves highlights the value of market research to improving customer-facing services and, through identifying areas of weakness, Npower has successfully improved satisfaction with the service it provides.

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Client testimonial: Npower

Gas, Electricity, Qualitative, Business to business (B2B), Market research project design & management, Market research in-depth interviews, CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing), Customer satisfaction

"DJS Research are easy to work with. They understood what we were looking to achieve. The research was set up quickly and the results delivered on time and to budget."

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Sector:
Gas

Our utilities team has a deep knowledge of the regulated energy industry and their experience includes extensive work on behalf of gas suppliers, Gas Distribution Networks (GDNs) and network operators. As the sector prepares to transition from fossil fuels to a reliance on renewable clean energy solutions, our actionable research outputs are helping companies to navigate these major changes and the impacts upon both their infrastructure and their customers. Our proficiency in engaging both household and non-household audiences and thorough knowledge of the entire energy sector means we are expertly positioned to explore both complex and sensitive topics for our gas clients. From supporting GDNs on their RIIO price control planning processes to projects on affordability, acceptability and business option testing we have the confidence, agility and expertise to deliver. Alongside RIIO support we produce meaningful and actionable insight to assist our clients on their business-as-usual projects and fulfil a wide range of objectives. Recent projects include research to support business development, understanding the needs and experiences of vulnerable consumer groups, affordability studies and examining gas safety and compliance amongst non-household audiences. Further specific examples of our market research projects for clients in the gas industry are outlined below: Business planning and price control research: Covering everything from identifying customer priorities to inform early stage planning development, to business options testing, Willingness to Pay (WtP) and acceptability and affordability research to provide a trusted customer voice in supporting final business plan submissions. Customer attitude tracking: Monitoring and measuring customer attitudes and sentiment towards their GDN (and other aspects of their energy supply service) over time, producing key insights that track against agreed business KPIs for customer satisfaction. Readiness for outages and emergency situations: Consulting with customers on topics related to resilience and reliability of the gas network. This has included a project with residents in a village who were impacted by a significant outage, understanding the experience they went through, what the GDN did to support them, how well emergency planning procedures held up to pressure, feelings on future resilience, and lessons to be learned. We have also consulted with household and non-household customers on the likelihood of experiencing an outage in the future, and explored preferences for investment in the network (to aid resilience) compared to investment in readiness (to respond to emergency situations). Delivering actionable insight to shape a changing gas network As the gas network enters a new era, we provide meaningful and insightful research solutions which help our clients understand the views and perceptions of their household and non-household customers throughout this network transition. From examining the intergeneration fairness associated with the cost of decommissioning parts of the gas network to business understanding of the potential need for alternatives to natural gas (including biomethane and hydrogen), and what businesses and households perceive as their role in the changing landscape of the gas network both now and in the future. Our researchers work to continually expand their knowledge and evolve their approach to ensure we’re ready to support our clients every step of the way. To find out more about our expertise in the gas industry and wider utilities sector and how we can provide the actionable insight you need to meet your business objectives, contact our team today.

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Sector:
Electricity

From identifying key drivers behind the mounting energy demands of consumers and businesses, to understanding environmental impacts, perceptions of responsibility and policy changes, our researchers apply their holistic knowledge of the electricity market, and wider energy sector, to create relevant, informed research solutions. Some of our most experienced sector leads have been conducting market research within this specialised field for well over three decades. Over this period they have witnessed significant change across the industry and, as the landscape continues to evolve at pace, they ensure the impacts of current energy challenges and developments in technology are considered throughout the research process. We have worked extensively with household and non-household customers of energy suppliers and distribution network operators, conducting a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research projects. Examples of core focus areas for market research in this sector over recent years are explored below. Journey mapping, customer satisfaction and customer experience research We have been conducting customer satisfaction and experience tracking studies since our inception well over two decades ago. Our bespoke projects for the electricity, energy and wider utilities sector have varied in scope from monitoring the perceptions and expectations of households and businesses over time to gap analysis, comparing performance and experiences with future goals. Some of our most satisfying, and rewarding, projects have been those where we have applied these techniques to uncover what elevates a customer encounter into a truly wow experience. Our researchers are able to apply their learnings, and knowledge gained, from other projects across other sectors to deepen understanding, crafting enriched solutions which help advise organisations on how they can put their customers' needs at the heart of their service model. Customer vulnerability and affordability studies Market research which explores sensitive topics, such as financial instability and personal difficulties, requires extremely careful handling from recruitment right through to concluding interactions with participants. Our field team, researchers and interviewers have extensive experience engaging individuals, and groups, who are facing all kinds of difficult circumstances. From people living with health vulnerabilities or economic struggles, to the digitally disengaged or those living in remote rural areas, our experience engaging these audiences extends far beyond the utilities sector. Our breadth of audience insight, and years of experience engaging different consumer groups and businesses, results in the creation of rich and well-rounded research solutions. Projects we’ve conducted in this field for the electricity and energy industry have explored the needs and experiences of vulnerable customers in the electricity and gas distribution space, awareness and performance of the priority services registers and the delicate subject of fuel poverty. Community engagement analysis In recent years we’ve seen a steady increase in the importance of authentic community engagement across the utilities sector, as organisations seek to understand their consumers better and identify ways to work with local communities. Effective analysis can be used to inform tailored communications strategies and our teams have conducted a wide number of ethnographic and quantitative studies to engage local people on a range of energy matters. Our outputs have been used to shape marketing campaigns, door-drop content and customer consultation programmes. Net zero progress and perceptions As the government’s target to achieve a fully decarbonised electricity system by 2030 gets ever closer, we have conducted extensive research with businesses exploring both their attitudes and progress towards their net zero goal. Understanding public perceptions, including knowledge of crucial milestones and perceived responsibilities of organisations and customers, is an area of equal importance which we have explored in detail for clients across several different sectors as well as the utilities market. Discover how we apply our expertise in climate change and environment research, along with our extensive experience within the public sector. To find out more about our expertise in the electricity industry and wider utilities sector and how we can provide the actionable insight you need to meet your business objectives, contact our team today.

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Specialism:
Qualitative

Qualitative research can take many forms, but at its heart it is about understanding how and why. For example, how do people feel about a certain product, brand or a new idea? Why are sales down? Why is a marketing message not cutting through? Why are people behaving in a certain way and how can we change that? Qualitative research is about detail, depth and understanding, and can be used to explain data trends or patterns of human behaviour. At DJS Research, our researchers have a wealth of experience moderating qualitative research, putting research participants at ease and exploring experiences, attitudes and behaviours to unlock those ‘golden nuggets’ of insight. We develop a bespoke approach to meet each client’s objectives, but some commonly used methods in our qualitative toolkit include: In-depth interviews. Focus groups. Online communities. Ethnography. Video vox pops. We draw on behavioural science to understand why people do what they do, not just what they say they do. We go beyond a basic question and answer format to examine the all-important context for decision-making, for example spending time with participants at home, observing their day-to-day life or asking them to complete a diary. We consider the behavioural biases at play and apply relevant frameworks or models to guide our analysis and recommendations. Ultimately, by uncovering and sharing real life stories and applying our knowledge of human behaviour, we deliver deeper insights that impact our clients’ decision-making. To find out more about our qualitative research capabilities, and discuss how we could craft a tailored solution to meet the specific needs of your organisation, contact us today.

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Business to business (B2B)

Disentangling decision-making in complex organisations, handling and coordinating multiple strands of detailed information and understanding technical products and services: these are just a few of the challenges that can accompany B2B market research, and our specialist researchers have been honing their skills in these areas for well over two decades. Confident navigating multiple, diverse markets – often simultaneously – our team has the knowledge and experience to deliver meaningful business to business insight for organisations of any size. Understanding the nuances of your field of operation, including market conditions and influences, is an essential part of our early research process. We work closely with our clients from the outset to define requirements and the needs of all stakeholders clearly. We supplement this important first phase with desk research where appropriate and draw on our own extensive experience across DJS Research. Experts at reaching the business and stakeholder audiences you need Audience sizes for B2B research projects tend to be low in number and harder to reach than consumers. Far from being a concern, survey volumes are often intentionally small-scale as the core priority is quality, not quantity, to engage the right people. Our teams identify exactly who it is that we need to reach, including the organisations we need to target and the individual roles we need to speak to. We can use contacts provided by our client (adhering to strict GDPR rules) or, most often, we will develop a target list ourselves using a range of techniques, building samples which fulfil specific project-led quotas. Participating in market research studies can be low on the priority list for many business audiences. Often with demanding responsibilities and mounting workloads, we recognise how important it is to engage business audiences respectfully and to ensure we make the best use of the little time they may have available. Our highly trained B2B interviewers use their skills to successfully get around gatekeepers (e.g. receptionists) and maintain the interest of business representatives for the length of time required. Blending new and traditional methods to drive innovation Despite its challenges, CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) is often the most cost-effective and appropriate method of achieving large and representative samples of business owners and senior managers. A telephone-first approach enables us to verify the business or organisation’s credentials and ensure we are speaking with the most appropriate individual within each, which will vary depending on the nature of the research. Since Covid-19 especially, we have found that ‘cold’ approaches (i.e. where there is no existing relationship) for research with B2B audiences are more and more challenging. In addition to our skilled interviewers, who effectively 'sell' the benefits of participating in an interview, we are increasingly experimenting with new recruitment channels. These new avenues have included exploring LinkedIn, to maximise response rates, and using synthetic data to investigate opportunities for enhanced insight in B2B. Bespoke sector-focused business solutions which deliver actionable insight Our B2B projects are conducted by a highly experienced team, who ensure all outputs are sector-focused, with director-level involvement throughout. Working with clients across many different industries and markets, within both the private and public sector, has given us a holistic understanding of B2B needs which enriches our solutions and maximises effectiveness. Examples of recent B2B surveys undertaken by DJS Research in this field have covered issues from technology and cyber security to business ownership models and employment practices. Our research often extends beyond the UK as many of our B2B research clients operate globally. The strength of our international offering means that, where necessary, we can employ a network of native partners to help us with on-the-ground fieldwork around the world. To find out more about our wealth of business to business experience, and discuss how we could deliver the actionable insight your organisation needs, contact us today.

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Market research project design & management

At DJS Research, we offer comprehensive market research project design and management services, ensuring that every stage of your project runs smoothly and delivers robust, actionable results. As a full-service agency, our senior research team brings the expertise needed to plan, coordinate and oversee projects from start to finish, working in partnership with you to ensure your objectives are met on time and within budget. We understand that each client’s needs are unique. That is why we take the time at the outset to explore your objectives in detail, ensuring we design a research approach that is entirely tailored to your requirements. Whether you are seeking to explore a new market, understand customer perceptions, or evaluate the success of a product or service, our project design and management expertise will ensure you have the insight you need to make confident, informed decisions. Why does effective project design and management matter? Well-planned and well-managed research projects are more likely to deliver insights you can trust. Without clear objectives and a structured process, projects risk delays, overspending, or producing results that fail to answer your key questions. By working with our experienced team, you can be confident that your research will: Address the right questions from the outset. Stay on track and on budget. Produce accurate, robust findings that support decision-making. How do we approach project design and management at DJS Research? We tailor our process to the needs of each client, but our typical steps include: Understanding your objectives: Exploring your goals to ensure we address the right questions. Designing the research framework: Selecting the most suitable methods for your requirements. Planning and scheduling: Setting a clear and achievable timeline. Managing fieldwork and resources: Coordinating all elements of delivery (including recruitment, data collection and quality control). Keeping you informed: Providing regular updates so you know exactly how the project is progressing. Delivering actionable results: Presenting insights in a clear, actionable format to support your decision-making. We recognise that some clients prefer to be closely involved at every stage, while others would rather take a step back and receive the findings once the work is complete. We are happy to work in whichever way suits you best. Our approach is flexible, adapting to your preferred level of involvement as well as your budget and timescales. What are the benefits of working with DJS Research? Partnering with us for project design and management gives you access to: A dedicated senior researcher overseeing your project from start to finish. A team with experience across a wide range of sectors and research methods. Transparent, straightforward communication at every stage. Accredited quality processes that ensure reliable, robust results. Effective project design and management underpins all our projects at DJS Research and the breadth of our service offering ensures we provide expertise at every stage of the research process. Ready to ensure your next research project runs seamlessly from start to finish?

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Service:
Market research in-depth interviews

In-depth interviews offer the opportunity to have detailed, open-ended conversations with individual participants. They allow us to explore certain topics or reach particular audiences that would not be possible or appropriate with a focus group methodology. Whether exploring complex customer journeys, testing sensitive ideas, or speaking to senior stakeholders, in-depth interviews are a flexible and highly effective way to understand behaviours, attitudes and perceptions. In-depth interviews are particularly relevant for: Confidential, controversial or sensitive topics: Personal finance, health or sensitive business information, for example. Complex or detailed subject matter: Unpicking customer journeys, website testing or exploring sector-specific regulation and procurement processes for example. B2B audiences: In-depth interviews can be conveniently arranged to fit in with their busy work schedules. Marginalised or vulnerable audiences: Some audiences may feel less comfortable in a group setting and prefer a one-to-one interview. Encouraging honesty and capturing unbiased feedback. From interviews about debt, alcoholism and bereavement to software procurement processes and MedTech, there’s not much our sector experts haven’t covered before and all our researchers are trained in the art of in-depth interviewing. Our approach to in-depth interviews Choosing the right method: Once we have established that in-depth interviews are the right method for your project, we will recommend either online/video, telephone or in person interviews (or a combination). The specific approach will depend on the project objectives as well as budget, timescales and audience. For example, it may be important to gather rich contextual information, or utilise eye tracking technology, so we’ll visit respondents in their home or in a central location. Alternatively, online/video and telephone interviews remove geographical barriers and are typically more cost-effective and flexible. Recruiting the right people: Our in-house team will carefully recruit participants who match the desired criteria, whether that is based on demographics, behaviours, or attitudes. Whilst in-depth interviews are typically conducted one-to-one, we may recommend paired interviews, for example a couple or a child and parent. Thoughtful moderation: Our experienced moderators know how to put respondents at ease, build rapport and keep conversations on track. Our sector experts design discussion guides to ensure objectives are met. Actionable insight: We don’t just report what people say in interviews. We systematically review transcripts and recordings to identify recurring themes, patterns, and divergences in opinion. We look through a behavioural science lens and we uncover the insight that informs strategic decision-making. We then create engaging, visual reports using rich qualitative data such as video, audio, quotes and case studies to bring the findings to life, along with our carefully considered recommendations.

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Service:
CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing)

CATI is a widely used data collection method in market research, where trained interviewers conduct telephone surveys using specialist software to guide them through a pre-programmed questionnaire. The system includes features like skip logic, pre-coded answers, and real-time validation to ensure the collection of accurate, high-quality data. We conduct CATI fieldwork interviewing both consumers and businesses using Forsta’s advanced CATI platform. This state-of-the-art system enables our research teams to collect robust telephone data efficiently, with full control over survey routing, project management and field supervision. Whether it’s a large-scale public opinion study or a customer satisfaction tracker, CATI ensures consistency and data integrity throughout. Why use CATI and what are the advantages? CATI remains one of the most effective tools for conducting structured telephone interviews, particularly when targeting hard-to-reach audiences or complex sample quotas. It continues to be a valuable part of the DJS Research toolkit for a number of reasons: Real-time insights: Our CATI system allows researchers and clients to view responses live as they come in. This enables agile adjustments to fieldwork, improves response rates, and ensures better-informed decision-making throughout the project. Multi-channel integration: CATI can be seamlessly combined with other methodologies, such as online, face-to-face, or mobile research. We often use mixed mode approaches to give clients a holistic view of their data across multiple touchpoints. Scalable for large-scale projects: Our CATI setup supports thousands of concurrent interviews, across multiple interviewers. Whether you need a nationally representative survey or a high-volume customer satisfaction project, we can deliver results quickly and reliably. Centralised project management: With CATI, our project teams manage fieldwork from a single platform – streamlining scheduling, quota management, and interviewer coordination to ensure every project runs smoothly from start to finish. Increased efficiency: There are a number of automated features – like number dialling, call scheduling, and respondent tracking, which helps our team focus on what matters: gathering high-quality insights. This reduces turnaround time and improves cost-efficiency for our clients. Live monitoring and supervision: Our supervisors monitor interviews in real time or review recordings to ensure quality control. Interviewer performance data is also tracked throughout fieldwork, supporting coaching, accountability, and consistently high standards. Our CATI operations are underpinned by our team of experienced interviewers, dedicated supervisors, and cutting-edge technology – delivering accurate, actionable insights you can trust.

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Solution:
Customer satisfaction

It’s often cited that just a 5% increase in customer retention can boost profits by 25% to 95%, a compelling statistic that highlights the value of understanding your customers and investing in your relationship with them. While surveys can provide a great starting point for obtaining customer insight, true impact comes from digging far deeper than satisfaction scores alone. You can benchmark satisfaction against other departments, track year-on-year changes, even compare with sector peers. But how do you apply that score to your work? How do you improve? Headline scores only tell part of the story – to move the dial, you need to understand why people feel the way they do. That’s what we uncover at DJS Research. Understanding the power of customer satisfaction research Customer satisfaction research helps you understand how well your products, services and experiences meet expectations – and where they fall short. It identifies pain points, highlights unmet needs, and gives you a clearer view of what really matters to your audience. When used well, satisfaction insights can build customer loyalty. Listening and acting on feedback shows customers they’re valued, which strengthens relationships and drives retention. Satisfaction research can uncover where you’re falling behind, where your strengths lie, and how to differentiate in a crowded market. It’s not just about fixing problems – it’s about identifying USPs and staying competitive. Understanding how your customers feel is important but understanding why they feel this way and what you can do to influence this sits at the core of our customer satisfaction research; our team is committed to delivering meaningful, and actionable outputs that drive positive business change. Building tailored solutions to engage your audience All our research solutions are tailored to suit the needs of our clients and their audience; we work with you to understand your core objectives and design a bespoke research package that will maximise engagement with your customers to provide the insights and understanding you’re looking for. We use a wide range of survey tools to measure satisfaction and loyalty including CSAT, NPS, and CES. Our multimodal capacity means surveys can be delivered in-app, via post, or by email to suit your audiences, and each is tailored to suit product fit or service evaluation. For deeper understanding, we run in-depth interviews, focus groups or even qualitative communities to explore the context and emotions behind customer feedback. We also analyse behavioural data like churn rates, social media sentiment, and customer reviews to spot trends and emerging issues. Other tools include feedback forms, SMS or IVR surveys, and live chat prompts, helping capture insight at key moments. Our work is informed by established models – such as the disconfirmation model, performance model, and frameworks like SERVQUAL, Kano, and the ACSI – giving structure to the insight and clarity to your next steps. Our approach to customer satisfaction research At DJS Research we explore the story behind the experience: the context, the expectations, and how perceptions changed over time. We use behavioural-science-informed techniques to reveal what really shaped someone’s satisfaction. On the quantitative side, we pair satisfaction scores with importance ratings to build Strategic Priority Matrices (SPM) – simple tools that show where you’re doing well, where to improve, and where you can afford to do less. With larger samples, we apply statistical techniques like regression and CHAID to identify what drives satisfaction across different groups – from first-time users to regulars, Gen Z, to families. These methods help you see what matters most to whom, and where to focus for the biggest gains. Whatever the route, our bespoke approach helps you get to the bottom of what’s driving satisfaction with your brand or business, and what may be holding you back. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you to understand and optimise customer satisfaction and become a valuable extension of your team.

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Market research case study: Understanding satisfaction with social housing services

Npower

The challenge

The approach

The results

Client testimonial: Npower

Gas, Electricity, Qualitative, Business to business (B2B), Market research project design & management, Market research in-depth interviews, CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing), Customer satisfaction

Other areas you might find interesting...

Sector: Gas

Sector: Electricity

Specialism: Qualitative

Specialism: Business to business (B2B)

Service: Market research project design & management

Service: Market research in-depth interviews

Service: CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing)

Solution: Customer satisfaction

Case study: Understanding satisfaction with social housing services

Npower

The challenge

The approach

The results

Client testimonial: Npower

Gas, Electricity, Qualitative, Business to business (B2B), Market research project design & management, Market research in-depth interviews, CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing), Customer satisfaction

Other areas you might find interesting...

Sector: Gas

Sector: Electricity

Specialism: Qualitative

Specialism: Business to business (B2B)

Service: Market research project design & management

Service: Market research in-depth interviews

Service: CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing)

Solution: Customer satisfaction

Market research case study:
Understanding satisfaction with social housing services

Sector:
Gas

Sector:
Electricity

Specialism:
Qualitative

Specialism:
Business to business (B2B)

Service:
Market research project design & management

Service:
Market research in-depth interviews

Service:
CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing)

Solution:
Customer satisfaction

Case study:
Understanding satisfaction with social housing services

Sector:
Gas

Sector:
Electricity

Specialism:
Qualitative

Specialism:
Business to business (B2B)

Service:
Market research project design & management

Service:
Market research in-depth interviews

Service:
CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing)

Solution:
Customer satisfaction