Scottish Water Specialists Win Major Industry Award

A Scottish Water frontline team has been recognised as one of the very best in the country after taking home a top honour at the Scottish Contact Centre Awards. 

The organisation’s Remote Diagnosis - Triage team was named Frontline Team of the Year, celebrating the vital role they play behind the scenes in supporting customers, responding quickly to issues and keeping essential services flowing every day across Scotland.

Throughout 2025, the Remote Diagnosis - Triage team triaged more than 15,000 customer jobs, with over 6,000 resolved remotely - preventing unnecessary site visits and delivering £400,000 in savings, alongside a reduction of around 60,000kg of CO₂ emissions. Around 12 percent of issues reported by customers are resolved remotely within three hours of a customer’s first call, highlighting the speed and efficiency of the service.

The award recognises an innovative approach that was born during the Covid‑19 pandemic, when Scottish Water needed to continue delivering high-quality customer service while protecting its colleagues and adapting to new ways of working.

In response, the organisation introduced a remote, digital first approach to diagnosing and resolving customer issues safely and efficiently. By allowing teams to assess problems in real time via WhatsApp video calls, many issues could be resolved instantly - removing the need for a physical visit and ensuring customers received the support they needed without delay.

The benefits were immediate and as a result, Scottish Water launched the Remote Diagnosis - Triage team as a formal trial in September 2021, where it quickly became a vital step in the customer journey.

With a range of experience from customer support roles such as Field and Sewer Response, the team assesses a wide range of cases from blocked drains to water quality issues, determining whether a site visit is required or if a problem can be resolved remotely.The team works directly with customers and draws on specialist expertise across the business to make informed, timely decisions.

The Scottish Contact Centre Awards recognise excellence across the sector, highlighting teams that demonstrate outstanding performance and impact.

The award follows earlier internal recognition at Scottish Water’s 2024 Flourish Awards, where the Remote Diagnosis - Triage team won the Great Value and Financial Sustainability category, voted for by colleagues.