Extended Expert View: Divergent fuel card service expectations in Central & Eastern European and Western European markets

Publication Date	December 2005
Publisher	Datamonitor
Product Type	Report
Pages	23
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	DAT00517

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£340.00
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Summary

Introduction

Having developed a comprehensive fuel card service in Western Europe, the major oil players have entered Central and Eastern European cards markets with a high calibre offering. This has made it a competitive necessity for the national players to innovate in terms of their fuel card. This Expert View argues that the result is a demanding CEE fleet customer when it comes to customer service.

Scope

Fuel card customer data on the relative importance placed on customer service and price by Western and Central and Eastern European fleet managers.
An assessment of the fuel card and fleet management services which are most important to customers.
Comparative ratings of WE and CEE fuel card providers' service performance.

Highlights

Unlike their WE counterparts, CEE customers say that fuel card service is not as important to them as competitive pricing. CEE fleet managers are more willing to compromise on service in return for lower card fees.

CEE fleet & CRT managers value service more than their WE equivalents when the individual service components are isolated from price. CEE fleet & CRT managers rate all fuel card account reporting services and most security features more highly than their WE counterparts.

A superior fuel card offering and level of customer service in CEE markets fosters a heavily expectant fuel card customer base. The customer service experience of fleet & CRT managers in Poland is rated more highly than that of those in WE markets.

Reasons to Purchase

Understand the price and service sensitivity of fleet and commercial road transport customers when it comes to their fuel card offering
Assess which elements of customer service are most important to fuel card customers
Be informed as to how fuel card customers in the CEE region may differ from their WE counterparts

Content

Executive Summary

The CEE fuel cards market has skipped a stage in development resulting in a superior service offering and a heavily expectant customer base

Introduction

This Expert View argues that the level of service the CEE commercial card customer has grown accustomed to has resulted in them taking good customer service for granted
The Expert View comprises three further sections

Fuel Card Service Is Not As Important To Cee Customers As Competitive Pricing

CEE fleet & CRT managers regard value as their main card priority, whilst WE fleet managers place greater emphasis on customer service
Fleet & CRT managers in Central & Eastern Europe are more willing to compromise on service in return for lower card fees
Although price is more important than service to fleet & CRT managers in Central & Eastern Europe than in Western Europe, it is by a very small margin

Cee Fleet Managers Value Service More When Service Components Are Isolated From Price

CEE fleet & CRT managers rate all fuel card account reporting services more highly than their WE counterparts
All services which allow the customisation of fuel card services are more important to Polish managers than WE managers
The average Polish fuel card manager rates five of the nine security features more highly than its WE peers

A SUPERIOR FUEL CARD SERVICE OFFERING IN CEE FOSTERS A MORE DEMANDING CUSTOMER BASE

The customer service experience of fleet & CRT managers in Poland is rated more highly than that of those in WE markets
The high service expectations of CEE fuel card customers will soon become apparent in the instance of any customer service failing

Appendix

Definitions
Research methodology
Datamonitor's 2005 fleet survey targeted fleet managers across 5 European markets
The sample coverage allows for detailed analysis of customer needs in each of the most important markets
The survey and research outputs cover 8 key areas
Forecourt retailing analyst contacts