Customer satisfaction and channel preference in Australian utilities

Publication Date	December 2007
Publisher	Datamonitor
Product Type	Report
Pages	20
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	DAT09111

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£1,495.00
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Summary

Introduction

An examination of residential customer satisfaction and how electricity and gas retailers compare with other service providers, whether utilities are delivering to expectations for new customers, and areas for improvements. Also examined is the extent to which customers would use the internet or email for certain interactions with utilities, and the potential for utilities to reduce cost to serve.

Scope

A May 2007 survey of 1000 Australian households regarding experiences and expectations with customer services from utilities and channel preferences.
Breakdown of responses by state, age group, spend and household size. Survey responses are compared to a similar survey undertaken in 2005.

Highlights

For overall customer service, electricity and gas suppliers received higher average ratings compared with our 2005 survey, and were rated ahead of banks, fixed-line telecoms, mobile telecoms and digital/cable TV providers.

After switching electricity supplier 29% of switchers found customer service provided by new retailer to be above expectations.

While 16% of respondents would prefer to communicate with suppliers online/via email, 69.8% prefer the telephone as it provides the comfort of being able to engage in a conversation with a customer service representative.

Reasons to Purchase

Benchmark utility customer service against other service providers, such as banks and telcos.
Identify areas for improving customer service and satisfaction.
Evaluate opportunity to drive customers to using the internet for payment and customer service.

Content

Catalyst
Summary
Methodology
Analysis
- Rising Levels Of Customer Satisfaction In Australia Electricity And Gas Sector
- Electricity And Gas Retailers Service Rated Higher Relative To Banks And Telcos
- Net Improvement In Service Experienced
- More Switchers Find Customer Service And Savings Above Expectations
- Highest Levels Of Satisfaction Are With Staff
- Key Areas For Improvement Are Pricing, Supply Reliability And Green Energy Availability And Cost
- What Prospects For Driving Customer Service Online?
- Use Of The Internet Is High For Bill Payment
- Money Talks - Use Of Online Would Increase Significantly With Higher Financial Incentives
Conclusions
- Improvements In Customer Service Have Been Recognised
- Potential To Reduce Cost To Serve, But Significant Uptake Is Unlikely Without Incentives
Appendix
- Further Reading
- Ask The Analyst
List Of Tables
- Table 1: Rating Of Overall Customer Service From Electricity And Gas Retailers Versus Other Service Providers, 2007
- Table 2: In The Last 12 Months, Has The Customer Service Provided By Your Electricity/Mains Gas Retailer Improved, Stayed The Same Or Got Worse?
- Table 3: Customer Service Improvements Have Been Recognised More In Victoria, South Australia And Nsw
- Table 4: After Switching Electricity Supplier 29% Of Switchers Found Customer Service Provided By New Retailer To Be Above Expectations
- Table 5: Satisfaction Ratings Highest With Staff Courtesy
- Table 6: Satisfaction Ratings Highest In New South Wales
- Table 7: If One Improvement Could Be Made To Your Electricity Utility's Service Offerings, What Should It Be?
- Table 8: Australia Has One Of The Highest Rates Of Internet Access In The World
- Table 9: The Telephone Is The Over-Riding Preference For Communicating With Electricity Suppliers
- Table 10: Preference For Internet Use Higher With Younger Age Groups
- Table 11: Propensity To Use The Internet For Managing Electricity Or Gas Contracts
- Table 12: Why Do Customers Contact Their Electricity Suppliers?
- Table 13: If You Could Receive An Annual Discount On Your Electricity, Would You Be Happy To Receive & Pay All Bills Online, Submit Meter Readings Online And Only Interact With Your Utility Via The Web/Email?
- Table 14: Incentives Preferred By Electricity Spend
- Table 15: Incentives Preferred By Age Group
List Of Figures
- Figure 1: Rating Of Overall Customer Service From Electricity And Gas Retailers Versus Other Service Providers, 2007
- Figure 2: After Switching Electricity Supplier 29% Of Switchers Found Customer Service Provided By New Retailer To Be Above Expectations
- Figure 3: Satisfaction Ratings Highest With Staff Courtesy
- Figure 4: If One Improvement Could Be Made To Your Electricity Utility's Service Offerings, What Should It Be?
- Figure 5: Australia Has One Of The Highest Rates Of Internet Access In The World
- Figure 6: 44.5% Of Respondents Always/Almost Always Pay Their Electricity And Gas Bills Online