Objective 1

To create an effective and user-friendly self-service platform

 

PGNiG SA customer satisfaction survey

In 2011, a comprehensive customer satisfaction survey, addressing all customer segments of all the Gas Trading Divisions and of PGNiG Head Office, was carried out for the first time. The number of surveyed customers allowed for analyses of the results for each of the Gas Trading Divisions. The survey was conducted among 3,340 households, 702 SMEs, and 3,018 businesses. As much as 48% of the companies invited agreed to participate in the survey and provide answers. This is a very good result when dealing with very large companies (key and strategic customers). A single, coherent methodology was applied in the survey, which will be re-used in successive years, as a series of such comprehensive customer satisfaction surveys are envisaged (once per year). The synthetic index describing the satisfaction of cooperation with PGNiG and accounting for all customer groups combined was 76%. Of all customer segments, retail customers are the most satisfied with their gas supplier – the largest percentage, 82% of these customers, provided the “very satisfied” or “quite satisfied” answers. The Customer Satisfaction Index (synthetic customer satisfaction index) measures customers’ satisfaction with their cooperation with PGNiG, using a scale from one to five. Answers four and five (the top2boxes) are the sum of the two highest answers on the satisfaction scale. In the institutional customers’ segments the results were as follows:

The NPS (Net Promotor Score) index, which measures customers’ willingness to recommend a company to other customers, was negative for all customer segments.

The relatively high level of satisfaction across all customer segments does not translate into an NPS index-based recommendation. The caution applied to company recommendations is explained by Poles’ unwillingness to award the highest marks – on which the NPS index depends. It should be noted that in the case of businesses, such caution is a sign of responsibility – the companies are satisfied but careful when it comes to recommendations.

Retail customers were most willing to recommend PGNiG as their preferred natural gas supplier.

To sum up the general results of the survey, PGNiG customers gave their highest praise to the following areas:

Also, very good marks were given to the employees responsible for customer contact, i.e. Business Advisers (corporate and business customers) and employees at Customer Service Centres (business customers, SMEs, retail customers). The quality of service was praised, and also in the context of Customer Service Centres. However, CSCs received better marks for on-site service, as opposed to their telephone service. As such, PGNiG is preparing to open a dedicated call centre in order to quickly improve telephone service and develop this channel of communication.

Much lower marks were awarded for the manner in which customer complaints are handled.

Still, the least favourable opinions were reserved for the prices of services and products, and for tariffs.

In the opinion of institutional customers, a customer-oriented approach, i.e. the ability to express care for the customer and create smooth cooperation, is the driving factor responsible for the growth of customer satisfaction. Supply factors (including, stability/continuity of supply, gas quality, flexibility with respect to supply-related customer needs, handling of quantity and capacity ordering) are also of importance.

In the case of retail customers, their satisfaction is mostly driven by product-related aspects (natural gas) and the benefits of its use. The invoicing process is equally important.

The customer satisfaction survey carried out in 2011 revealed a significant growth in interest in electronic communication channels (e-mail, e-CSC) in contrast to the 2010 results. Another visible change between the 2011 and 2010 results is manifest in the growing number of retail customers using online money transfers to pay their gas bills.