Introduction
As markets liberalise most switching will initially occur purely on the basis of price differential as the incumbent margin is whittled away. While price will continue to dominate decisions, a narrowing of margins and the significant cost of switching will make customer satisfaction a key performance issue.

Scope
Understanding of the relationship between market liberalisation and customer service expectation.
Frameworks within which to analyse the performance of different companies in the service area
Competency groupings used by Datamonitor within the UK market in its established satisfaction rankings
Insight into the relationship between utility M&A and customer service issues
Highlights
Within immature markets, switching is largely on the basis of price as buyers exercise their new-found freedom to choose supplier. Buyers have few service expectations as they have only experience with their incumbent supplier.

As markets continue to mature and a majority of buyers have switched at least once, service and product offerings become much more important. This importance is enhanced as the variation in margin reduces and new entrant prices are not as different from those of the incumbent.

To accurately measure customer service levels and ensure that company resources are adequately targeted internally, the development of metrics that capture both the expectations and experiences of buyers within a wide range of competency groupings must be collected.

Reasons to Purchase
Develop targeted customer service practices within your utility business
Understand what buyers are likely to expect of utilities at different stages of market opening
Build metrics for assessing the expectations and experiences of buyers

Future of I&C Sales & Marketing: Customer Satisfaction