LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- For the second time in two years, Southern California Gas Co. (The Gas Company) ranked first in customer satisfaction among the major gas utilities in the western United States in a new customer satisfaction study, released yesterday by the research firm J.D. Power and Associates. The study was based on a random survey of residential gas utility customers.
"Earning top marks in the J.D. Power study reflects well on the dedication of all our employees to go above and beyond the call of duty to meet the needs of our customers," said Michelle Mueller, vice president of customer services, for The Gas Company. "Our employees have a longstanding commitment to bring our customers safe, reliable energy and exceptional service."
The Gas Company continuously updates its service practices to meet its customers' changing needs, added Mueller. "We encourage our employees to be friendly, helpful and responsive, while being good problem-solvers and treating our customers with care and concern, the utmost respect -- all attributes that we believe drive customer satisfaction."
The J.D. Power study assigned The Gas Company a customer satisfaction score of 114, up six points from last year, the top score among nine utilities reviewed in the region. The average score for these utilities was 104. The Gas Company also ranked second in the nation, scoring only two points behind the utility ranked top in the study.
The J.D. Power study ranked 55 of the country's largest gas utilities and interviewed more than 11,000 customers during March and June 2004. The scores for each utility were based on five factors (in order of importance): company image, price and value, billing and payment, customer service and field service. The Gas Company received top scores for its region in all but one factor.
The Gas Company is the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility, providing safe and reliable energy to 19.2 million consumers through 5.4 million meters. The company's service territory encompasses 23,000 square miles in most of central and Southern California. The Gas Company strives to provide exceptional customer service to enhance the quality of life in the community. The Gas Company is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company. To learn more, go to www.socalgas.com.