Domestic customers and reform of the gas sector. An organisational sociology perspective

This article looks at the impact of gas sector reforms on domestic customers. It focuses on an aspect frequently neglected by research but one that is an essential vector of customer satisfaction, namely distribution networks. Using an organisational sociology perspective and a specific example (a study of connection to the French gas network), we will demonstrate that there are significant differences in the treatment that GrDF, the gas network operator, reserves for different categories of customer. In most cases, when the request is a straightforward, run-of-the-mill one, the problem resolution process functions quite well. However, when a more atypical problem arises, requiring more non-standard treatment, the operator struggles to provide an effective solution for its customers. This observation underpins our contention that operators are now much better equipped to deal with 'mass market' requirements than individual made-to-measure solutions.