National Consumer Agency Market Research Findings: Consumer Switching Behaviour February 2012 Research Conducted by

2 Making Complaints  Key Findings  Consumer Switching Behaviour  Research Background and Methodology  Profile of Sample Table of Contents

3 Making Complaints Key Findings

4 Making Complaints Key Findings - I 38% switched providers in the past year, consumers are most likely to have switched car insurance (13%, ↓4%) mobile phone provider (12%, ↑1%) main grocery shop (10%, ↓4%) Overall, across all categories, 85% of consumers, who had switched service providers in the last twelve months, said they had saved money as a result 95% of those switching car insurance have saved money by doing so with the average amount saved indicated as €102 91% saved by switching house insurance where an average of €84 was saved

5 Making Complaints Key Findings - II 84% of consumers stated that they found the switching process easy 50% of consumers who have switched in the past year have found the new service they receive to be better. Just 2% stated that the service they receive is worse Not Switching? The main reason is due to “satisfaction with the quality/level of service of current provider” the next highest response “current supplier offers the best value for money”

6 Making Complaints Consumer Switching Behaviour

7 Making Complaints Extent of Switching Providers within the Past 12 Months (Base: All aged with each product/service – 1,000) Car Insurance Electricity supply service Mobile telephone provider Main grocery shop Top up grocery shop Broadband/internet access provider Yes Switching Providers Nov ‘11 May/June ‘11 Nov/Dec ‘10 PrimarySecondary Tertiary Fixed line telephone provider Home insurance provider Heath insurance provider Gas supply service Bank financial institution with current A/C service TV service provider Yes Gym membership Savings/investment provider Credit card provider Provider of credit (more than 1 year but excluding mortgage) Mortgage credit provider Waste service provider* Yes – – – (-5%) * New question

8 Making Complaints Switching Behaviour – Primary * Caution small base % Within the Past Year Car insurance provider Electricity supply service Broadband internet access Main grocery shop Fixed/landline telephone Home insurance provider Mobile phone provider Top up grocery shop Health insurance provider Gas supply service More Than Once Within the Past 5 Years % (Base: All aged with each product/service – 1,000) * * Saved money as a result of switching within the past 12 months

9 Making Complaints Switching Behaviour – Secondary * Caution small base % Gym membership TV service provider Bank/financial institution Credit card provider Savings/investments provider Mortgage credit provider Provider of credit longer than one year excluding mortgage loans Waste Services % (Base: All aged with each product/service – 1,000) – – – – * * * * * Within the Past Year More Than Once Within the Past 5 Years Saved money as a result of switching within the past 12 months

10 Making Complaints Average Amount Saved as a Result of Switching Provider (Base: All who stated that they saved money by switching providers in the past 12 months) Home Insurance Provider €84 Car Insurance Provider €102 Don’t Know = 10% Don’t Know = 12%

11 Making Complaints Experience of the Switching Process (Base: All who have switched providers in the past 12 months – 383) Very easy (5) Somewhat easy (4) Somewhat difficult (2) Very difficult (1) Neither/Nor (3) 92% 88% % May/June 2011 Nov/Dec 2010 –– 84% % November 2011

12 Making Complaints Service Receiving with New Provider (Base: All who have switched service provider - 383) November 2011 June 2011 November/December 2010 June 2010 November/December 2009 (4) Much better (5) The same/ Don’t know Mean Score (2) Much worse (1) 59% 61% 56% 55% 1 – 50% 11 –

13 Making Complaints Reasons for Remaining with Current Provider – I (Base: All that have not switched provider within the past 12 months) % Current supplier offers the best value for money Time and money needed to switch outweigh the benefits Happy with the quality/level of service currently provided Too difficult to determine who provides the best value for money Cannot switch due to limitations No convenient alternative provider Other Don’t know Bank % Mortgage Credit Provider % Credit Card Provider % Savings/ Investment Provider % Provider of Credit % Waste Services – –

14 Making Complaints Reasons for Remaining with Current Provider – II (Base: All that have not switched provider within the past 12 months) % Current supplier offers the best value for money Time and money needed to switch outweigh the benefits Happy with the quality/level of service currently provided Too difficult to determine who provides the best value for money Cannot switch due to limitations No convenient alternative provider Other Don’t know Fixed Landline % Broad- Band % Mobile Phone % TV Service % Main Grocery Shop % Top Up Grocery Shop – – –

15 Making Complaints Reasons for Remaining with Current Provider – III (Base: All that have not switched provider within the past 12 months) % Current supplier offers the best value for money Time and money needed to switch outweigh the benefits Happy with the quality/level of service currently provided Too difficult to determine who provides the best value for money Cannot switch due to limitations No convenient alternative provider Other Don’t know Health Insurance % Car Insurance % Home Insurance % Electricity Supply Service % Gas Supply Service % Gym Membership –––

16 Making Complaints Research Background and Methodology

17 Making Complaints  The research was conducted by means of face-to-face interviewing with 1,000 people between the ages of  To ensure that the data is nationally representative, quotas were applied on the basis of age, gender and social class.  Interviewing was conducted over a four week period in November Research Background and Methodology Nov/Dec 2007 Aug 2008 Nov/Dec 2008 Nov/Dec 2009 June 2010 Nov/December 2010 Benchmark Wave 4Wave 5 Wave 1Wave 2 Wave 6 May/June 2011 Wave 7 May/June 2009 Wave 3 Nov 2011 Wave 8 Current Wave

18 Making Complaints Profile of Sample - I (Base: All aged – 1,000) Male Female % % % Dublin Rest of Leinster Munster Conn/ Ulster ABC1 F50+ C2DE F50- MAIN GROCERY SHOPPER YesNo

19 Making Complaints Profile of Sample – II – Internet Use (Base: All aged – 1,000) USE INTERNET No Yes EVER PURCHASED ONLINE No Yes BANKING ONLINE No Yes (Base: All Internet Users - 762) () = May/June 2011 (75%) (25%) (49%) (51%) (30%) (70%) Male Female % Yes Male Female % Yes Male Female % Yes

20 Making Complaints Profile of Sample – III – Social Media Type of phone Regular users of (Base: All aged – 1,000) Higher amongst: 15-24’s 25-34’s ABC1/F50+ Working full time Students Dublin % Higher Amongst Facebook Twitter Bebo Linkedin None of These % Have a ‘Smart phone’ () = May/June 2011 Nov 2011 May/June 2011 (21) % ABC1F50 59% Dublin 55% % % C2DEF50- 56% Munster 53%