National Survey Ranks The Gas Company Among Top Service Companies Nationwide

    LOS ANGELES, May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- According to recent findings of the
 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Southern California Gas Co.
 (The Gas Company) ranks among the top U.S. companies in customer satisfaction,
 joining such notables as Maytag, Federal Express, BMW and Coca Cola.
     ACSI is a nationally recognized economic indicator that measures customer
 satisfaction among 185 private sector companies that make up 40 percent of the
 U.S. Gross National Product (GNP).  Sponsors of the ACSI include the
 University of Michigan Business School, the American Society for Quality and
 the CFI Group.
     Based on customer satisfaction surveys, The Gas Company earned a rating in
 1999 that placed it among the top 15 percent of companies surveyed, scoring
 higher than companies such as Nordstrom, Southwest Airlines, AT&T, as well as
 the more than 20 other energy services companies surveyed.
     "Our goal is to be the best natural gas distribution and transmission
 utility in the country and to be recognized as an industry leader in customer
 service," said Debbie Reed, president of energy distribution services at The
 Gas Company, which this year is celebrating the installation of its
 5 millionth meter.  "These survey results are a tribute to the hard work,
 dedication and customer focus of our 6,400 employees.  We are pleased with the
 ACSI rankings, but our mission is to continuously improve the level of service
 we provide to 18 million people in central and Southern California."
     The ACSI survey interviewed 260 customers in The Gas Company service
 territory, asking them 22 questions on customer satisfaction, such as how well
 The Gas Company compares with an "ideal" company and how well it meets their
 expectations.  ACSI asks the same survey questions of customers of other
 companies, allowing a clear comparison of ACSI scores.  Survey responses are
 translated through computer models into overall customer satisfaction scores,
 which are used to predict customer loyalty and ultimately market value.  The
 first ACSI was released in October 1994.
     For more information on the ACSI, customers may visit www.socalgas.com or
 http://acsi.asq.org.
 
     Southern California Gas Co. is the nation's largest natural gas
 distribution utility, serving 18 million customers through 5 million meters.
 The company's service territory encompasses 23,000 square miles throughout
 central and Southern California.  The Gas Company is a subsidiary of Sempra
 Energy (NYSE:   SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San
 Diego, with 12,000 employees, revenues of nearly $5.5 billion and more than
 9 million customers in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico and South
 America.
 
 

SOURCE  Southern California Gas Company