Market segmentation theory is based on the notion that although customers are unique they may be grouped into relatively homogeneous categories which respond in a certain manner to the supplier¿s marketing efforts. Despite the lack of commercial necessity for the Dutch social rented sector in meeting the demands of tenants, the public objectives do compel them to be efficient and effective in maintenance spending. Market segmentation may be useful to achieve maximum customer satisfaction, while preventing that too much effort is given to less important maintenance services or determinants of maintenance service quality for the specific target groups. Given the limited body of knowledge with respect to segmentation in maintenance of dwellings a post hoc approach is used for this purpose. A large-scale survey is conducted amongst tenants of large housing associations based in the Netherlands. By means of respectively factor and cluster analyses, customer segments are given shape. Profiling of these segments is achieved through ANOVA analyses. The paper finishes with recommendations about the implications for implementation of market segmentation in maintenance service delivery in the Dutch social rented sector.

Dutch housing associations develop new procurement methods for maintenance of their housing stock, namely performance-based partnership forms. Partnership forms promise the optimal use of know-how of parties involved. For contractors a performance-based approach means major changes in working processes, methods and need for information. A vital change is that within the performance-based approach, the contractor acts as a maintenanceengineering consultant to the client. This entails new activities, such as providing advice on maintenance strategies, the production of maintenance scenarios, performance measurements and the conduct of customer satisfaction surveys. These activities demand a different type of knowledge and expertise on the part of the contractor. The paper investigates the needed competences of contractors for maintenance-engineering consultancy in performance-based maintenance partnerships. The introduction of the quality mark VGO KEUR in the Netherlands is a first step in quality assurance of contractors working in a performance-based manner.

Dutch housing associations use new procurement methods such as performance-based maintenance partnerships for maintaining their housing stock. Such partnerships promise a range of advantages as compared to the traditional tendering of maintenance projects. For contractors a performance-based approach implies major changes in methods and work processes. A major change within this performance-based approach is that, the contractor acts as a maintenance-engineering consultant to the client. This requires new activities to be considered, such as providing advice on maintenance strategies, the design of maintenance scenarios, performance measurements and conducting customer satisfaction surveys. The execution of these activities demands additional capabilities from the contractor. This paper focuses on contractor selection and quality assurance for performance-based maintenance projects and partnerships. It highlights engineering-consultancy services that are delivered to enable design-build combinations in maintenance. The research explores the resources and capabilities that maintenance contractors need to enable them to act as maintenance-engineering consultants to housing associations in performance-based maintenance partnering. It also explores the way that housing associations can be assured of these resources and capabilities. The central case is VGO KEUR, which means Quality Mark for Real Estate Maintenance and is a newly developed independent quality mark for maintenance firms.