Approved Company Representatives Poll

1carminestocky

karenbee wrote: »

I agree with this. I am new to this website (after having a nasty financial shock a couple of days ago!) and have found a lot of this forum difficult to read for the sheer amount of people with some kind of bitter vendetta against various companies. It seems to me that the whole forum is some massive b*tch fest with incredibly biased views from consumers. I don't feel I can get any proper advice on here. No wonder people working for power companies don't want to disclose who they work for when giving impartial advice (for example broken meters and what could be wrong with them) because if they did some people would jump down their throat and declare anything they say to be utter cr*p because the company they work for once got their bill wrong.

People on here have put me off this forum.

As for the girl who was saying she didnt feel she should mention who she works for in her signiture when using this website. I have to agree. Thats personnal info she has the right not to disclose on the internet. I would never make available to the public who I work for on the internet but I would say something general like "I work in a pub". That way even if you could tell what my name weas and my town you would not know what pub I work in.

Fine by me - but they haven't even got the integrity to put that in their sig - and that, to me, is wrong. How about Rian1988 (for all her talk of being afraid of her identity being compromised, I really do hope that isn't her forename and date of birth :eek: ) stating clearly in her sig that she works for an energy company? Just can't see the problem with that myself.

icefall

I really think that all energy workers should at the very least have energy worker in their sig. Simply because I read biased posts all the time from the many that frequent these forums. They may not mean them to be biased but this does not prevent the posts from being so.

Fairly frequently a new poster will post, an energy worker will reply along the lines of 'thats what you get when you sign up for such and such' very often in an unsympathetic manner to the op. Yet very sympathetic manner to the energy company concerned no matter what that new posters consumer experience...

I suggest they could make anyone new very wary indeed about posting any problems or issues on mse gas and elec forums due to the company friendly atmosphere.

You only have to take a cursory look at consumeractiongroup gas and elec forums to see a way more consumer friendly sub forum (rather than energy company representative friendly sub forum...)

In fact maybe company reps could have a sub forum of their very own, give them a right to reply. And all posters know where they are when they post in there, in other words looking for the expert advice in the experts sub forum.

1carminestocky

Rian1988 wrote: »

I've said before I will not disclose where I work, I don't see you saying what you work as in your sig?? No I'm not denying I do work for an energy company and there is more than 6 energy companies. That post in the Eon decrease thread was a general question, I do NOT represent the company I work for outside work and don't plan on, I do feel it was a pathetic excuse and wished to have a reply from an official representitive from an energy company.

And how does me giving advice end up in tears?

Crikey, it's not rocket science. You are an energy industry worker and were calling a post made by an E.on rep 'pathetic'. You clearly don't work for E.on so that clearly means you work for a rival company. Therefore you shouldn't be making derogatory comments regarding a rival company. Would you be allowed to say that to a customer who mentioned E.on's reasons for their non-decrease in their gas prices if you were at work? No. And your refusal to make the fact you derive your livelihood from the energy industry (we don't need to know the company you work for even) viewable in your sig speaks volumes.

NigeWick

Cardew wrote: »

However such is the irrational hostility against Utility companies, and BG in particular

KoffKoff. Some people are hostile to at least one other company too.

Cardew

NigeWick wrote: »

KoffKoff. Some people are hostile to at least one other company too.

Several of us are hostile toward UW on 2 grounds; their misleading claims and the selling tactics of many of their reps.

They have a unique sales structure - a small company with 16,600 reps on commission - many of them apparently not understanding their own pricing structure.

NigeWick

Cardew wrote: »

Several of us are hostile toward UW on 2 grounds; their misleading claims and the selling tactics of many of their reps.

I do not believe that I have misled anybody. I certainly claimed that *I* get best value for what I require and am prepared to do, to get what I want. Not only that, when challenged about the pre payment card, I gave my own numbers that show why it works for me and will for anybody in a similar position. Further, I agreed that many people would not benefit. OTOH, you seem to find it impossible to concede that some people could also save money in the same circumstances as me. One person has stated that (s)he would have even greater savings if the required shops were more convenient.

Anyway, back to the point of this thread:- I believe that members are capable of reading posts, checking information given by representatives and coming to their own decisions. As long as interests are declared, I see no problem with any company's personnel providing information and views.

icefall

NigeWick wrote: »

snip. As long as interests are declared, I see no problem with any company's personnel providing information and views.

Thats it though, interests are not declared, new posters especially have no idea they may be talking to an Eon, British Gas, Npower etc etc energy worker. Its alright for the regulars who have a good idea whos who.

But the new posters who really need support and non judgemental help need to know who they are talking to and atm they have absolutely no way of telling. No indication. Not one small way of knowing who is the man/woman in the street and who makes their living from gas and elec.

NigeWick

icefall wrote: »

Thats it though, interests are not declared

Well, as long as the discussion is about Utility Warehouse, there are a couple of people who will let everybody know. I used to mention Quentin's name in my signature because he (at great length) made me aware that affiliations must be mentioned. But, it appears my thanking him publicly was frowned upon. I let my signature slip and I apologise for that. However, I think my new one covers most bases.

1carminestocky

I don't even know why you are attempting to debate with someone like Hugh Jeego (for those who think I am being childish calling him this, please be aware I will desist immediately he stops calling me The Troll). Martin, i.e. the site owner, has made the rules very clear and anyone who doesn't accept them shouldn't be here. Including Hugh, of course...;)

Originally Posted by Cardew
However such is the irrational hostility against Utility companies, and BG in particular

:rotfl:

icefall

[quote=NigeWick;18815121]Well, as long as the discussion is about Utility Warehouse, there are a couple of people who will let everybody know. I used to mention Quentin's name in my signature because he (at great length) made me aware that affiliations must be mentioned. But, it appears my thanking him publicly was frowned upon. I let my signature slip and I apologise for that. However, I think my new one covers most bases.[/quote]

The title of this thread does not apply just to Utility Warehouse though does it? The same applies to British Gas, Eon, Npower etc etc ad infinitim. This thread is not about one company in particular.

I feel this thread is starting to prove the point too. Because many reps seem to feel we are discussing their company only. And this just represents the unconcious bias that is there in how they think. The bias in their posts is that everything is taken personally to their particular energy company.

The consumers experience is as nothing in comparison...