Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

SwanJon

Meeper wrote: »

Please don't talk about other services now, this is the Gas & Electricity section, right, so let's talk about gas & electricity, not anything else.

Meeper wrote: »

With the 3% cashback that I get from doing my shopping

Hello Mr Inconsistency!
Jannine quite happily uses the UW card, but not the gas and electricity - in fact she has said that they pay her some months.

If you want to talk about gas and electricity only, talk about gas and electricity only.
If you want to include UW's other offerings you can't pick and choose.

If UW works for you then that's fine, just make sure you do your own research. Don't rely on me, others on forums, or doorknockers from any supplier.
My issue with UW was their un/under trained salesmen pocketing commission without even realising they were mis-selling, and this was resolved a while ago - they can no longer get that commission on sales made before their training. (although I'd rather they couldn't sell at all until they were trained)

MillicentBystander

I am almost 100% certain that Cardew doesn't use a cash back card of any persuasion. Which is a bit rich when he's forever pushing his views on money saving. But maybe he DOES use a cash back card and is happy to discuss its pros and cons with the group...;)

Anyway, back to The Ashes...

Meeper

Goodness me, all of the naysayers and complainers go very quiet when asked questions that they can't / don't want to answer.

Simple conclusions can be drawn that actually, when they get asked about the substance of their argument and getting past all of the "OMG!!!! UW ARE TEH DEVILZZ" nonsense, they have no weight in their words at all.

Such a shame, I thought I was going to get a positive and useful debate on the merits, but you have shown yourselves to be nothing more than childish name-callers and petty muck-spreaders.

Pathetic.

Airmike23

I think what would massively help uw reps is that they [EMAIL="DON@T"]DON'T[/EMAIL] state they will save a potential customer money based on their current power company's unit rates, as stated in previous posts on this thread. It would be much more coonvincing sale if they told potential customers about the potential saving to the household costs by signing services up to them. In my experience in winning customers back from UW, the rep has told them they will reduce the power bill they have with their current provider, based soley on UW unit rates, bold!! Any UW reps on here who say UW reps don't say this is way off, that is the schtick majority of customers are fed, and are more wary of signing B/band, mobiles, landlines up etc, until they see a reduction in their energy costs, which is not going to happen of course, as you need to take multiple services from UW for discounts to kick in. If you ask me potentially UW offer is a good idea, sure you may pay a little more for the gas and electric than the big six's tariffs, but the savings made elsewhere on household running costs would offset that, just UW reps don't sell like that. Problem as well is you get a lot of independent financial advisors and rental agents signing customers up, and are doing it for their financial gain, not the household they are encouraging to join UW's financuial gain, as they explain the bare minimum of what UW do. UW's website is rubbish as well, needs an accurate comparison tool, for all services, relating to areas accurately.

So until the folks who run UW buck their ideas up and set far better selling guidelines for their reps I'll continue to enjoy convincing customers who are leaving co I work for, not to join UW, and offer them our cheapest tariff instead to stay (if they're not already on it!)

Meeper

Good post Airmike.

I'll just pick up on a couple of things:

UW's website is rubbish as well, needs an accurate comparison tool, for all services, relating to areas accurately

I would be surprised if any providers had (accurate) comparison tools on their websites. In my experience, comparison tools on most companies' websites skew the facts to make their products and services look like the most attractive.

rep has told them they will reduce the power bill they have with their current provider, based soley on UW unit rates

Whilst I am sure that there are some distributors out there who do take this route, it is not the way that the training is delivered and it is not how they are shown to explain the UW services. The whole customer presentation is based around explaining the multiple services as a package and how they mesh together to form an overall cheaper package. Of course, there will be some people in every sales environment who choose to explain matters in their own way instead of sticking to the company line, and all we can do is hope that they are weeded out over time as their methods, as you rightly state, will not end up in many people signing up.

That having been said, there have been a few instances in my region where the UW prices (including monthly membership fees, etc) have been cheaper than the customers' existing suppliers. Indeed, they were on an expensive contract before, I do not doubt, but there have been some savings to be made. For every expensive tariff out there (and there are some a LOT more expensive than UW) there are customers who are on that tariff.

MillicentBystander

Would anyone argue with my contention that the vast majority of households in the UK are still on the basic standard tariff, no matter what company they are with? Of course, approx 8 million households have no real alternative than to remain on their supplier's standard tariff due to not being on the 'net.

Meeper

uptomyeyeballs wrote: »

Maybe it's just the tight Northerner in me coming out, but when Cardew quotes his average usage figures, I think "Are you heating the whole bloody street for that?!"

haha - you wrote what I was thinking, but I couldn't be bothered to question!

The majority of properties where I live are terraces. I spend around £520 per year on gas/electric combined. I don't go cold, or sit in the dark. I have every electrical gadget known to man. I think my usage will be fairly typical. Cardew tells me my figures are unrealistic. I'm sorry, but it's the other way round. If the averages are what Cardew says, that means there must be people using 3-4x as much energy as me, including probably Cardew himself!

I currently spend £1000 per year in gas & electricity (before cashback discounts) in a 5-bed detached property which is definitely not average.

I'd love Cardew and Quentin to provide their yearly usage figures, but somehow think they'd be too embarassed to display them here.

YOu have no chance of getting those, and even if you did, they would only spin made-up numbers that were doctored to show UW in the worst possible light.

Cardew

Meeper wrote: »

:

I would be surprised if any providers had (accurate) comparison tools on their websites. In my experience, comparison tools on most companies' websites skew the facts to make their products and services look like the most attractive.
Whilst I am sure that there are some distributors out there who do take this route, it is not the way that the training is delivered and it is not how they are shown to explain the UW services. The whole customer presentation is based around explaining the multiple services as a package and how they mesh together to form an overall cheaper package. Of course, there will be some people in every sales environment who choose to explain matters in their own way instead of sticking to the company line, and all we can do is hope that they are weeded out over time as their methods, as you rightly state, will not end up in many people signing up.

.

Nigel,
I will just pick up on one thing.

You are aware as I am how many UW salespeople make the totally worthless Triple Value Guarantee(TVG) the centrepiece of their sales pitch.

There have been literally scores of UW salesmen(who have had posts removed from MSE) who promise to supply the cheapest gas and electricity.

You have also seen the disgraceful training and promotional videos(posted by your friend Quentin) that make the TVG the cornerstone of the sales presentation.

This website and every other website is spammed by UW reps pushing the cheap gas and electricity line. Many of them posing as 'happy customers.

You know full well that MillicentBystander posts in support of UW with multiple identities - yet not a word of criticism for this action is forthcoming from the massed ranks of UW salesmen(declared or undeclared). It seems you all accept such behaviour as perfectly acceptable.

Meeper

Cardew wrote: »

Nigel,

Not sure why you would quote me but address Nigel....

I will just pick up on one thing.

Only one?

You are aware as I am how many UW salespeople make the totally worthless Triple Value Guarantee(TVG) the centrepiece of their sales pitch.

How many UW Distributors do this? Can you give me a number? This is all anecdotal speculation. How many UW Distributors have you met and heard a presentation from? There are some 35,000+ in the UK I believe, so even if there are 500 people doing that, it only amounts to a whole 1.4% of the sales force. Hardly damning evidence. The triple value guarantee is a very minor part of the sales presentation which is taught.

There have been literally scores of UW salesmen(who have had posts removed from MSE) who promise to supply the cheapest gas and electricity.

Scores? A score is a group of 20, so "literally scores" would be 40 or more UW salesmen who have been on here promising the cheapest gas & electricity. Exaggeration is factual? And of course, the number could be 5 or 500 and none of us could prove it, because their posts are no longer there to count. So....nothing provable there.

You have also seen the disgraceful training and promotional videos(posted by your friend Quentin) that make the TVG the cornerstone of the sales presentation.

Once again, TVG is only a minor part of the officially taught presentation.

This website and every other website is spammed by UW reps pushing the cheap gas and electricity line. Many of them posing as 'happy customers.

Spammed? Hardly. There is this one thread on the entire website where UW is discussed, which is hardly "spamming this and every other website".

You know full well that MillicentBystander posts in support of UW with multiple identities - yet not a word of criticism for this action is forthcoming from the massed ranks of UW salesmen(declared or undeclared). It seems you all accept such behaviour as perfectly acceptable.

I don't "full well" know that at all. I have before me no proof whatsoever, incidental, circumstantial or otherwise to show that MillicentByStander is posting under any other guise. No proof. None. There is no criticism from the "massed ranks" of UW salesmen (what is it, about 5 of us on here or something, 0.01% of the sales force) because we would like some proof, not innuendo, conjecture or nonsense.

Oh, and a couple of answers to the questions I have posed for the last 3-4 pages would be good also, if you feel so inclined to provide some substance to your mudslinging.

Much love,

Meeper
--UW Distributor & Customer

TwittersPVFC

Meeper wrote: »

I would be surprised if any providers had (accurate) comparison tools on their websites. In my experience, comparison tools on most companies' websites skew the facts to make their products and services look like the most attractive.

EDF Energy told me exactly how much I'd pay for my gas and electric on their various tariffs when I entered my gas and electric usage for the last 12 months.

UW didn't give me that option and only told me I could save £4 based on my postcode. That of course is a complete lie.