People that can't afford gas and electric

robroe

Well after getting home from work today I've decided to vent my amusement at some people on here to see what you people think.

Basically I work for one of the 'big 6' energy companies. And yup I'm one of those lovely people who ring you just as you are about to sit down for your dinner. Whilst I'm sure I will get grief on just that point alone I would like to add that I think all companies are as bad as each other after working for others as well.

My point is that it is in the media day in day out that people aren't happy about paying to much for there gas and electric!

Well I must say that out of the 200+ plus I ring a day I'm lucky to find one.

OK fair point not everybody like doing things over the phone. Hell the last time I ordered something over the phone I wasn't happy with the service, my pizza was 30mins late!!!

OK when I do find some one who is willing to put up with my now depressed tone of voice and let me give them a quote here's how it goes:

"I've been with the gas and electric board all my life and just pay when the bills come in"

"OK, Sir I can save you £213"

"It's OK I think I will stick with them at least I know where I'm at"

"Yes, OK Sir I agree, you will know that your paying at least over £200 more than you have to"

You see I am polite and not pushy (probably why my bonus is so low every month but hey!)

And another thing is these warm home discounts of is it £120 (or whatever) being given out that the energy companies try and pass off as if it is them giving you them rather than the Government, should the Government really be subsidizing these people who down to 'I can't be bothered to change' are paying more than they have to.

Last point before the pitch fork's are sharpened to get the guy who rang you up 4 mornings in a row after you had been on nights; people who say it's to complicated to change? Are we as a nation to dumb to use a calculator to times to numbers together, even if yes just tell me how much you spend and I will just plainly tell you how much you can save or there is lots of websites which will.

Rant over!! These are just my two thoughts!

HappyMJ

I think people are just comfortable where they are. I have switched many times and it is not an easy process. Meter readings incorrect and then getting suppliers to agreee to that. Direct debits are the wrong amount. Final bills are incorrect due to the meter readings incorrect. Direct debits cancelled due to lack of money to pay the inflated bill. Suppliers getting confused. Wrong tariffs. I seem to have now settled on one supplier for a few years and I still have to complain due to deferred discount's not being applied to the bill. I imagine people just want an easy life. Pay the bill and get on with it.

I am also not interested in switching over the phone at all. I'd rather compare online and check for myself.

Barneysmom

Thanks for that

annie-c

I have no criticism for the kind of work you do - a job is a job.

Your attitude seems very arsey though, and in the same way that you see your potential customers throwing money away because they'd rather eat their tea in peace, I see you throwing commission away because you'd rather make a smart comeback than engage in a more human way that people might relate to.

If there is any customer service training available, I'd suggest you look into it, and see if you can find some ways to increase your bonus (and save your customers lots of money into the bargain).

BargainGalore

Maybe people dont want to complain about the price because they know it wont do any good. They keep saying in media few people switch, is that a result of complacency, ignorance or lazyness?

BTW I am one of the few where it wont work trying to cold call, and if companies persist I complain not that it does any good as many of them think it a God damn right to ring people up uninvited or when told to stop ignore there views and ring again some weeks/months later.

I also block cold callers now with truecall because of reasons I stated companies dont respect peoples privacy

lollipopsarah

Sorry robroe but I will never again do a deal over the phone or in a supermarket after the fall out when I did it and the pallaver to clear it up.
I salute you for being brave enough to give your point of view on here, and yes I can understand your frustrations at peoples comments.
I think it's partly a british thing, you know about not liking change and trusting things. The one show did an item about it tonight and a lovely old chap found that he could save about £300 a year by changing his supplier.
xx

robroe

Annie: my post was meant to be very light-heartened I would not say such a thing to people.
BG: Despite me working in cold calling I know for probably most people on this board they would never do it that way because people on here a access to better deals via the web and more importantly the knowledge on how to. But I do truly believe that if EVERYONE (not just people on sites like this (which I do think are great)) switched it would help bring down the prices.

robroe

lollipop: sorry to hear that and without trying to sound as if trying to stick up for the industry which my post was never about, it was as I think you clicked on about the British attitude, bad things have and will always happen like in any service aspect yet there can be positives

HappyMJ

lollipopsarah wrote: »

Sorry robroe but I will never again do a deal over the phone or in a supermarket after the fall out when I did it and the pallaver to clear it up.
I salute you for being brave enough to give your point of view on here, and yes I can understand your frustrations at peoples comments.
I think it's partly a british thing, you know about not liking change and trusting things. The one show did an item about it tonight and a lovely old chap found that he could save about £300 a year by changing his supplier.
xx

It was £194.78 actually and his spend was £1,372.79 and the suggestion was he switched to first:utility one of the worst suppliers to choose from with the hardest to understand deferred discounts. His revert to rate at the end of the deal would have cost him more than his current deal and he would have probably stayed with them thinking he was saving money. It would have appeared cheaper as he would have been paying £15 a month more than he should of for a year which would have been less than BG and his local electricity supplier but then the deferred discount would be applied to the bill reducing his direct debit for year 2 making year 2 appear cheaper than it actually is. Year 3 he would then probably blame it on increasing gas/electric prices.

The second one just gave his monthly direct debit amount of £1,700 annually so the comparison was not valid.

jamespir

to be fair some people just cant be bothered with the fuss or have no idea what is right for them


i signed up to eon when i moved into my new place there was a prepayment meter on swalec anyhow got elec key through from eon and did as it said ran down elec to 000 then entered key and it dindt work so after spending an hour on the phone to eon turns out they had tried to change wrong property over to make matters worse we had lost the swalec key and had to wait to geta new one sent to us

Antispam

I wonder how often cold callers actually do give the customer a better deal or it is a case of the more new customers they get the more commission they get? For a start the strategy of giving the customer the best deal is flawed, by definition they can only give you the best deal the company has assuming they do there job right.

How many times do we see on tv news, oh switch and you can save 100's they always seem to suggest the standard tariffs and dont assume the customer has already checked and on a better tariff or pay by direct debt.

Also companies have now got wise to serial switchers and often now have exit fees assuming the company has not recently raised there prices and or customer has complied with T&C's