Slapped wrist for EON Next for customer service

Shedman

Ofgem have issued a provisional order against EON Next for their poor customer service....

"Ofgem’s Market Compliance Review (“MCR”) of the quality of all energy suppliers’ customer service over the period of October – December 2022, found that there were significant failings in E.ON’s customer service performance during that period, notably, excessive call waiting times and very high abandoned call rates. Ofgem’s retail compliance team engaged with E.ON to discuss its concerns and received additional information on 27 January 2023. Despite this, there are still substantial concerns about E.ON customer service arrangements, leading to the Provisional Order. 

The Provisional Order states the action that E.ON is required to take to make it easy for customers to contact them and to ensure that customer service arrangements and processes are complete, thorough, fit for purpose and transparent. These actions include making significant and sustained improvements in the rate of answering calls from consumers, and average call waiting times. 

The Authority considers that it is essential to uphold compliance with these conditions as failure to do so risks significant consumer harm. The current market conditions are challenging for consumers, with many facing financial difficulties attributed not just to rising energy costs, but wider issues related to the rising cost of living. As such, it is likely that customers will wish to contact their supplier urgently for various reasons including billing, payment options and payment difficulties, energy efficiency advice and debt. It is therefore imperative all licensees, including EON, have suitable customer service arrangements to meet the needs of their customers. "

I am surprised a few more suppliers aren't also on the naughty step....

Shedman

Also on Ofgem site today is a press release re their latest Market Compliance Report on customer service and complaints performance, which contains the following:

As a result of the review, Ofgem found the following about specific companies: 
 

• Severe weaknesses at E.ON, resulting in specific enforcement action – a Provisional Order being issued (detail below)  
• Moderate weaknesses at 11 suppliers (British Gas, E Gas & Electricity, EDF, Good Energy, Outfox the Market, OVO, ScottishPower, SO Energy, Utilita, Utility Warehouse and Tru Energy). 
• Minor weaknesses at five suppliers (Bulb, Ecotricity, Green Energy, Shell and Octopus) 
• No suppliers had ‘no weaknesses’ at all.  

Have to say I'm amazed BG got away with moderate weaknesses....

brock_the_badger

Shedman said:

Also on Ofgem site today is a press release re their latest Market Compliance Report on customer service and complaints performance, which contains the following:

As a result of the review, Ofgem found the following about specific companies: 
 

• Severe weaknesses at E.ON, resulting in specific enforcement action – a Provisional Order being issued (detail below)  
• Moderate weaknesses at 11 suppliers (British Gas, E Gas & Electricity, EDF, Good Energy, Outfox the Market, OVO, ScottishPower, SO Energy, Utilita, Utility Warehouse and Tru Energy). 
• Minor weaknesses at five suppliers (Bulb, Ecotricity, Green Energy, Shell and Octopus) 
• No suppliers had ‘no weaknesses’ at all.  

Have to say I'm amazed BG got away with moderate weaknesses....

Brown envelopes from BG to Ofgem Directors with Swiss bank account cheques ?

victor2

Sadly, Eon Next are not even a shadow of the customer service Eon used to offer. Presumably the rebranding also involved a significant reduction in staff numbers.
Octopus seem to offer reasonable customer service IME, but even they get "minor weaknesses" if Ofgem are to be believed.

GhibliFan

I've had to go to the Ombudsman with Eon-next.  The Ombudsman found in my favour and then Eon told them they'd implemented their resolution when they hadn't.  This has been going on since last June and I'm still no nearer getting a correct final bill.  Absolute shower.  

Astria

Never had a problem with EON Next, but then again, I've never tried to contact them over the phone and just emailed them instead, which they've always replied to within 24 hours, and sometimes the same day. I do understand that some people prefer to talk to them, but because of call volume some call center staff will try there best to just get rid of you in an attempt to improve call response times. It's the same with banks and most other utility companies.

FreeBear

Astria said:

Never had a problem with EON Next, but then again, I've never tried to contact them over the phone and just emailed them instead, which they've always replied to within 24 hours, and sometimes the same day.

I emailed them a question or two about the change in tariffs (took on a new fixed rate just before the EPG was announced). Never got a response, despite sending a follow up email a month later. Communications for customers on a fixed has been abysmal.

Astria

FreeBear said:

Astria said:

Never had a problem with EON Next, but then again, I've never tried to contact them over the phone and just emailed them instead, which they've always replied to within 24 hours, and sometimes the same day.

I emailed them a question or two about the change in tariffs (took on a new fixed rate just before the EPG was announced). Never got a response, despite sending a follow up email a month later. Communications for customers on a fixed has been abysmal.

To be honest, once I had an email from someone, I always used the same email rather than the generic "hi@" address. Must admit though I've not had to contact them often, so I assume I missed there non-working periods. Maybe it depends on which agent you email gets forwarded to.

Raxiel

victor2 said:

Sadly, Eon Next are not even a shadow of the customer service Eon used to offer. Presumably the rebranding also involved a significant reduction in staff numbers.
Octopus seem to offer reasonable customer service IME, but even they get "minor weaknesses" if Ofgem are to be believed.

I've generally been pretty happy with Octopus CS, but I have to admit their response times got noticeably worse last Autumn and after my last contact with them in January a response still took 3 days. It wasn't an urgent query so not a problem, but still not back to the next day responses they used to manage.

During that time though, It only took them 11 days from application to 'live' for them to set up my export MPAN and tariff, a process I'd been warned could take months, so gold star there.

mjdcromer

Eon Next are either the worst customer service company or they deliberately send you round and round on an endless wheel. Eight weeks into my complaint they are still giving me the run around. They may get a slap on the wrist but it does not bring them to book. They seem to think they are too big to care. This attitude probably starts at the top. If the CEO doesn't care, neither does anybody else

QrizB

mjdcromer said:

Eight weeks into my complaint they are still giving me the run around.

After eight weeks without resolution, you can go to the Energy Ombudsman:

https://www.eonnext.com/unhappy