Octopus Energy Customer Service

ecraig

You should log a complaint if you’re not getting the level of support you expect.

issueresolution@octopus.energy

Keep_pedalling

It would help if you could supply some detail as to your complaint.

Spoonie_Turtle

Incidentally, in case it helps anyone else: after my last e-mail query that the AI failed to address, I got an automated e-mail asking for feedback (the one with the three faces, happy/okay/sad).  So I submitted feedback, stating that the AI had been useless and my issue still needed resolving, and very quickly a human picked it up and acted on it.

So just a recommendation there if anyone has had that e-mail through, clearly it's flagged up to humans when someone's not received satisfactory service.

Mum161111

Thanks Elsien.  And thank you again, all of you, for your much appreciated understanding and replies.  

I had not made a formal complaint.  This afternoon I could hardly believe it when I received another irrelevant email from a different member of Octopus Staff saying things which  upset me as they still side-stepped the issue.  "...  Thank you for reaching out to us and for your kind words about our customer service in the past ..." and, without addressing the issue:   "...   If you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. We're here to help!"

I telephoned Octopus within about an hour of receiving this email.  This 'new' person listened to me and suggested that it should be escalated to a Manager.  She agreed to do this, I agreed, and I have been told to expect a response from a Manager in 48 hours.I don't think I am paranoid but, with the arrival of this afternoon's email it really did feel as if they were running circles round me.  I even wondered if they were actually trying to wind me up.   Although I know that is not, in reality, the case, for a brief moment, it is how I felt.

The lady I spoke to today seemed to understand.  I'll report back if I hear anything.

Thank you again, all of you.  It is so very sad that this is not the good standard of customer service normally received from Octopus Energy in the past.

Mum161111

Keep_pedalling said:

It would help if you could supply some detail as to your complaint.

Although there is more to it, the gist is that they keep making assurances/promises and never fulfil them.  It is as if they are running circles round me and I keep being let down.  When I get in touch again the issue at hand seems to be sidestepped and I am back to square one.

Spoonie_Turtle

^ I think they meant, more detail about the original issue, the reason you contacted them in the first place, in case it's something members here might be able to help with at all.

cm4ever

Mum161111 said:

This afternoon I could hardly believe it when I received another irrelevant email from a different member of Octopus Staff saying things which  upset me as they still side-stepped the issue.  "...  Thank you for reaching out to us and for your kind words about our customer service in the past ..." and, without addressing the issue:   "...   If you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. We're here to help!"

I telephoned Octopus within about an hour of receiving this email.  This 'new' person listened to me and suggested that it should be escalated to a Manager.  She agreed to do this, I agreed, and I have been told to expect a response from a Manager in 48 hours.I don't think I am paranoid but, with the arrival of this afternoon's email it really did feel as if they were running circles round me.  I even wondered if they were actually trying to wind me up.   

Hi, in a way is the shoe not on the other foot with your thread here and everyone who's reading it and trying to actually attempt to help you.... or understand the bigger picture?

If you don't want to actually let people here know what your actual 'problem' is that you keep contacting Octopus about it's very hard for people reading your posts to either try to help you directly or offer advice about your 'problem' other than commenting on your current lack of feedback from Octopus that isn't acknowledging your 'problem'.

I'm making no excuses for any lack of service / followup contact you're obviously not receiving from Octopus, although with no actual context of the 'problem' it's hard to appreciate the scale of the issue you've facing i.e :-

.... you have no accurate bills / you haven't received a bill / your meters don't work / your direct debit is wrong / your manual meter readings are not being accepted / your in home display isn't working or it's showing the wrong prices / either of your meters aren't working ......

Just guessing really, but otherwise completely in the dark like everyone else who's reading your posts .... you don't have to say, that's up to you but without some idea, your Octopus unsatisfactory responses to date lack context other than they also don't mention your 'problem' 

Mum161111

Thanks very much.  I understand.  I don't  mean to be cryptic and it will be easier once I can get Octopus to keep their word and answer more appropriately.  I am struggling and don't mean to be evasive.  I apologize.

I have been honest but feel a bit embarrassed.  Sorry to have caused bother.

Again  I do thank you for your helpful replies and understanding.  All the help has been very much appreciated.

cm4ever

There's no reason to feel embarrassed and you haven't caused any bother, there's many people who'd be happy to try and help but haven't been able to as we don't know the issue.

It's not an issue, just can feel frustrating 

Mum161111

I can barely remember all the times I have been given wrong information or when promised timescales were not met -  being sent round in circles with numerous inappropriate messages, failure to 'phone back when they said they would and failure to send an email with a resolution resolving the problem the same day.  None have come to fruition.  They have sent me on wild goose chases with telephone numbers to various Departments who, in turn, cannot help and refer me back to Octopus. 

There was even one telephone call when the operator was trying to refer me to exactly the same telephone number as her previous colleague had done,  When I, politely, said that I had done that, it was not the correct place and that they had once more, referred me back to Octopus - she immediately hung up on me. with no reply  It is a long list and there is even more information, all documented.  It was almost as if what I was saying was not being heard and maybe even that the person was reading from a script.  If I asked the question again - the same inappropriate answer was repeated.

Here is the embarrassing bit.  I was given clear information, definite confirmation from an Octopus staff member in an email, that a payment would be in my account within a very specific short timescale.  This did not happen.  Subsequently the promised email to remedy this on the same day did not arrive and has never come. I was then, inappropriately as before, referred to DWP and received exactly the same result as previously - not their remit , the wrong place to ask and referred back to Octopus.These referrals to various Departments have all referred me back to Octopus. I feel as if I have been bounced backwards and forwards so many times that I nearly lost hope.

Meantime (my direct debit is paid without fail every month) and, even with low credit balances I have never not been in credit with Octopus or with any other provider.  Like so many others, when my fixed rate finished, my energy costs hit the ceiling and I have to be really frugal with my heating.

After my last  direct debit was taken, and my January bill was paid  in full, I was panicking because my net balance on my on line account was less than £5.  I submit accurate meter readings every month and I have cut my heating back to the bone.

The promised payment, and allegedly fully approved by email by Octopus still never materialized.  I was very stressed and could get no satisfaction or consistency, just more running around like being tossed from pillar to post, by various Octopus Staff.  They seemed to have not idea of all the previous correspondence, communications and assurances.  I even asked if I could please speak to someone from their vulnerable persons team (I have health problems and am on their Priority Services Register) but I was told it was not possible for me to contact them directly - I had to go through the 'Regular' Octopus Staff.

I'm so embarrassed but I really did genuinely believe, as I was told and as was confirmed by email, that this payment would be credited to my account - with the timescale it should have been there more than two weeks ago.  There was also information on my online account which was inaccurate.  They kept assuring me that it would be removed (well over a month ago) and it is still there and is still inaccurate.

I am frustrated and upset and, to the present time, there is still no resolution.  The Manager the person referred me to (it was her suggestion) yesterday is to get back to me in 48 hours.  I want to be hopeful but I'm still anxious about it.  In the meantime another upsetting and irrelevant email arrived, as I mentioned, this morning.  i really am struggling and wonder if it sounds as if I am making all this up.

Truly - there is a lot more to this but when the emails start with:  "Thank you for reaching out to us" and finish with: "If you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. We're here to help!" when they have not addressed the issue at all, it really is upsetting.  I'm lost for words because there is so much more I could say.  Thank you for reading this and I really am embarrassed, 
.