Back in February, Co-operative Energy agreed to switch me to a lower tariff. Fifteen weeks and repeated emails and phone calls later, it still can’t tell me what my monthly payments should now be, and has only sent me a statement showing the old tariff. It appears that I and many thousands of its other customers are trapped in limbo by a botched adoption of a new computer system and an unresourced attempt to increase its market share.
To cap it all, Co-operative Energy refuses to register a complaint from me unless I queue on the phone for 25 minutes waiting for the “right” person to speak to me. DC, Woking, Surrey
Your struggle is the result of attempts to provide “an improved service and better customer experience”, according to a frank letter you have received from the chief executive.
As is so often the case, a whizzy new computer system, designed to help the company compete with its Big Six rivals, has caused havoc – “teething problems” is a favourite term and the CEO admits that “customer service standards have slipped over the past few months”. It turns out that you were duly switched to the new tariff in February, but your quarterly May statement indicated you were still on the old one because an “automatic field” defaulted to the tariff that was in place at the start of that statement period.
In fact, you were only charged for 38 units at the old rate before the changeover was completed and the remaining 783 were at the cheaper rate. The company apologises for the fact this was not clarified. As for only being able to complain by phone, this is also due to “improved customer service” – or rather a call centre operative’s confused take on a new system. The company explains that customers can now complain to the staff member on the end of the line instead of having to be transferred to a complaints team.
But, as its website makes clear, you can also do it by post or email.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.
