Lame Excuses By Bord Gais for Delays in Switching

Fnergg

The success of Bord Gais' switching campaign has caught everyone - including themselves - by surprise. BG have 100,000 applicants but they have a way to go to get all these customers set up on their system.

Many of these customers applied weeks ago but still have not been transferred across from the ESB. That has nothing to do with the ESB - they onus is on the new supplier to make the change.

My friends in the ESB tell me that they are getting calls from such customers on a daily basis having been told by BG (or, more precisely, their outsourced call centre Conduit) that the delay is on the ESB side. Some callers have been told that ESB is deliberately delaying the process in a fit of pique over losing customers! (ESB has no problem with losing customers - they recognise it as a regulatory reality in the interests of reducing their dominance in the retail market).

Thousands of customers who provided their own meter readings to BG back in February are now getting closing accounts from the ESB based on estimates. The reason for this is that BG could not process the applications in time and have had to switch the customers from a later date and estimated reading if no official reading has been obtained in the meantime. And who are BG/Conduit blaming? Correct - ESB!

Other people who changed address in the last while decided to apply to BG as their new supplier. That is their right and there are market mechanisms agreed by all suppliers for taking on such customers. In BG/Conduit's case however such customers are being told to apply to ESB Customer Supply first and then apply to them after a few weeks. That is like telling a customer who walks into your shop to buy something that you are too busy and to go across the road to your competitor.

Some such customers have had their supply disconnected as it is normal policy to withdraw power if a customer hasn't registered with a supplier within a few weeks. These customers were/are caught in a backlog of applications. What is BG/Conduit's response? You guessed it - blame the ESB. ESB disconnected the supply to punish the customer. The they are being told to sign up first with ESB Customer Supply who will arrange reconnection and then come back to BG when it's done! (Again, there is an agreed market mechanism for the new supplier to arrange reconnection in such cases).

It represents an appalling lack of knowledge by BG/Conduit of how such transactions should be handled. If they are so abysmally ignorant of basic market procedures how will they be able to handle ongoing customer billing queries in due course? They'll probably tell customers to phone the ESB for advice.

Regards,

Fnergg

foggy_lad

i am waiting on my gas bill and it is not even available online, i emailed them asking when i might get it and no reply! they must be up sh1t creek now especially having just changed their billing system

Jip

Is this 'friend' who works for the ESB yours ?
Don't see what the problem is, the demand is huge and Bord Gais have asked people to supply a meter reading when applying online and your application will be processed quicker. There's only so many people out there reading meters.

eden_my_ass

Jip wrote: »

Is this 'friend' who works for the ESB yours ?
Don't see what the problem is, the demand is huge and Bord Gais have asked people to supply a meter reading when applying online and your application will be processed quicker. There's only so many people out there reading meters.

I think the point made here and by others before is that by the time they get to your application the reading you gave is so out of date it was pointless to give in the first place. So theres no such thing as processing applications quicker, we were all sold on that little white lie. Bord Gais management seem to have made a serious cockup in estimating demands for a reduced price service in a time of tight budgets (a 5 year old could have told them it would be popular)

Cabaal

Perhaps your friend and some Bord Gais customers are confusing ESB Networks and ESB Customer Supply, I'd imagine the delay is between ESB Networks and Bord Gais.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Cabaal wrote: »

Perhaps your friend and some Bord Gais customers are confusing ESB Networks and ESB Customer Supply, I'd imagine the delay is between ESB Networks and Bord Gais.

There is no rationale behind that assumption. ESB Networks have no reason to delay any transfers of customers or Meter Readings. It's all the one to them who the Supply companies are and get paid for their meter reading activities. In fact with the reduction in new connections ESB Networks would be glad of any meter reading requests.