Back For Good - and Life's a Gas

I'm back!  Yes, I apologise for neglecting my readers for such a long time but believe me, I've been busy.  I spent the whole of Christmas and New Year choked with 'flu (the proper sort, not the "touch of" variety, before anyone says anything) and then what seems to be the entire month of January alternating between telephoning British Gas and NPower who between them seem to have been happily trousering large sums of my hard-earned cash whilst at the same time threatening to cut me off/demand money with menaces/ignore me completely. 

I won't go into the whys and wherefores of this unhappy saga, suffice it to say it is NOTHING to do with anything I've done.  Having spoken to what seemed to be several hundred members of staff for both organisations, all of whom promise to sort the mess out and none of whom do, in sheer desperation I tracked down the name of the head of corporate affairs at British Gas.  Hey presto.  What a great bunch of people.  I was dealt with in a cordial, professional manner and everything that could be done to help me - was.  So far, NPower haven't quite come up to the same standards.    So I've got in touch with their Press Office - a tad surprised to hear a real, live consumer on the end of the telephone, I must say - and they too are apparently going to get everything fixed.

I'll keep you all posted as to the results of this sorry saga but so far - BG, I shall be returning to you if your promises all hold good.

And thank you Mr Mark Duffell, who can't have been pleased having me complaining to him but sorted everything out nonetheless.

There is, I feel, a lesson to be learned here.  The power of PR, in essence.  If I hadn't worked in the PR industry and known how to go about contacting the right people, I might be in a very difficult situation now with no-one to help me. 

Comments

[Simon Collister]

We had a nightmare with BG too. Is it me but no-one (this also includes Orange) seems too bothered if you threaten to take your business elsewhere anymore. Boo-hoo.

PR offices are a good bet. Loads of people on the UK Press message board swap PR contacts for services/products they've bought and had shoddy service from.