Customer dissatisfaction with energy suppliers significantly underestimated says report

The report that used data provided by the energy regulator Ofgem and surveyed 8,000 people shows that if every customer who had a grievance against their energy supplier made a complaint the number received would soar to 6.9 million.

The report suggests that the number of complaints officially recorded is artificially low due to the number of people not wanting to cause trouble or who are completely disillusioned with the whole process.

The biggest cause for customer complaints (57%) was inaccurate billing and payments whilst poor customer services came in second place with 27%. In third place with 18% were concerns over the switching process.

Read more: Inaccurate billing most common complaint against Energy Suppliers

“Millions of energy customers are complaining about billing errors, poor customer service, or switching problems, but many more are so fed up that they don’t even think it’s worth picking up the phone — which suggests suppliers need to up their game. Anyone unhappy with any aspect of their energy supplier’s complaints handling or customer service should consider shopping around- you could find a firm that better meets your needs,” Natalie Hitchins, head of homes and products services at Which said.

Despite the negative headlines, data from Ofgem has shown that several energy suppliers typically resolve more than 80% of the complaints they received on the same or next day.

Suppliers that want to survive and thrive have learnt that dealing with complaints and providing a good standard of customer service is key to making a successful energy business.

Read more: 6 Reasons why Consumers Switch Energy Suppliers

Energy suppliers need to be able to make the complaints process as easy as possible for their consumers. Having a well-designed website with clear instructions on how to make a complaint and having the phones well-staffed is vital to ensuring that any complaints are dealt with quickly.

Having a poor customer service doesn’t just damage a supplier’s reputation but also costs them financially due to paying out compensation to dissatisfied customers.

Read more: How to Keep Energy Customers for life

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