I'm Angry, Wild, and want to SCREAM with Frustration!

I HATE Power companies. Of all the companies out there I deal with, when it comes to deafness and customer service, power companies are the WORST.

My level of frustration is so high now, that I'm ready to take them to task publicly.

It all started like this...

Empower (yep I'm naming them), is the company that sends me my bills on a monthly basis. In the last bill they sent me a pamphlet 'Would you benefit from the Empower Low User Plan?' The pamphlet listed a few Q & A and gave an 0800 number to ring. I worked out that I would benefit, and so rang the 0800 number.

Now - I'm doing well with my implant, and can hear on the phone pretty well. I got the usual recorded voice messaging system and my heart sunk. But wait - I could follow the instructions.

"Press 1 if you wish to change to the low user plan"

Okay - 1

"Now key in your account number found at the top right hand corner of your last electricity bill followed by the # key"

Okay - I keyed in the ten digit number nad hit the # key.

"This is an invalid number, please key in your account number followed by the hash key"

Okay - I must have got it wrong. So I did it again, checked it all, hit the # key.

"This is not a valid account number, please key in your account number followed by the hash key"

Okaaaaay - I must have got it wrong again - so I did it again - checked it, and hit the # key.

"this is not a valid account number, please key in your account number followed by the # key"

WTF???? I looked all over my invoice - that was the only account number listed at the top right hand corner. There are no other account numbers. I did it again.

"This is not a valid account number, please key in your account number followed by the # key".

I hung up. Started again. Same result. My blood pressure was beginning to rise.

Found another 0800 number for Accounts enquiries. Rung that.

Listened to all the options - found general accounts enquiries, press 3.

3

"please key in your account number found at the top of your last electricity bill"

I typed it in. Oh my - it got through that time.

"now type in the four digit number (mumble mumble mumble"

Looked all over my bill - no four digit numbers. I obviously took too long...

"now type in the four digit number (mumble mumble mumble on your last electricity bill"

Okay - a four digit number on my bill - nowhere to be found. Nothing. Nada.

"now type in."

Okay okay - shuddup. There's no four digit number on my bill. I hung up again.

Ahhhh - I can ring it again and see if I can find the message to a real person. Rang the accounts equiries number again.

"If you would like to speak to a real person press whyine"

Hmm is that a one or a nine? I pressed 1.

"if you would like to speak to a personal assistant press whyine"

Ok - 1 didn't work - I'll try 9.

"if you would like to speak to a personal assistant press whyine"

By this time i was looking all over the phone handset for clues what 'whyine' could be.

"if you...

Shaddup - I hung up.

I've just flung off a really rude angry email to them, from their website about the appalling system they have where one cannot get hold of a real customer service person, that they have no customer service, and that I'm now considering changing to a company where I can actually TALK to a real person.

Meantime - I'm still being charged on the high user plan, so I'm paying more than I should.

I'm sooooooooooooooo wild, angry, I think I will go and SCREAM with frustration!

Cheers
Robyn