EDF's Green Customer Service

EDF Energy have sent me a new bill that has the wrong start date listed so hoping to set the record straight I called their customer service number. I've been on hold so long that I have managed to write this blog in the meantime. It's particularly annoying because the music, a rendition of "It's not that easy being green", is fairly quiet, but the female voice overlayed on top is really loud, so I get drawn in and rest the earpiece closer to the side of my head and am get a nasty shock each time I am reminded that all their advisers are busy. My theory is that they're making sure I don't nod off after waiting on hold for twenty minutes.

Anyway, in case you're curious, here's roughly how it goes, with my comments in square brackets. It's particularly annoying because it's a short loop so although listening to the music is painless the first time round, I can tell you that it doesn't stand the test of time.

It's Not That Easy Being Green...
[Come on! EDF is a company that makes money because people use energy. Let's not pretend that it's in your interests for your customers to use less energy, and that 'being green' is anything more than marketing spin]
Having to spend each day the colour of the leaves.

I AM SORRY ALL OUR ADVISORS ARE ALL VERY BUSY

When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold...
or something much more colourful like that.

YOUR CALL HAS MOVED UP THE QUEUE.

[note that they don't tell you how far up the queue you are, so this information is effectively useless. My theory is that it's just part of the recorded message, just to project a false sense of progress]

It's not easy being green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.

YOU HAVE NOT BEEN CHARGED FOR THIS CALL
[That's a relief. But will I get compensated for the time I spend with a phone in my hand?]

And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're
not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
or stars in the sky.


WE ARE OPEN FROM 8AM TILL 8PM MONDAY TO FRIDAY...
[Not very helpful if no one picks up the phone]

But green's the colour of Spring.
And green can be cool and friendly-like.

...AND 8AM TILL 8PM ON SATURDAYS

And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain,
or tall like a tree.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HOLD, YOU WILL BE CONNECTED AS SOON AS AN ADVISOR IS AVAILABLE.
[No, I wouldn't *like* to hold. It's not as if I've been given a choice.]

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why?
Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!
And I think it's what I want to be.

EDF must know that their support is always too busy, as all customer service operations measure their performance. I've called them a few times over the last few weeks and I've never got through without a lengthy wait. Why don't they provide a facility that allows me to leave my name and number so they can call me back when they are less busy? Or how about an email address I can write to? The only email address on their bill is one where you can comment on their customer service, not one to which you can actually write and get your query answered. And yes, I wrote to this email address last week and haven't even had an acknowledgement let alone a reply. Maybe their emails are responded to only when an advisor is available?

This experience clearly leaves me with negative opinion of EDF. At least they now recognise that I have an account with them. The first time I called they denied it, then they admitted it, then upon calling a few days later, they denied it again. It turns out that because the flat is part of a relatively new build, it isn't listed in their main system. That's helpful.

I got through in the end and it turns out that the date on the bill that didn't correspond to my moving in date was a deliberate mistake and didn't impact the amount charged. You might have thought that if bills were easier to interpret, they wouldn't get quite so many calls?

Update...
I got a phone call from Tristan at EDF in response to my email complaint. It wasn't the speediest of responses, but I'm very reassured that it came.. He was apologetic, courteous and made me feel as if he would actually made a difference, which is spot on customer service. I have been given his 'direct' extension, and he has pledged to chase up Accent Property, my letting agents, as well as to escalate my feedback on their dire on-hold phone system. Of course actions speak louder than words, so I'll wait and see before granting EDF a full redemption.

7 November
Emma copies me on a long email she has written to George Wimpey East Anglia's customer care assitant, who gives a blunt response passing the buck to someone else. I am starting to feel sympathy for Emma, who is clearly having a frustrating time trying to resolve a number of issues from all the Hampden Garden properties that Accent take care of. It's sort of comforting to know that there are other people with mislabelled gas meters who are chasing this up as well.

Update 13 November
Tristan leaves a voicemail to let me know he has contacted Emma from Accent Property and asking me to call him back.

Update 14th November
I call EDF but Tristan isn't at his desk and will call me back.