@sp_energypeople Scottish Power - Can't Be Bothered To Organise A Boiler Service

[SamBoni]

I have been a Scottish Power Boiler Care customer since April 2013 but

 

 

they have yet to organise a service visit which is part of the contract.

 

I have rung the company three times asking for a visit.

 

 

Twice I received an apology and a promise that a visit would be arranged.

 

 

On the third occasion I was told that service visits "weren't a priority"

 

 

and left me with the presumption that I would have to wait for my bolier to actually break down before they would get off their back sides.

 

I e-mailed a formal complaint to their customer service address.

 

 

Somebody rang my wife to apologise and say the matter would be seen to.

 

 

Nothing happened, they didn't seem to want to answer their phones,

I e-mailed another complaint pointed that by now I should (according to their web site)

have a complaint number and services of a dedicated complaint handler. I still have neither.

 

What do you folks think I should do?

 

 

There's little point in following the SP complaints procedure if they won't adhere to it?

[citizenB]

I think you perhaps have two choices - escalate your complaint to the Ombudsman or if the boiler service is part of the contract, you could issue a claim to force them to abide by their own terms!

 

I will ask others on the site team to look in on you with further advice.

[slick132]

Hi SamBoni,

 

Calling them by phone should be avoided for 3 reasons :-

 

1. Unless you record calls, you have no proof of what was discussed, promised or agreed.

 

2. From personal experience, it is painfully difficult to get through to them. Earlier this year, I tried to get through to them repeatedly, only to be left listening to messages and then be CUT OFF !!

 

3. When you do get through by phone, they can tell you anything to shut you up, but then fail to follow through with a remedy.

 

I would write a Formal Complaint to the CEO, Keith Anderson at their Head Office :-

 

ScottishPower

Cathcart Business Park

Spean Street

Glasgow

G44 4BE

 

Get a free Certificate of Posting at the PO when you send the letter.

 

[IdaInFife]

Just received an award of compensation and letter of apology from SP that was agreed through the ombudsman due to them not responding to my complaints.

 

I would escalate to ombudsman if you have already raised a formal complaint without any satisfactory response.

[SamBoni]

Thank you for your responses. I think the best first step will be to contact the CEO and explain firmly but politely the problem, how I expect it to be resolved and what action I’m going to take if the matter is not resolved to my satisfaction. Would you guys please help me with the form of words to use and the sorts of sanctions with which I can threaten him?

The situation is that I signed up as a Boiler Care customer in April 2013. The agreement includes the servicing the boiler once a year, but I didn’t one in the first year. I rang them last August enquiring about my lack of service visit and received profuse apologies and a promise that a visit would be arranged. That didn’t happen. I rang again a few weeks later and received the same promises which were again not carried out. I rang yet again last Thursday and was told that service visits “were not a priority”.

Given that my boiler is playing up (going out and needing manual reset several times a day), I decided to invoke the complaints procedure.

 

 

 

Here it is:

 

Stage 1: Contact us with your complaint

They say that “Most issues are resolved after investigation by us at this initial stage”.

Stage 2: Customer Care Team

They say that “If we can't resolve your complaint immediately, we'll give you a unique complaint reference number and pass your complaint to a member of our Customer Care Team. This person will be your dedicated complaint handler. They'll try to resolve your complaint within 10 working days, keeping you fully informed throughout”.

Stage 3: Customer Service Director’s Support Team

They say that “To access this stage you must have completed stage 1 and 2 and have a complaint reference number”.

I contacted them by e-mail explaining the situation, asking for a speedy service visit and for some compensation for not receiving a visit in the first year of my contract. Somebody rang my wife to apologise and say that something would be done. A week elapsed and nothing happened.

I e-mailed them again saying that my boiler had still not been serviced, I had contacted them with my complaint but the latter had not been resolved and I had received neither a complaint reference number nor the services of a dedicated complaint handler. As yet no reply!

That’s the situation. It’s very difficult to follow a complaints procedure if the other side are not being cooperative…..

With what sanctions can I reasonably threaten Mr. CEO? I note that Scottish Power have been given three months to get their customer service act together!

[slick132]

Hi Sam,

 

If the boiler is now faulty and needing to be re-set several times a day, that is a different issue from the complaint about their failure to carry out a routine annual check and service. Have you specifically informed SP of the fault ?

 

You could draft a letter to the CEO and put it here so we can check and advise of any possible changes.

 

Keep the letter as very brief as possible, sticking just to the main points. Don't bother with threats of sanctions - just draft a letter setting out the main points and say what you want to happen, including compensation for your wasted time and frustration at their poor customer service.

 

[SamBoni]

Thank you for your reply. Needless to say I have not heard anything from SP.

Here's my first draft of my letter to the CEO. Please feel free to suggest corrections. Once sent, how long do I give them and what would be the next step if I don't get satisfaction. Cheers!

 

Escalation of Formal Complaint

 

Please treat this as an escalation of a formal complaint that I first raised with your Customer Service Team on 29th October this year and attempted to escalate on the 5th November.

 

I entered into a Boiler Care agreement with your company in April 2013 and renewed it in April 2014. Part of that agreement was that I would receive a service visit from you once a year. This has not happened. I first telephoned your call centre last August to ask for a service visit and I received an apology and a promise that a service would be arranged, but nothing happened. Therefore I telephoned again in September and received the same treatment, but again nothing happened. I telephoned for a third time on 29th October only to be told by a somewhat aggressive gentleman that service calls were a “low priority” and he was so obstructive that I felt there was little point in continuing the call.

 

On the 29th October I e-mailed your customer service team describing my treatment thus far and stressing that I was making a formal complaint. A couple of days later my wife received an apologetic telephone call and a promise of redress. Again nothing happened, so I e-mailed a further complaint on 5th November, but nobody has responded.

 

According to your web site, because my complaint has not been resolved, by now I should have a unique complaint reference number and the services of a dedicated complaint handler who should be keeping me fully informed while they attempt to resolve the matter within ten days. I have neither.

 

I would like you to use your influence to obtain for me:

1. A service visit without delay. Not only have you failed to honour your side of our contract but also my boiler is becoming unreliable (and this is causing my wife great distress).

2. Some compensation for both not making a service visit (that has been paid for) in the first year of the contract and the inconvenience that the matter has caused me.

 

Your representative may telephone me on xxxxx to discuss things but be aware that I do not expect to hear anything less than the (timely) proposed date of your service visit and how you intend to compensate me.

[slick132]

Hi Sam,

 

Your letter looks fine although I would alter the ending as follows :-

 

As CEO of Scottish Power, I would like you to use your influence to ensure :-

 

1. A service/repair visit is made without delay. Not only have you failed to honour your side of our contract but also my boiler has now become unreliable requiring resetting several times per day.

 

2. Suitable compensation for both failing to make the required service visit, and for the inconvenience and stress that this matter has caused my wife and I.

 

In the circumstances, I expect your considered written response within 7 days, as well as immediate phone contact to arrange a service visit to repair the now faulty boiler.

 

Edited November 21, 2014 by slick132

[Mike_hawk]

Following email accounts are responded from [saves a few bob on postage]......... although it has to be said these are effectively 'dump' mail accounts to its complaints team..........

 

[email protected]

 

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