For your entertainment, here is the transcript of my web chat with Scottish Power this morning.
Quote:
Conversation with ScottishPower
Started on February 16, 2023 at 11:02 AM London time GMT (GMT+0000)
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11:02 AM | Operator: Hi there! This is ScottishPower's support Bot speaking. I’m here to answer your questions, but you’ll always have the option to talk to our team.
11:02 AM | Operator: So what brings you here today?
11:02 AM | Me: Oh my goodness this is awful - why won’t you let me just describe my actual problem instead of forcing me to choose options which don’t match, and then forcibly cutting me off? I have never experienced customer service this bad. Is there a real human here who can help me?
11:02 AM | Operator: [Article: "Raising a Complaint"]
[Article: "Not a customer yet and moving home?"]
[Article: "Leaving ScottishPower"]
More in the Help Center (https://intercom.help/scottishpower?...ource=operator)
11:02 AM | Operator: Did that answer help, or are you looking for something else?
11:02 AM | Me: Talk to a person ��
11:03 AM | Operator: We just need a bit more information to connect you with the right person
Please Select your payment method from the options below.
11:03 AM | Me: I do not have an account set up
11:03 AM | Operator: The team will get back to you on this. ScottishPower will reply as soon as they can.
11:03 AM | Me: I want to register but the house builder has sent you incorrect details about me (account name is wrong).
11:04 AM | Me: I will not click on the link to confirm ‘this is my account’ until you can put my name at the top of it.
11:12 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: Hello.
11:12 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: Good Morning.
11:12 AM | Me: Finally!
11:13 AM | Me: Are you human?
11:13 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: My name is Subhodeep and I will assist you today.
11:13 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: Yes i am human,
11:13 AM | Me: OK. This should be simple. We have moved into a new house. The house builder has sent you my wife’s name for the new account. We need it to be my name.
11:14 AM | Me: The account number is xxxxxxxx
11:14 AM | Me: They have given you the name Mrs
11:14 AM | Me: Please change this to Mr
11:15 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: sure,
11:17 AM | Me: Great. Please let me know when you have finished. Then I can go and create an online account.
11:25 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: Have you moved out from (our address)?
11:26 AM | Me: No, we moved *in* to (our address) on the (date) of June last year. We are still here. It has taken you nearly 8 months to send us a letter inviting us to open an account with you.
11:27 AM | Me: I live at (our address) and all I want is an account in the name of Mr, because my wife does not deal with household bills, I do. Please just put my name on the account and let’s get this over with.
11:30 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: As the account name is already created so name cannot be changed like that. The solution is you can ad your name on the account when your wife gets letter of authorization in pdf format signed by both of you so that we can add your name.
11:31 AM | Me: Actually the solution is for us to just go ahead and leave my wife’s name on it, pay the opening balance and then transfer to a different supplier that makes some effort to provide customer service.
11:32 AM | Me: Scottish Power has by some distance been the worst company I have ever dealt with. Thank you for confirming my decision to leave at the earliest opportunity.
11:39 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: I understand but we cannot leave your wife name like this from the account since there is huge debt on the account so if she gives letter of authorization signed by booth of you that both can handle the account then we can add your name as per GDPR guidlines,
11:40 AM | Me: You do realise that the huge debt on the account is *entirely* due to you not sending us a welcome letter for almost 8 months, don’t you?
11:42 AM | Me: I am now trying to log in, however it says it has now linked our account with a pre existing one. I don’t have a password and when I click password reset it says ‘something went wrong’. This is utterly hopeless.
11:44 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: I understand but without letter of authorization i am afraid i will not be able to proceed here to give new password link to you else it will be GDPR issue,
11:51 AM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: I have not heard from you for a while, are we still connected?
11:54 AM | Me: I have been manually collecting and inputting meter readings. Once I have finished I will be paying the outstanding balance and then arranging to transfer my account to Octopus Energy. My neighbours say they are better than Scottish Power. They certainly couldn't be any worse.
12:00 PM | Subhodeep from ScottishPower: Ok sorry to hear that from you, Is there anything else I may assist you?
12:01 PM | Me: No thanks. I wish you all the best working for your dreadful employer. I have paid the balance now and will be closing my Scottish power account as soon as possible.
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I have since paid the outstanding amount (at the first opportunity, obviously, as they never allowed us to have an actual account with them before today) and started the process of switching to Octopus.
---------- Post added at 14:41 ---------- Previous post was at 14:32 ----------
Also, has anyone here recently switched to Octopus and fancies sharing a referral code with me? It looks like we both get money off if so?