Which? brands Scottish Power worst energy company for customer service
Which? is calling for Scottish Power, Ovo Energy and British Gas to urgently improve their customer service as new analysis finds they are the worst energy suppliers when it comes providing quick and effective responses to customer problems.
Over the last six months, thousands of consumers have got in touch with Which? to share their experiences of shoddy customer service in sectors including energy, financial services, telecoms and travel since the end of the pandemic.
An overwhelming frustration shared in many of these stories is that companies are not providing prompt responses and resolutions when people get in touch about a problem. All too often, this means customers are being left on hold, stuck in never-ending chatbot loops or passed from department to department with no resolution or helpful answer to their query.
Energy is currently the worst-performing sector for customer service, according to Which?’s 2023 customer service survey. This is particularly unacceptable when sky-high energy bills have been a major driver of the cost of living crisis and led to huge profits for many suppliers.
In Which?’s 2023 customer service survey, a quarter (25%) said they were unhappy with their most recent customer service experience with their energy provider, the highest score across the energy, financial services, retail and telecoms sectors.
Which? analysed data from its 2023 customer service survey and annual energy customer satisfaction survey to find out how well energy firms are performing for customer service. Scottish Power, Ovo Energy and British Gas were the worst-performing energy firms for quick responses and effective solutions.
Scottish Power came bottom, receiving a satisfaction score of -13 out of a possible +100 for how long it took to get in touch with a person that could help and 3 for how long it took to get an answer to an issue or query. One customer said that after being left on hold when trying to phone his supplier about a billing issue and then speaking to an agent who was unable to help, he suffered sleepless nights and anxiety over his unresolved billing problem. Another said lived in fear of a visit from bailiffs after Scottish Power passed him from agent to agent and failed to fix an incorrect bill.
Ovo Energy followed close behind with a satisfaction score of -7 for how long it took to get in touch with a person that could help and 7 for how long it took to get an answer to an issue or query. One customer told how he decided to switch provider after Ovo staff were ‘rude’ and unhelpful after he spent over 20 minutes waiting to speak to them about a billing issue.
British Gas fared better with a satisfaction score of 16 for how long it took to get in touch with a person that could help and 23 for how long it took to get an answer to an issue or query.
However, its scores were still far below Octopus Energy, who performed best for quick and effective customer service – with a satisfaction score of 46 for how long it took to get in touch with a person who could help and 55 for how long it took to get an answer to an issue or query. E.ON Next also performed relatively well, scoring 35 for how long it took to get in touch and 25 for how long it took to get a query answered.
Says Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy:
“Customer service is in a dire state in vital areas and some companies are routinely failing their customers – leaving them frustrated and stuck in endless loops trying to get help.
“Scottish Power, Ovo Energy and British Gas all fared poorly in Which? research on which firms are best for giving quick and effective solutions when things go wrong. Failings in this area are particularly unacceptable when sky-high energy prices have left families and households struggling to make ends meet.
“While many consumers will rightly consider switching, these firms must urgently make improvements so all customers are getting the standard of service and support they need and deserve.”
