British Gas can provide customer service, if pushed hard enough!

It takes an effort of will and serious determination, but British Gas can be made to provide customer service.  I just succeeded, but I had to be assertive.

I pay by monthly budget direct debit, and they had managed to achieve a whole month's worth of my money in advance.  Nice going.  For them!  So I called and asked them to recalculate, which they did.

"This will start from the April payment, sir.  March will be the current payment"

So, I've been overpaying during a cold winter, and, as it goes into spring, and my usage gets less because it is also getting lighter, I get to overpay more.  I thought not.  So I explained that this would happen from the March payment, which is on 27th March.

"We can't do that, sir.  We sent the request to the bank 14 days in advance to make sure there were sufficient funds available."

That's a new excuse.  That one I have not heard before.  14 days in advance, eh?

So I explained that they would be making the change, that they were able to make the change, that they had just spoken total unmitigated bull, and that I would wait.

Lo and behold they were indeed able to make that change.  I did have to explain that I was the customer and their job was to provide customer service.  It seems that a manager (shock, horror, we had to bother such a high ranking mortal) had to cancel the old direct debit6 and create a new one.  Well whooopeeedoooo!

So these people wanted more of my money in advance before giving me any back.  Ye gods!  But, in the end, a very determined customer was able to get customer service.  Boy do you have to stand your ground against a point blank refusal to co-operate though.

At least the call was free.