Zero Customer Service

I recently lapsed on my electricity payment with Impact Meter Services here in Pretoria. I paid the outstanding payment shortly afterwards, prior to calling Impact Meter Services to discuss the situation as they had provided two reminders regarding the non-payment, both reminders via email/sms. We were away from home at the time of them cutting out service.

My gripe with Impact Meter Services is the following, specifically surrounding their lack of providing a customer service to their clients: 1. We were not entertained with anything more than an sms/email reminder regarding our non-payment of our electricity. A simple call telephonically would have resulted in immediate payment as I had overlooked my sms's and emails. 2. This was the first non-payment incident, yet I was treated like a regular non-payer. 3. Upon calling Impact Meter Services offices to discuss the situation, and specifically the (exorbitant) R480 re-connection fee I was told I am not allowed to speak personally to the creditors department, who I was directed to speak to, but rather given an email address. With respect the the credit controller she dually called me after about 4 emails back and forth within which I requested a "call" after she continuously ignored my requests within each email. Credit is due where credit is due, no matter how small, for fairness sake). 4. I was told it cost R480 to send out someone to reconnect the electricity, which I couldn't quite understand as their offices are 10km away at the most. I feel we were taken for a ride here, especially considering this was our first offense if you want to call it that. 5. I have subsequently been slapped with a R1000 additional deposit payment request which is apparently due to the incident, which I remind you again was a mistake taken fully responsible by myself, the client. 6. The credit controller's response when I enquired why no call was made was that they do not have enough staff to call each and every payment defaulter, which baffles me as we pay for a service. If they cannot provide a service then why are they in business? My only assumption is that they aim to work on a level similar to our government institutions - it's easy to take money, especially when linked to providing a basic commodity, without offering a first, or even second world service to support the initial service offering.

In summary, I am in the process of aiming to move my business away from Impact Meter Services as they are a very unprofessional service provider, which I should have noticed from Day 1 when I went to sign up and witnessed two unhappy customers being dealt with in similar fashion. The general mood at their office was an "us and them" as is the case at most municipal offices. If you are in the process of buying a property who is being supp**** any services by the likes of Impact Meter Services I urge you to consider my situation above, and many more like it which I noticed here on Hello Peter. Look out for a new meter service directly competing with Impact Meter Services soon, offering a "service" for money spent, I think this could be a huge money spinner and may be my next business venture thanks to Impact Meter Services ;)

In summary: bad service from Impact Meter Services.