What is going on at City Power?

This is an example of how City Power manage client queries


-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: 13 December 2008 09:00 PM
To: 'szimu@citypower.co.za'
Subject: QUERY ESCALATION - City Power

To: Silas Zimu
Managing Director - City Power

City Power Prepaid Meter 0705XXXXXXX
I would appreciate your response on my complaint regarding City Power

I originally raised the issue telephoncally at 011 375 5555 because I noticed that when I purchased units in July 2008 I did not receive the 50 units and that I received substantially less units for the same amount of Rands. I also could not get the units loaded onto the meter 25 July 2008

I was told that it was a transitional transaction due to the price increase and I should try loading it again in a half hour. When I asked about the tariff, and why it did not display any longer I was told that it would depend on my consumption, if I used less than 500kwh per month I would pay a different rate to when I used more.

With my next two purchases the problem remained and no one at City Hall could help me so I went in person to the City Power Office.

At the entrance the of City Power the receptionist just sits and stares at a flickering switchboard in front of her and does not assist clients whilst clients are harrased by gestapo like security who are rude to clients and when you confront them their attitude merely worsens.

Finally I was sent into an office where only one of the three desks was manned. The person told me to sit down.

After our greetings I complained to her about the manner in which the security treat the clients.

She said she can't say anything about it. So I said who must I raise it with. She told me to call 011 490 7000

When I laid the details of my query before her she got off her desk and walked away without a word.

Suddenly from behind me a brochure got flung onto the desk in front of me.

She went to sit again and said this is the pricing, pointing to the TARIFFS & CHARGES 2008/2009 BOOKLET

When I aksed her how I should interpret the pricing in terms of my query she said she does not know, I will have to read the booklet.

I repeated the question and while we were in conversation the rude security guard walked into the office and started talking to her in another anguage - just butting into the conversation between the client(me) and the City Power staff member (who later told me her name is Bessie.)

Bessie did not continue the conversation she was having with me before we were intrupted.

She just said to me you will have to phone 011 490 7000. I said that is unacceptable behaviour and beside no one answers that line in any event.

I asked her why she allowed the security guard to interupt our conversation and she got off her chair and proceeded to help the next client at another desk. So I got up off my seat and walked over to her phone to call 011 490 7000, before almost tripping over a packet which contained 4 quarts of beer that was next to Bessie's desk. Very professional to have that lying around in an office where clients are served, would you agree?

When she saw me making the call she stormed over to me and grabbed the phone out of my hand and pulled it out of the wall socket by the cord and shouted to the security. They came in and told me to leave the office. I said that I have not yet been assisted, then they forced me out of the building.

So I got forced out of the City Power Building because I insisted that someone assist me with my query as a client. As a Managing Director I sincerely would like to know what your take, on that behaviour is. To me City Power officials represent the municipality and that is certainly not the way to treat a client with a query.

I then contacted the security company to tell them what their staff do at City Power but surprise, surprise no one answers their phones either. I called 011 490 7000 and as usual the phone just rang.

The staff that man the office where Bessie was so rude and did not assist me have one standard answer to ALL queries and that is "I do not know" as a result clients are forced to wait around to see Galiel who appears to be the only person in that City Power building that actually attempts to assist clients. But the gestapo now prevent people from seeking him out at his office.

I then sent an email to 'customerservice@citypower.co.za' on
13 September 2008 11:15 AM

To this day I have not received as much as an acknowledgment
to that email query.

I then wrote out the details of my query in an email to Kweletsi on 30 September 2008 07:26 AM

To: 'kmaphopha@citypower.co.za' Kweletsi did not respond either until I sent a second request through on October 16, 2008 5:29 PM

He then refferred my query to Galiel by email.

Galiel's response did not address my query. In fact more questions arose as a result.

The query has been dragging on since and I called and emailed Galiel a number of times this month and then I escalated it to Kweletsi.

Galiel's last response by email on Fri 2008/12/12 also has still not addressed the query.

What is the process to have the query escalated?

Here are the details of the query:

Galiel's reply does:

* not explain why the actual transactions reflect tariffs that are
fluctuating anywhere between 0.57097 and 0.6853)

This table reflects the actual transactions on
Prepaid Meter 0705XXXXXXX
Purchase Units Amount incl VAT Rate
2008/01/31 405.8 175.44 200 0.432331
2008/02/25 405.8 175.44 200 0.432331
2008/03/27 405.8 175.44 200 0.432331
2008/04/22 405.8 175.44 200 0.432331
2008/06/06 405.8 175.44 200 0.432331
2008/06/27 405.8 175.44 200 0.432331
2434.8 405.8 ave
2008/07/25 460.9 263.16 300 0.57097
2008/08/15 256 175.44 200 0.685313
2008/09/19 90 61.4 70 0.682222
2008/09/05 128 87.72 100 0.685313
2008/09/30 282 192.98 220 0.684326
2008/10/31 294.7 201.75 230 0.684595
1511.6 251.9333 ave

How can a client's tariff fluctuate from month to month?

* not explain why actual rates applied (see table above) DO NOT even tie up with the TARIFF EXCEL doc

* not explain why he is quoting rates in TARIFF EXCEL doc that do not appear in the TARIFFS & CHARGES 2008/2009 BOOKLET, which is City Power's official price communication 2008/2009!

* not explain why or when I was allegedly placed on Prepaid Category 1
nor what that actually means

* not explain why as household using between 218 to MAX 460.9 units why I am in a category that is applied for people using more than 500 pm

* not explain why I am in a category that does not align with the category I was on before July 2008

These original questions TOO remain unaddressed through out his correspondence

1) On radio we were told that a 13% increase would be applied to indigent accounts where mine appears to have increased by 63% (0.4323 x 13% 0.0561 totals 0.4884 which is nowhere near the rate I am paying)

2) For R70 (R61.40 excl VAT) I received only 90 units. When I loaded it, only 89.70 units registered on my screen.

3) 30/09/2008 R220 - bought only 282 units which only 281.9 registered on my meter

In addition to that I would like to enquire this discrepancy:

* On 2008/09/19 I used 0705XXXXXX to purchase from Terminal AP003001 R70.00 worth of electricity. R8.60 was VAT and R61.40 therefore is the electricity amount. For this I received only 90 units. When I loaded it, only 89.70 units registered on my screen. (0.6822)

* On the same day my neighbour used 0705XXXXXX2 to purchase from Terminal AP003001 R70.00 worth of electricity. R8.60 was VAT and R61.40 therefore is the electricity amount. For this she received 124 units. (0.4951)

* Why does neither 0.4951 nor 0.6822 reflect on your tariff excel doc nor in the Tariffs & Charges Booklet 2008/2009?

* How come I, as an indigent pay 0.6822 and my neighbour who lets her flat out pays 0.4951?

My neighbour also received 100 extra units and I received none.

* Why does Machine AP003001 no longer print the tariff on the receipt?

Your Customer Service Charter states:
* Accurate measurement of consumption
* Error free bills
* Be attended to promptly and efficiently
* Be treated with respect
* Confidentiality of information
* Experience excellent treatment from City Power contractors
* Have your property treated with respect
* A one-stop service without referrals
* Quality of supply in terms of negotiated agreements
* Be given the benefit of the doubt
* Be involved in issues affecting customers
* Approach NERSA for final resolution of any service disputes

Yours in anticipation

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: 23 January 2009 10:16 AM
To: 'szimu@citypower.co.za'
Subject: 2nd Request! QUERY ESCALATION - City Power
Importance: High

41 days later and not even as much as an acknowledgement from the Managing Director of City Power

And this is in fact a request to escalate the query which is being ignored

Let us refer back to the Customer Service Charter---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Subject: QUERY ESCALATION - City Power

To:

48 Days later NO RESPONSE FROM City Power

Over the past seven months the usage averaged at 292.8 units per month

Other families report using R400 and R600 per month via Prepaid Electricity in the same area and receive 100 free kwh per month and pay a lower rate

This prepaid user only spends R220 pm and receives no free kwh
The rate is very high and does not appear in the Tariff Booklet
No logical explanation is provided by City Power

Purchase Units Amount incl VAT Rate
2008/07/25 460.9 263.16 300 0.57097
2008/08/15 256 175.44 200 0.685313
2008/09/19 90 61.4 70 0.682222
2008/09/05 128 87.72 100 0.685313
2008/09/30 282 192.98 220 0.684326
2008/10/31 294.7 201.75 230 0.684595
2008/12/02 282 192.98 220 0.684326
2009/01/03 256 175.44 200 0.685313
Total 2049.6 292.8 ave

http://politician.to/taxedvoter-page/

Insurance Company Abuse

My Toyota was stolen in 2007. Unfortunately I was insured by the Hotline Group / Telesure Group Services
Front end in my case was Auto and General
The same company that did not cover my insurance payments on retrenchment.
The same company that left me stranded on the side of the road for four hours when I requested roadside assistance in the east rand. The outcome was that as the sun was setting family members of mine came to my assistance, all the way from the west rand! I was stranded on the highway where I had to push the vehicle out the way. They did not even make telephonic contact with me.

On my complaining to Auto and General, they had no interest in redeeming their company in the eyes of me, their client. The complaint process was an arduous one; most people would have just given up and moved onto another insurance company. I ensured that management was fully aware of all aspects of each of my complaints.

It is my guess that other front ends for the Hot-line Administrative Services / Telesure Group Services are:

• Dial Direct
• Budget Insurance
• 1st for Women
• you may have heard of the HIPPO (to me it appears as if the same company is competing with itself in the market place)

If this were so then, all these insurance companies are all administered by one company, in other words it is all one company and the service experience is determined by that company and not the various marketing/advertising front ends.

When the tracking company found my vehicle in Tembisa, they took it to the SAPS pound in Benoni – Because my lock set had to be replaced I requested Telesure arrange that the car be collected from the pound. They did not call back, nor did they send one. When I phoned to complain they said the vehicle will be collected by the locksmith they appoint.

This appointment did not take place on the day I called in!

I asked the Telesure representative why they are using a locksmith in Lenasia while I live in Roodepoort and am surrounded by Toyota outlets surely they should have Toyota replace the lock set? They were insistent and said they have used the services of Hoosein’s Locksmith for years and that all their service providers are reputable and this is their process (be aware that as a client of an insurance company it is your decision as to which service provider works on your vehicle) I had to learn this the hard way. My car has never been operating the same since it was in the hands of Hoosein’s Locksmith in Lenasia thanks to the internal operations within Auto and General.

I had to be present at the pound as SAPS would only release the vehicle to me

On the date arranged I drove from Roodepoort to Benoni and waited to no avail for Hoosein’s Locksmith to arrive.

I had to make a second trip to Benoni, only to find that it was not Hoosein’s Locksmith that came to collect my vehicle but a towing company arrived.

The car was out of my hands for two weeks! I complained to Auto and General and also called Hoosein’s Locksmith to enquire why they are taking so long.

The Misses Hoosein, was very rude to me on the phone and cited ordering of parts and all sorts of issues as the reason they had not yet repaired my vehicle and that they had a lot of work.

When I subsequently took my vehicle for a service within the Unitrans Toyota Group I found that the job card was not in my name – but in the name of
Hoosein Locksmith P O Box 152 Lenasia 1711, 084 850 0977!!!!

I had Toyota call up the records to see when my vehicle was booked in at Unitrans Toyota Group. Sure enough, replace complete lock set and alarm module reflected.

While my car was out of my hands for two weeks Hoosein had a towing company take the car to Avondale Toyota in Germiston (a one day job) and after the repairs were done they could just as well have been using my car.

Why would I make such an assumption? On the day it was arranged that I take delivery of my vehicle, it took many HOURS for my vehicle to be delivered to my home. When I asked the towing company driver why he took over four hours from Lenasia to Roodepoort he told me that when he went to collect my vehicle in Lenasia he had to go to Hoosein’s personal residence to collect my vehicle from their backyard. When he arrived at the residence they sent him to the workshop as my vehicle was not there, at the workshop they sent him to the residence once more where he collected my vehicle. (Additionally, I found take-away atchar containers under the seat and the same atchar stickiness on the steering wheel – most professional.)

The question I have to ask myself is – Why did the Auto and General representative insist on using Hoosein Locksmith, despite my protestations, while it was NOT Hoosein who replaced the lockset on my vehicle at all! Is there fraudulent activity taking place within Auto and General?

Obviously I hold all the records on my side that support the information shared above.