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

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