A pissed off ECG Customer has written a letter to the company’s top brass to complain after officials attempted to extort him before carrying out some repair works on his meter.
Kwame Owusu-Ansah of Abeka Lapaz posted his letter of frustration addressed to the branch manager of ECG at Achimota-St Johns.
Kwame, a corn mill operator, revealed that he had a problem with his meter which he went to ECG to complain about. But the technicians who were supposed to return with him to look at the problem would not budge until he paid for their transport and agreed to pay a fee on completion of the repair.
This is a common problem in Ghana which we’ve all faced at a point or another – where a government worker, who technically works for you, wants to be paid extra simply for doing their job.
Kwame, who reveals he spends over 60% of his income in paying for electricity, refused to pay and thus the workers also refused to work. That prompted him to write to the branch manager hoping for a different outcome.
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ECG are already one of the worst companies in regards to relating to the public in Ghana and quite tellingly, I bet none of our readers would be surprised by this. They charge exorbitant tariffs, take our lights whenever they want, and when you need their help to fix something of yours they act like they’re doing you a favour.
It’s a sad reflection of the state of customer service in Ghana where the customer has very little avenues for recourse so has to take all this crap.
Read Kwame’s letter below…
6th April 2017
Kwame Owusu-Ansah
Box ABK 228
Abeka-
Accra
The Branch Manager
ECG Achimota- St. John’s
EXTORTION TACTICS ON INNOCENT CUSTOMERS BY PERSONNEL
For a moment I was hesitant to write to you for two reasons. First, for fear that this complaint may not be given the needed attention, and at worse, that it could lead to non-response by your personnel to my future ECG related challenges. Either way I accept the consequence. It all happened on Thursday April 6, 2017.
I own a Corm-Mill in the Dome-Market, and my operator called my attention to a metering problem. I relayed the problem to the customer service desk. Specifically, the transparent cover of the meter that enables one to read the screen had gone off, whilst, one of the mini-wires that connect straight to the meter was also burnt. The customer service desk took my complaint and told me to see one Mr. Thomas. I saw Thomas, a rare character from how the bible describes him, as he was very homely and never “doubted” any portion of my complaint. However, his rendezvous were not so sacrosanct. He whispered to me that management was locked up in a meeting and is yet to give the dispatch team any resource for the day so they could attend to customer complaints.
He then called one of the field guys to attend to me. Thomas in the presence of this field guy (I can’t recollect the name) insisted I pay for his transport and when the work is done I give the field guy “something” as it is usually said in our local parlance. I told him am never going to pay anything, to which he responded, I thought you needed it as soon as practicable. Of course, he knows I need it as soon as practicable other than that the whole meter could be burnt in a matter of months, if not days, and yet, he would do nothing because I’m unwilling to pay. What I find more repugnant, sir, is right in your service hall there are numerous advertisement that caution customers not to pay for any illegitimate dealings.
I am lost for words. Just maybe am being overly emotional. But don’t I have the right to? Perhaps, to your field personnel Corn mill is equivalent to the “cherry pie” or to use a word many Ghanaians can relate to “gallamsey’ where everyone ought to have a share of the booty. Sir, again kindly permit me a “rosser coaster” ride on this emotive road. Granted even that corn mill is the latest “gallamsey”, if I juxtapose what I pay for power as a Corn mill owner to ECG in a typical month with how much “gallamsey” kingpins pay to work hands and other illegitimate interests for protection in a month, I dare say I pay far more for apparently less value. As the saying goes “he who feels it knows, knows it all”. Sir, I do not think that “gallamsey” kingpins spent more than 60% of monthly incomes on just one expenditure component which in my case is electricity. In January, alone, my itemized bill evidence that i paid in excess of ghc 2000, which your database would tell you if you sir, respectively, are minded to check.
Aside this, there are other operational costs and loses as an entrepreneur I bear. So forgive me, sir, when I get enrage on micro-level issues like these which could be fix within some few minutes, as your people made me aware and yet would not attend to me because I refuse to hand over a booty beyond 60% +, of which I pay in advance every time I purchase power. Sir, I am willing to avail my good self for any clearer and better clarification or information if your outfit would require. Attach is a photocopy of my customer complaint number handed me at your office, and my personal phone number. I am eagerly looking forward for an action on my complaint as I do not want the meter fully burnt to incur additional costs.
Kind regards,
KWAME OWUSU-ANSAH
Cc: Director, ECG
Director, P.U.R.C