Everyone knows that the cost of energy to households and businesses is one of the issues that most Australians are concerned about. Some people want to talk about little else and we all just want our bills to stop going up and start coming down.
The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) has spent a couple of years looking into the cost of electricity and the myriad factors at play and coming up with a host of recommendations for doing something to address the issue of rising prices.
The ACCC has also just released the fourth interim report of its ongoing inquiry into gas supply arrangements in Australia.
Unfortunately, they’re complex issues that can’t be solved with the stroke of a pen or flick of a switch, so we’re destined to be talking about this subject for a while.
For the record, we’re as conscious of cost as anyone, and trying hard to keep our bills as low as possible.
Meanwhile, we’re doing everything we can to be the best energy retailer in the business, so – putting the overall cost of electricity and gas aside – we’d like to know what matters most to you when it comes to your energy retailer.
Here’s what we think you think, but please let us know in the comments section of our Facebook page whether we’re on the money or not.
Clarity
Various reports have suggested that dealing with the retail energy sector can be confusing, particularly when there are terms and conditions, not to mention the difficulty of comparing offers across retailers. We’re determined to keep things clear, removing some of the jargon and minimising the number of conditions around signing up, switching plans, and paying your bills.
Customer service
Everyone’s circumstances and needs might be a little different, but one that’s mutually agreed is that if and when you do run into a problem, that the company will listen and help to resolve it. We know we get it wrong now and again – that’s just being human. What matters is how we work with you to fix any issue you have. If you do need to contact us directly we want it to be clear that we do value your business and support.
Flexibility
We understand that people can be reluctant to be locked in to something, particularly when they feel that their circumstances may change (or that a better offer might come along!). So Globird Energy has made it a point that whatever you sign up for, you can change the contract type at any time. No fixed terms and no penalty for termination.
Locality
Some people feel better about doing business with a smaller, local company rather than a national or multinational one that might not understand their circumstances as well. We think being based in two-storey building in suburban Mitcham is a good thing – not to mention having our customer service team right here on site, so any queries can be handled efficiently.
Besides that, we think Australians have a certain informality to how they interact. It’s hard to explain: it’s like the vibe in the movie The Castle. To give you a good customer experience we need to be on your wavelength, and there’s nothing like a local call centre for that. It does cost more, but people just find it easier to deal with people who get them. We don’t use overseas call centres; our call centre is proudly based in Melbourne. It’s nice to keep jobs in Australia, but it’s more about staying in tune with customers.
Simplicity
Things shouldn’t be so hard, particularly in this day of online transactions. We started by making the process of comparing our offers with your current bill as simple as possible – no need to enter your personal or contact details – and we’ve tried to carry that through to whenever you need to contact us for anything and, of course, receiving and paying your bills.
Help us improve
We may not be able to control every aspect of energy prices from generation, distribution, and all the bits in between, but we are doing what we can within our own walls. Most significantly, we’re keeping our overheads as low as possible so that we can be a viable business with manageable costs, while being more than competitive in the market.
Meanwhile, we can keep trying to improve the way we do business with you, so please let us know how we can do that. Is it one of the above points or is it something different that matters most to you?
Because we do value your perspective, we’re offering a small incentive to give us some constructive feedback: the three best comments will earn one month of free Globird Energy (one of either electricity or gas, if you have both).