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Energy firms 'must listen to customers'

Written by Mark Stephens

Energy providers need to "up their game" when it comes to relating to customer needs, a price comparison website has said.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, explained that a lack of "sharp" focus on customers is holding energy firms back.

She added that although they have a strong engineering presence, energy companies need to understand that the "game has changed".

"I think they should be listening to their own customers a lot more. For instance, E.ON about three years ago, were providing very poor customer service," Ms Robinson said.

"What E.ON actually did was to [make] … a real effort to improve their service. I'm not saying they are perfect, as they are not, but we have seen the results of beginning to concentrate on how they could make things better."

The comments come in response to a report from energy watchdog Ofgem which found that just one in four customers were satisfied with the way in which their complaints were dealt with.

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Further information:

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Media/PressRel/Documents1/Complaints.pdf