The Minister for Energy, Herbert Krapa, has urged the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to strive harder to win back the trust of the customers they serve.
According to him, winning back the trust of the customers of the company is not a mere goal but a necessity for the growth of the company.
In the wake of growing discontent among electricity consumers, the Minister for Energy, Herbert Krapa, in the company of high-ranking officials of the ministry, paid a visit to the ECG Customer Service Center in Accra on Friday, August 16, 2024.
The visit was prompted by numerous complaints from the public regarding ECG’s services, particularly around inconsistent billing, delayed responses to faults, and the challenging process of obtaining meters.
“The trust that once existed between ECG and the people has significantly eroded,” the minister stated, adding that “winning back that trust is not just a goal; it’s a necessity for the future of this organization.”
CONSISTENT
Outlining the need for meeting the expectations of customers, Minister Krapa noted that trust is built through consistent, transparent communication and efficient service delivery.
He recommended to the ECG management to prioritise customer satisfaction by ensuring that all interactions with customers are handled promptly and professionally.
He opined that every promise made to the customer must be fulfilled, citing that when a customer is told that an issue will be resolved within 24 hours, ECG must make every effort to honour that commitment.
“The current turnaround time for resolving issues is simply unacceptable,” the official said.
“We need to see a significant improvement where customer complaints are addressed within hours, not days. This is not just about fixing faults; it’s about restoring confidence in ECG’s ability to serve the public efficiently. Trust is built on reliability,” he remarked.
PUBLIC EDUCATION
The Minister for Energy, Herbert Krapa, called on the ECG to enhance its public education efforts, ensuring that customers are aware of how to access services and what to expect. He said that transparency in communication, coupled with a genuine effort to meet customer needs, will go a long way in rebuilding the trust that has been lost.
FIELDTEAMS
Recognising the pressing need to improve customer service, the management of the ECG was urged to take immediate and concrete actions to address customer concerns.
The minister pointed out the need for ECG to deploy more technical teams on the ground to ensure faster response times.
“The technical capacity is there, but the teams are overstretched. We need to increase the number of field teams, especially in areas where complaints are most frequent. This will not only reduce response times but also improve the quality of service.”
METER INSTALLATION
Another critical issue addressed was the backlog of meter installations. With over a million meters needed to be deployed, the minister stressed the urgency of accelerating this process.
“Meters are the lifeline of ECG’s revenue collection, and without them, the entire system suffers. It’s imperative that we speed up the deployment process to meet the growing demand and reduce the backlog,” he said.
The minister ended the visit with a strong reminder to ECG’s leadership that “the success of this organization lies in its ability to listen to its customers and respond swiftly and effectively.
“Every complaint that goes unresolved is a missed opportunity to build trust. Let’s work together to fix these concerns and make ECG a service provider that Ghanaians can rely on.”
PRESENTATION
The Head of the ECG Customer Service Directorate, Dr. Belinda Yeboah Dwamena, made a presentation on the customer service at ECG.
According to her, though the process of acquiring meters has been simplified, “customers still find it difficult coming to us.”
She blamed the work of middlemen and urged the public to contact them directly through their official social media handles or by walking to their offices.
She took the minister and his delegation through the processes of acquiring meters and how complaints are also dealt with.
She mentioned that the major problem of the customer service is illegality, explaining that people find ways to steal power, while others scam customers in the name of helping them to acquire meters.
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
The Minister for Energy asked for the medium through which they receive customer complaints. The Head of the ECG Customer Service, Dr. Belinda Yeboah Dwamena, mentioned the processes, including using social media or customer walk-ins.
Responding to the average timelines for solving customer complaints, she mentioned 24 hours, 48 hours, and more depending on the customer’s complaints.
The minister asked for a report on the digital application process to secure a meter or other services. He was taken through the step-by-step process on the ECG Power App.
A test call was placed during the meeting for the minister to experience live how the call service agents handle customers who call to lodge complaints.
Gladly, the gentleman who received the call at the Achimota service station handled the caller professionally, to the admiration of all.
