The Anonymous Widower

How To Manage Dormant Accounts

This afternoon, I got an e-mail from William Hill, the bookmakers.

It said that I hadn’t used the account for some time and would I like to use some of the money there to have a bet.

Quite frankly, I’d clearly forgotten I had the account and I think the last time I used it was well before 2007, as I know C was still alive.  I think she had asked me to put money on a horse in the Grand National.

They said there was about £50 in the account, which let’s face it, buys a reasonable meal around here for two.

On trying to login, the site told me the account was locked and would I contact them through the on-line chat button.

I did this and after about an hour of patient chat, I got a new password and they unlocked the account so I could log in.

I then updated the account with my new address, phone number and credit card and then duly withdrew the balance.

Perhaps after the good service I’d got, that was a bit mean.

But it does show how if you manage your customer support well, you can get customers pleased with your company.

So thanks to William Hill, I’m now going to have a free meal.

How many other betting companies or financial institutions would have left the money there earning them interest?

I should also contrast this episode with the service, I’ve received from a well-known energy company (Not nPower or British Gas!) who supplied electricity and gas to the tenants of this house, before I bought it.

When I took over the house, I felt that it might be easier to stay with this company.  But after waiting on the phone for twenty minutes or so to contact them, I gave up and went elsewhere.

I did owe them a small amount for when they supplied me until nPower took over, but they did try it on a bit and I still haven’t received what I consider to be a properly audited bill. E-mails to the company are unanswered and I have spent quite some time trying to phone them. I have spoken to friends and most feel that this company has a miserable standard of cutomer support at best.

So if I haven’t heard by Friday, I’ll probably pay the bill in a manner that A P Herbert would have approved of.

I of course advise anybody who uses the company to seriously think about getting an alternative supplier.

May 18, 2011 - Posted by AnonW | World | Betting, Electricity, Natural Gas