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Customer feedback is consistent and clear: householders do not want the intrusion of door knockers seeking to sell them energy contracts, EnergyAustralia said today.
EnergyAustralia Group Executive Manager of Retail, Adrian Merrick, said large and small energy retailers must do the hard work of developing sales channels that met the expectations of customers.
“Customers have told us they find door knocking intrusive, and that they want to control when and how they interact with energy retailers,” Mr Merrick said.
“As the industry moves away from door knockers, it is critical that we do the hard work of developing other sales channels, so that we can continue to have strong competition.”
Mr Merrick’s comments followed an announcement today from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that it had sought and received a court enforceable undertaking from energy retailer, Lumo, over conduct of door-to-door salespeople in 2012.
Earlier this year, the ACCC ordered AGL to pay over $1.5 million for illegal door-to-door selling practices, and it filed court proceedings in relation to past door-to-door selling practices against EnergyAustralia and four marketing and sales companies engaged by EnergyAustralia.
“Whether they are providing their feedback directly to retailers or to regulators, the feedback from customers on door knocking is consistent and clear,” Mr Merrick said.
“Door knocking was our most complained about sales channel.”
On 25 February this year, EnergyAustralia was the first energy company to announce that it would cease doorknocking nationwide, based on feedback from customers.
AGL and Origin have followed EnergyAustralia’s lead and also withdrawn from doorknocking.
Mr Merrick said EnergyAustralia had made strong gains in developing other sales channels, particularly online.