British Gas suspends doorstep selling
Energy giant British Gas has succumbed to consumer group pressure and suspended its doorstep selling activities temporarily.
The firm claims that the "increasingly outdated" sales tactic will result in a large reduction in the number of sales agents working in the field - although the moratorium on doorstep sales is only expected to last three months.
British Gas's managing director of energy Ian Peters noted: "Doorstep selling, in its current form, is no longer a sustainable way to engage or build a relationship with customers."
Consumer Focus led the charge against British Gas, criticising the energy supplier for apparently misleading consumers. But the group has welcomed the energy giant's proactive approach to reforming its cold calling practices.
British Gas said that it was planning on working closely with its customers and industry bodies to develop a new standard for its sales force.
The firm added that it has seen a steady decline in the number of doorstep sales people it uses in the past few years and claimed: "There is growing demand for appointment hyphen based face-to-face advice provided by trained energy experts in local communities."
Commenting on the three-month moratorium, Consumer Focus said in a statement: "We applaud the move and call for others to follow [British Gas's] lead. Cold call energy sales simply aren't what customers need or want."
This week, Phil Levermore of Ebico, a not-for-profit energy supplier, told the Daily Telegraph that the big players in the energy market are almost unshakeable but said smaller firms are more than capable of competing on both price and customer service levels.
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