Synergy is built around servicing the client. Or, rather, it ought to be. Their function is actually to take money for Electricity and pass it on to Western Power. They don’t provide a tangible service, but do take a big cut.

Once every few months, a Western Power representative will come around to your house and read your electricity meter. The reading is passed on to Synergy who add value by sending you a bill or fielding your complaint. After Telstra, they are probably the worst service company I’ve ever experienced (one of the best is Iinet by the way, but more about them another time). When Telstra is up there going for gold in the stupid company olympics, Synergy are right beside them with silver. Try as they might, they just can’t beat Australia’s mighty Telco to the podium. It’s a very sad state of affairs. Large Australian companies acting like three year old babies.

And it makes me angry.

My Synergy Tale

I moved into a new house last year, paid Synergy what was owing on the last electricity bill and settled in. Put my feet up, read the newspaper, arranged the furniture etc.

Three months later, I get a bill in the mail. Mail redirection working – that’s good.

Synergy sent me an estimate, based on 1.5 units consumption per day. A total of $420. But they hadn’t read the meter. It was an estimate. “Hm. Seems a bit expensive,” thought I. I often sit at home in the dark, building websites on my computer. Sometimes late into the night. I love my job. All my bulbs are 10 watt, energy efficient globes. “I’ll get around to checking that wayward bill next week”.

Three days later, I receive an additional estimate from Synergy. This time, the estimate was based on 8.5 units consumption per day and the bill was for an extra $100. That’s the equivalent to a jackhammer running 24/7 full steam whilst chickens roast in an electric oven day and night.

I called Synergy to query the two completely different estimates and asked them to explain the wildly different estimates. They told me I had to pay the $520 total OR I’d be put on a bad debts register. The assistant basically threatened legal action should I refuse to pay the bill. Ugh! Borrrring.

I went and read the meter myself, calculating the total bill at a modest $180. Which I promptly paid into their account before calling them back.

We’re sorry but your meter has to be read by a Western Power representative. We’ll hold off on the deadline for your estimated bill if you pay and additional $20 fee to have Western Power come and read your meter. Either pay the $20 OR $520 – the extra money will be credited to your electricity account. Up to you.

Very angry. I was the one who had to pay for their mistake.

Twenty bucks later, a Western Power man came, read the meter and sent his number in to Synergy. It turns out I’d under-estimated the charge by ten dollars. I put another $20 into their account and started searching for the Electricity Ombudsman.

Two days ago, I got a bill for a late payment fine. Brilliant. Watch out Telstra, your gold medal is in jeopardy.

How to Complain about Synergy WA

I’ve already lodged my complaint with the State Energy Ombudsman. I suggest you do the same because I’m betting, seeing as how we’re all creatures of habit, that you’ve had a similar experience with Synergy recently. If you have had weird dealings with them, please let me know in the comments.

I'd like time this year. To learn the piano or another musical instrument would be swell.

I quit teaching and making docos last year. That means my source of income this year is Geoffrey Multimedia. I’m also doing a bit of work for my friends at Itomic as it happens. Interface design. Photoshop stuff.

So I spent yesterday clearing out the cobwebs, updating Geoffrey and organising myself for the steady stream of client work that will become 2010.

I don’t have any resolutions per se, but I would like to lose about 10kgs, BLOG every day, sort out admin issues over the next couple of months and eat healthy! I worry that making too many resolutions will set me up for a fall. It has in the past. I’m sure you’re familiar with “best intentions” and unresolved resolutions.

So here’s to a productive New Year everyone. Happy 2010.

Your Honor, this man unsubscribed from our email list. How shall we punish him?

“You have been unsubscribed from our email list, sorry to see you go.

Thank you”

Such was the auto-email I received from Alertsite moments after un-subscribing from their boring email list. They’re not sorry to see me go, they’re clearly angry to see me go and have decided to punish me by adding me to their email blacklist. Nobody wants to be added to a blacklist, so I’m guessing that about 50% of un-subscribers are probably going to email the nice Alertsite administrator pleading to be put back on the list.

This is just one of many examples of huge companies acting like three year olds. Here’s another, but I’m sort of over that one. Or at least I will be once Telstra loses their grip on all those slippery broadband cables. :)

This isn’t the only awful company policy I’ve experienced lately. A number of companies have recently sent emails asking me to share their great deals with my friends. One music software company, as a Christmas present, sent me a $30 gift voucher – which I was very pleased about – until I read that it was for a friend. Sadly I don’t have friends who could use this. But even more sad was the fact that the voucher was $30 off something I’d bought recently.

Sadly, the world is filled with insecure people who have turned themselves into massive corporate entities. Hopefully, that will sort itself out. I’m not holding my breath.

Google Adwords Vs. Me

Ugh! Just the title of this post is so against my raison d’être and yet advertise we must if we want to run a business. I’ve just re-launched Geoffrey Multimedia Website Design.

As Seth Godin so graciously points out (I’m a fan) we need to do one of two things. Make a BIG splash, or burn our reputation slowly into potential customer’s minds. I once read in a book called “Customer Loyalty – How to Earn It, How to Keep It” that it takes 7 times the effort to find a new client as it does an old one.

I’ve spent the last few nights (between slowly marked assignments) bidding on Adwords. A bid for the phrase “Perth website design” cost $17 at one point and over the 3 days I ran this campaign, while I got 4,000 ad impressions (that’s when your ad is seen). In total I got about 20 clicks (people who clicked the ad) for $50! Can you believe that? . . .

I have a sneaking suspicion (based on my server statistics) that the people who clicked were other website designers just trying to rib me. I’m really not cut out for this marketing stuff. And yet I love doing websites so much. I think I’ll contact some of my high traffic clients and ask to stick a professional ad on their site.

Otherwise, Google will just get bigger and probably eat me.

When things feel too comfortable, it's probably time to move on.

Ever had the feeling that you’re overstaying your welcome? You’ve become part of the furniture? The money isn’t good enough? There’s no more beer in the fridge? Well. That’s where I am. I’m the guy in the kitchen, drinking water because there’s no beer. “Time to leave, Buddy.”

I’m not sure what it is, but humans are definitely creatures of habit. And yet, there comes a time when our habits start to really grate. Inside. We get irritated and unhappy with our lot and then it’s time to move on. This crystal clear moment of realisation doesn’t come out-of-the-blue. There are signs. In fact there’s a noticeable pathway. One we tread continuously.

Heroes tread this path and we should really learn what we can from them. Heroes always leave at the right time. It’s up to us to figure out when that is. We all need to be heroes.

Here’s an example:

A new job

Emotional state as the days drone on :

1. Excitement
   When you first get the job
2. Satisfaction
   Your salary is bigger than the effort
3. Repetition
   The job has boundaries
4. Boredom
   The job has limits
5. Stagnation
   You find yourself dragging yourself out of bed to get to work
6. Irritation
   Your boss has become a BOSS

Then comes the feeling of overstaying your welcome.

Which one of these moments is the time to tip your hat? Have you been meaning to quit for some time now?