Superior Plus Energy Services, Inc.

We do apologize for the service you received as a automatic delivery customer. I have changed your delivery schedule to more frequent intervals and applied a fifty dollar credit to...

your account for any inconvenience this may have caused.
[redacted]
General Manager, Southern N.Y.
Superior Plus Energy Services

Complaint ID [redacted]
[redacted]                 ...

                                                                                                                        12/24/14
 
To whom it
may concern:
In responding to the
service complaint ID [redacted] our investigation of this account and the events
surrounding this complaint, we have found the following:
1st The
cleaning referenced was performed on 2/20/14
2nd The
cleaning billed at that time was $ 211.56 including all applicable taxes  stands to be irrelevant to the complaint at
hand, due to the timing of the cleaning in February and the known fact that the
boiler would have still been used during the following 30-60 days after the
cleaning. Taking deliveries on 3/7 and again on 6/19.
3rd October 2nd
the customer did in fact request a service call due to NO HEAT/ NO HOT WATER.
At this point the technicians did respond to the request and repair the issue.
Replacing a zone valve in the unit and allowing the hot water to flow properly
with total service billed of $330.70.
   November 29 2014 Customer called reporting
again a heating problem in the home. At this time the technician again
responded and diagnosed problem with an immediate but temporary fix in order to
keep heat going within residence. In this case our internal office staff should
have recognized services performed as “temporary fix” and followed up with
proper parts being ordered and scheduled return service call to install.
The customer did have to
make return calls to the company to get this problem resolved. On the 17th
of December the customer’s final call was made and at this point a technician
was dispatched and replaced the part(s) as needed to rectify the issue.
   We recognize our service to our valued
customer on final repair we did not respond in a timely manner that is required
and or expected. For this reason the service bill(s) post October 2nd
have not and will not be billed to the customer (parts or labor). In addition
we will be applying a credit on the customers act in the amount of $25.00 for
the lack of follow up and or response to resolve his heating emergency.
 Please if there are any
further concerns or issues with this complaint contact me directly at
###-###-#### or e-mail [redacted]@griffithenergy.com.
 Thank you for your
consideration in this matter.
 [redacted]
CSC Manager @ Superior
Plus Energy

To fully understand this situation I think its important
that a compete history is given.
Customer moved into a location that had our propane tanks on
site, connected and in use.  We were
unaware of previous customers move and this customer...

moving in.  11/21/12 delivery was made as previous account
was on automatic delivery.  Customer
called 12/10/12 stating that they are now in this location. New customer offer
was made and complainant agreed to become a customer with terms listed as a ‘load
to load” customer.
Customer is on an automatic delivery known as “load to load”,
meaning we will automatically deliver as long as their account is up to date with
pervious delivery paid for.  This customer
fully understands the credit terms for automatic delivery on load to load terms
as they have had deliveries held previously for nonpayment.  Normal “auto” delivery customers (good
credit) are extended credit with 30 days without the load to load restrictions.
This customer did not meet our credit requirements for “normal auto” delivery
terms however was extended credit under our auto-load to load delivery terms.
Please note credit history below:
2/25/13 – Delivery made. 
Several late notices and phone calls were sent and made to the customer
in an attempt to get account up to date. Customer made 3-$25 payments (3/4/13,
8/22/13, and 10/15/13).  Customer made final
payment against 2/25/13 delivery on 11/6/13 as they were on verge of running
empty.  Customer was 9 months in arrears
before account was brought up to date for delivery. Customer received delivery
11/09/13.
Customer did not make any payments’ on account nor did they
communicate with us any situation that was delaying payment. Should they have
called we would have been willing to make arrangements for a payment plan that
may have allowed deliveries to continue. Unfortunately they failed to do so and
their account remained on hold as they had an outstanding balance over 60 days
with no payment attempts made.
1/19/14 – Customer called in after-hours and spoke to our customer
service rep. Customer agreed that they were out and it was because they had a
past due balance. Rep explained that she would send a tech out with fuel to get
them going for the night for $120 or 30% of past due balance.   The rep explained that they would have to
discuss delivery after service with the office the next day. The rep did not
state that a delivery was guaranteed with the $120 payment.  Tech was sent and customer received 16 gallons
of propane and started equipment. Tech did state that the call would be no
charge if the customer was in fact on “auto” delivery (without load to load
terms).  The technicians are not supplied
with all credit info and he did not know that the customer was a ‘load to load”
delivery customer. Customer asked the tech about a delivery and the tech also
stated that they would have to call the office in the morning to discuss.
Customer called in Monday 1/20/14 afternoon asking why a
full delivery had not been made.  Our
credit representative explained that we would need the account paid in full for
the next delivery to be released. 
Customer stated that she understood from the night call service rep that
a delivery was released as she paid $120 towards the account. Credit rep
explained that is not the case and the $120 towards the current balance and
delivery would not be released until the acct is paid in full as her account has
always been “load to load” requiring previous delivery be paid in full before
the next was to be released.
1/20/14 - Customer again called in after hours asking for a
delivery.  Customer was again advised to
call the office in the morning to discuss. 
Customer called in and spoke with our credit rep again, and again, she
was told a delivery would be made once account was paid in full per the load to
load terms.   That afternoon customer’s husband
called in and spoke with our credit rep. Mr. was extremely irate using foul language
and vulgarities. Our rep then passed the call me, the customer service center
manager.  Mr. was also extremely irate,
using vulgarities and incoherent at times. 
Several times I attempted to calm Mr. down to no avail. I made several
attempts to interject as Mr. would continually begin yelling whenever I attempted
to speak. I made Mr. aware that should he continue with the vulgarities and
yelling that I would have to end the call. 
Mr. continued on and I was forced to end the call.  Mr. then called back and we were able to have
a conversation.  He explained that he
does not get paid until Friday 1/24/14 and he would not have any funds available
until then to put on the account. He also explained that they filed bankruptcy last
year and should not have to pay the balance owed. I explained that was
incorrect and we were unaware of this.  I
asked as to why he did not call us and explain the situation asking for an extension
or some type of payment plan. He stated he was advised not to. I explained that
should they have taken that step we probably would not be in the situation we
are now.  He then claimed that we were
incompetent as we were notified of the bankruptcy filing by his lawyer. I
explained that we never received such notification. I could tell that the call
was going downhill again quickly and offered to listen to the night service
call from 1/19/14 to get some clarity and determine exactly what was discussed.
I explained that he had enough gas to get thru the night and I would reconnect
with him the next day to discuss. He agreed.
I did research and determined that he was told that the $120
towards the balance would allow the tech to come and deliver propane to get
them by for the next few days. He was never told that $120 would release a full
delivery. I called Mr. back on 1/22/14 and explained this. I also agreed that
it could have been easily misunderstood and agreed to release a delivery of 100
gallons on 1/22/14 if he agreed to make a payment on the account Friday 1/24/14
for $200. This $200 would not clear the total balance but was a step in the
right direction. I explained that we could reconnect again in another week or
so to determine how we could work together to get keep his house warm with
continued propane deliveries and also get the account caught up. He told me he
would speak with his wife and get back to me. 
Customer (Mrs) called back on wed 1/23/14 to advise that she
has another company in place & for us to pick up the tanks. She also advised
that she received a bill for the service call on 1/19/214.  I apologized for the error and explained that
I would credit back the charge.  I also
explained that I was disappointed to lose them as a customer and offered our
service again should the new company she has in place not work out for her.  She thanked me for the reversing the charge
($120) and assured me that once the tanks were removed from her location that
she would pay the balance in full.
I believe we did all we could to work with this customer to
come to an agreed resolution. Unfortunately we could not come to an agreement. The
customer and I have spoken since this complaint was filed.  Per our conversation she has agreed to pay
the balance in full ($326.74) once her tanks are removed and credit for remaining
gas in tanks be placed on her account.
Thank you,
[redacted]
Customer Service Center Manger

Have this company for multiple service contracts. What a mistake, not to be repeated. Call either their local or 888 number and all you get is a recording of how important your call is to them. Do yourself a favor and stay as far away from Surperior Energy Plus as you can. They don't give a [redacted] about their customers!

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
A contract was signed when we began services with Griffin Energy, the office that supports Superior Energy, that is located in Watertown, NY.  When I asked about the large bill that we had at the begining of 2014 it was explained to me that we are set up on a schedule to get our tanks filled.  Most likely that schedule was a once a month basis.  At the begining of 2014 that schedule was ignored and out tanks were filled multiple times in a 30 day period.  I was told that because of the temperatures drastically changing and because of the hard winter customers tanks were being filled more often and that Griffin makes the determination on delivering more to their customers based on weather conditions and temperature.  Because of this my gas bill reached $1500.00!   
Now we are being subjected to the same thing again.  When I called in December 2014 to ask why my tanks had been filled on the 4th, the 16th, and the 24th I was told that they were only trying to prevent me from running out of gas.  That reasoning would be completely acceptable if the tanks were close to being empty, but this is not the case.  From the  December 4th to December 16th is only 12 days.  From the December 16th to December 24th is only 8 days.   When the truck came on the 16th I called and asked why my tanks were being filled again.  I was told that it was possbile that the delivery truck that came onDecember 4th possibly did not have enough to fill my tanks.  If that was the case I was not notified of my tanks not being topped off like there were supposed to be.  In that same conversation I was told that I was scheduled to have my tanks topped off on the 1st of January, but another truck came and filled my tanks again 8 days later, on December 24th. When I called on the 24th I was told that it is possible they went ahead and filled my tanks because they were "in the area" due to the fact that they have a limited number of drivers (which is not my problem).  Once a month means once a month unless otherwise requested by the homeowner; in which case additional fees will be applied (a win-win situation for Griffin because they make more money based on the need to charge a fee for an emergency filling request from the customer).
Perhaps the problem is that Griffin is not sticking to its customers contracted delivery times in addition to not using an efficient schedule for its "limited number of drivers".  Either way it is not fair to me, as a customer, to enter into a contract that is being ignored and to be charged fees (i.e. delivery fees every time they come to my home and fill my tanks) for deliveries that could have waited and should have been stopped especially if the driver sees that they delivered to the same home only 8 or 12 days earlier and the customer did not request a delivery.  The homes that the drivers deliver to are determined based on information that is genrated from the Griffin office.  Why is the office giving the drivers delivery schedules to the same house 3 times in a 20 day period if there is no record of the homeowner requesting a delivery?  They are taking advantage of customers and being opportunistic because the cost of gas is high right now. 
The bill that was left on my door on the 24th was for around $780 (I can't recall the exact amount).  I have paid $500 for that bill via the Superior Energy website.  It was paid on 2 January 2015.  The transaction number is 6807151859.  In order to resolve this issue I would like for any charges other than the cost of the gas to be removed from my account.  Once the charges have been removed I can pay the difference between the amount that I was billed on the 24th and the $500.00 that I already paid.   As I agreed with the customer service representative that I spoke with on the 24th; I will check my tanks regularly between now and 1 February.  If I see that they are below 10% I will call and request a delivery.
 
Regards,
[redacted]

Customer was received a $50 discount back at the time when this was questioned. Our CSR called customer today, 3/21/2014 and credited the account another goodwill adjustment of...

$25.
All contracts effective in 2013 included tank coverage which is part of the agreement and price.
Customer was happy with the adjustment.

Customer called on 8-11-14 and stated they were out of propane, they are not automatic delivery and our policy is that we need at least a 24 hour notice to be able to get there. The delivery was made on 8-12-14, customer is to keep an eye on their propane tank gauge and call us when they are at 20%, so we have enough time. We got there as quickly as we could. We feel that this was handled in a very timely manor.

The answer to the question "why is our price higher than other competitors" is far to complex to try to answer in this format. I will review the account personally for annual volume and determine if we are charging the proper price based on usage. The propane industry is going through a supply...

challenge during the high demands created by the severe cold weather we are experiencing the past two months. Pricing fluctuates daily based on available supply. Our commitment to our customers is to offer exceptional service at a fair price and most importantly assure available supply for our customers. I will contact the customer by phone and offer our best price based on product cost including all the variables that goes into market pricing. I will make every attempt to retain this customer and under no circumstances are we suggesting a customer should look elsewhere for propane service.

4/2/14      $959.76   Customer billed full tank 264.0 gallons
@3.599 plus 9.62 Hazmat Fee
0.0001pt;">5/4/14      14.40       Service Charge
5/16/14    300.00-    Payment 
6/3/14      9.90         Service Charge
6/20/14    400.00-    Payment 
7/6/14      3.90         Service Charge
7/15/14                    [redacted] called and said sold home;  Closing was on 7/3/14
8/5/14      3.90         Service Charge       (this was reversed 10/8/14)
8/22/14                    [redacted] called regarding her
balance     
9/4/14      3.90         Service Charge       (this was reversed 10/8/14)
9/19/14                    Refund in process
9/24/14    287.03     Refund issued
10/6/14                    Additional
adjustment – did not figure the refund correctly
10/7/14                    [redacted]
called about refund and said we did not pickup the tanks in a timely basis and that the new people used the 52 gallons not her
10/7/14                    Per [redacted] giving credit for the
52 gallons – new owner must have used the product
10/8/14    7.80-        Two service charges billed after
notification of home sale are reversed
                959.76-    Credit 264.0 gallons @ 3.599 plus 9.62
Hazmat Fee
10/8/14    384.77     Refund being processed

Strongly recommend not doing business with this company. We switched last fall for a lower propane cost but delivery has been an issue more than once. Missed deliveries, promises every day that they will deliver and assure us we won't run out. Then they say that they are delivering 8 gallons to every customer who is out, meaning that they have let many customers run out and intend to do the same to us. Called our previous provider and recommending all our neighbors do the same.

Hi [redacted],
 
34, 34); margin: 0px; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Below is the response I would like entered for complaint ID #[redacted].
 
Delivery was made on March 9th. I have credited $50 to your account for any inconvenience this has caused.
 
 
Thank you
 
 
[redacted]
General Manager, Southern N.Y.
Superior Plus Energy Services

Mr. [redacted],
 
We would like to apologize that this matter hasn't been settled in a more timely manner, as we understand that this has caused you frustration.
 
The billing error on your canceled account ([redacted]) has been corrected.  The...

propane tank rental fee that was billed to your canceled account has been removed, and the account balance has been returned to $0.00.  We have also effectively terminated and purged the account from our system, as to eliminate any errors in the future.
 
Thank you for your loyalty and patronage of our company, we appreciate it.
 
Sincerely,
Superior Plus Energy Services, Inc.

I am responding to the complaint by Mr.[redacted] 1/26/15.The charge of $106.92 was not a tank pick up fee.It was a service call we did for Mr [redacted] on 7/16/14.Mr.[redacted] had a new water heater installed and according to code any time a system is depressurized or a new...

appliance is added a system inspection must be done.The inspection was completed and the invoice for $106.92 was signed by Mrs.[redacted].
  Sincerely
  [redacted]
  Branch Manager Potsdam
  Griffith Energy

Unfortunately refund request had not been processed properly, therefore a check for the refund had not been sent.  Request has now been submitted and a check for the refund will be placed in the mail on 7/11/14.  Customer was contacted with explanation.

We do apologize for the service you received as an automatic delivery customer. Your delivery schedule has been reviewed and corrections made where necessary. I have applied a fifty dollar credit...

to your account for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Thank you
 
[redacted]
General Manager, Southern N.Y.

[redacted] Revdex.com Complaint
To whom it may concern,
I have spoken with [redacted] at [redacted]...

regarding her concerns as outlined in the Revdex.com complaint. After speaking with her we agreed to a course of action that provides her three options, they are:1. [redacted] will increase total annual gallons to a minimum of 1200, thereby making the our company’s investment in equipment a viable return on assets deployed
2. If [redacted]’s is unable to achieve 1200 gallons Superior Plus Energy will provide a Propane Cylinder Exchange cabinet and an inventory of 20lb tanks to offer her cliental the ability to get propane via tank exchange. This option allows [redacted] to continue to provide propane to their customer base
3. Final option would be to purchase the tank and pumping equipment.
After speaking with [redacted] she thanked me for these options and indicated she was satisfied that her complain with our company had been resolved.
 
Please direct any further questions to me at the contact points below.
John T[redacted]
 
 
Franklinville NY/Warren PA Manager
15470 Route 6
Warren PA 16365
###-###-#### - Office
###-###-####
###-###-#### - Cell [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The reason we do not accept their offered settlement is due to the fact that none of the desired outcomes were met or addressed. Their response is designed to appease me as an individual customer without addressing the underlying issue of prenotification of additional charges which is essential in good business practices, and what is expected of Griffith's reputation.
Secondly, the response does not address the equity of charges as it is based on delivery intervals, set by them, and not the volume of product delivered. These issues should be addressed for all of Griffith's customers and not just me.
Thankyou for your time on this matter.
 
Regards,  [redacted]

The original price of $2.59 was an introductory price for the first tank fill.  Subsequent deliveries would be at our retail posted pricing based on market conditions which is how deliveries have been made.  The price was not a guaranteed fixed price.  The State of CT mandates that...

every fixed price arrangement must be recognized by a signed contract and cannot auto renew; it must be renewed on an annual basis.  We have no such agreements with the customer.  Pricing during the 2013-14 heating season escalated signifciantly due to product supply transportation issues.  Wholesale costs of propane more than doubled during January and February 2014 resulting in propane consumers experiencing retails cost in excess of $4/gallon.  Prices have since declined during the month of March and average state prices are now in the upper $3 range.
The customer is on automatic delivery service, however, part of the service requires that the account is maintained within our credit terms of 30 days and below the established credit limit.  The limitation on delivery is due to the balance exceeding our established credit terms and our efforts to continue to provide the customer with fuel.  Payments have not been sufficient to reduce the balance to be within terms and our credit department is attempting to work with the customer in a manner that is consistent with our established delivery and credit policies for all of our customers.

In the interest of resolving this matter with the consumer, we have issued a credit to her account for the full amount of the...

delivery on 12/29 ($422.98).  Her account has been terminated per her request.

This customer was contacted by our Service Manager, [redacted]. They have rescheduled the cleaning for this Thursday and customer has been financially compensated for their inconvenience. 
We consider this to be resolved.