I wrote this on the 30th April 2007:

I have been trying to call British Gas for almost an hour now, I used to work for them, and all I need is a telephone number or email address for the HR/recruitment department.

I have been tentatively offered a new job based on my work references, but as I have been self employed for 3 years, I have none. Which is why I need to contact BG, to get someone to give me a reference. Everyone that I have kept in touch with from there have also left…

First call: I get dumped back into the queue by a surly Scot, who decides when he hears the words “worked” and “British Gas” that I want to work there, and cannot understand that I don’t. he pops me on hold and that’s it.

Second call: I get given an HR number, for a company that handled outsourced calls for BG! And of course, they have no contact numbers.

So then I email, using the house.co.uk form, firstly it doesn’t want me to send it, as I have no reference number, so I make one up. And then it goes! Hurrah*

* And I get a response that it may take up to 7 days to answer me!

• I rang them again yesterday (1st May 2007) and I was on hold for 20 minutes and still no joy! Oh and incidentally, no response to any of the emails.

To be continued…

• Added 2nd May, I called again today, and “All of our systems were down”

• Added 3rd May, I am finally getting somewhere, one of my ex bosses has responded to her email from me this morning. *Don’t hold your breath*
• Added 4th May, I have the address and I have emailed it! You know how I got it? A lovely friend of mine (Icklepeach on b3ta) has a friend who works for BG and she got the address of her payslip! Still nothing from BG themselves.
• Added 5th May, I got an email from BG this morning, with the telephone number on, but no address…