False complaints against store staff, question...

[MasterRaid]

Hi,

 

My son has recently been having issues with gas supplier,

 

despite constant emails and letters to them,

 

they've not responded or come to fix his gas meter.

 

He can't phone them due to suffering with nerves and anxiety.

 

He gets really panicky on a phone, and it causes breathing issues. He has explained this, but still no reply.

 

For some reason, which to be honest I can't figure out,

he decided to see what the usual time for a response is at other types of shop.

 

So he emailed a complaint to 2 different high street stores, one cafe, and an internet only site.

 

He emailed a false complaint, to see how quickly people would reply to him to see if he was being unreasonable expecting a quicker response from his gas supplier.

 

He got an email back from one of them, wanting more info, which he made up and gave them.

 

Now an issue he made up, is being investigated.

 

His plan was to wait for them to get in touch again, and then explain his situation that he was investigating average response times to complaints.

 

But I'm worried he's actually going to get himself in trouble for the lies.

 

Is there a legal issue here, or is it just a nuisance complaint?

 

either way, I'm making him email them now to explain but want to know if there's any legal issues

that present themselves or if it's something stores deal with often, and just gets brushed aside as a waste of time.

 

Thanks for understanding

[rebel11]

Hi MasterRaid

 

Welcome to CAG

 

If it causes the business to lose money because of the wasted time then possibly, but I can't see them doing anything. They would have to prove that they lost money because of his actions.

 

Also the employees being accused of doing something they haven't done, won't be too thrilled with any accusations and could potentially face disciplinary action.

 

Most companies have customer service charters/standards, always look those up.

[MasterRaid]

Thanks. I've emailed the companies now to explain, apart from one of them I dont think any of the complaints had had the time to be escalated. But hopefully it will be sorted out now.

[rebel11]

If he wants to do that, some companies recruit mystery shoppers who provide feed back on the company to the management. That would be good, he would get paid too.

 

Thanks. I've emailed the companies now to explain, apart from one of them I dont think any of the complaints had had the time to be escalated. But hopefully it will be sorted out now.

[MasterRaid]

I'll let him know about the mystery shoppers thing. I think he'd be really good at that, he's got a good eye and great memory. He just has trouble understanding a few things if they're not affecting himself directly. But with mystery shopping I guess it would be.