>> Click here to read the press release (in French) <<
The Director of Mediation’s role is to help consumers resolve their disputes with professionals and to offer recommendations to improve the operating processes of the different departments of the company in question. Each year, his annual report, which is a regulatory obligation, outlines elements relating to his assignment, information about the requests received, the analysis of cases handled and the detailed recommendations made.
In 2021, the total number of real referrals from private individuals received by Director of Mediation, within the meaning of the French Consumer Code, decreased significantly by 41% compared to 2020, totalling 2,527 requests. However, we have noted an increase in the number of private mediation cases handled in 2021, i.e.
6.5% more than in 2020.
The most common mediation cases concerned ENGIE’s energy supply subsidiaries, which cover several millions of customers and energy contracts.
90% (compared to 89% in 2020) of the solutions proposed by the Mediation service in 2021 were accepted by the parties and implemented, enabling the disputes to be definitively resolved. In total, 92% of those who made a request to the Mediation service declared that they were satisfied with the actions of the ENGIE Group Director of Mediation in 2021, compared to 90% in 2020.
This level of satisfaction is essentially due to the involvement of the Mediation service in resolving the requests handled, while the level of demand from applicants is increasing.
These results have shown that the Mediation process is fast and efficient: 56% of mediation cases were resolved in under 60 days, and 86% in under 90 days (legal requirement - Order of 20 August 2015 in France - handling within 90 days), a timeframe that can be compared to that of legal proceedings. The average handling time for a mediation case was 58 days in 2021 (compared to 63 in 2020).
Key information for 2021:
- cases involving electricity were most common;
- 21.5% of mediation cases involved the services sector;
- a decrease of 41% in referrals from private individuals;
- an improved internet application portal.