Chongqing Gas Group, frequently making headlines with negative news and hot searches, once again finds itself at the center of public opinion. Residents in Chongqing noticed their natural gas meters shaking continuously for several days, causing concerns about potential accidents. Upon calling the gas company, staff shockingly replied, “If someone dies, the country will compensate.”
A 16-second video circulating online shows a vertically-mounted pipe with a natural gas meter hanging on it, both shaking continuously, resembling the sound of a motor or a rotating belt.
According to Da Feng News, a resident in a community in Nanan District of Chongqing mentioned that on February 14th, he suddenly noticed this phenomenon. After observing for three consecutive days, he reported the issue to Chongqing Gas Group on February 17th, expressing his fear of potential explosions and casualties. He stated that to his surprise, the staff responded the next evening by saying, “If someone dies, the country will compensate, don’t worry.”
On the evening of February 19th, personnel from Chongqing Gas Group visited the aforementioned resident to apologize for the inappropriate response from their employee. They conducted an inspection of the pipeline and gas meter in his home, discovering a gas leak at the connection point of the gas meter. They then performed a complete replacement and inspected the natural gas pipeline in the building.
The incident of “gas meter shaking, staff saying compensation will be provided for deaths” went viral, sparking discussions online.
User “45° Moonlight 3db3b” commented: “It’s Chongqing Gas Group again.”
User “Baidu netizen 11eebab” remarked: “Their attitude is extremely arrogant. If someone really dies and the company has to pay a hefty fine, will the staff still have the same attitude?”
An article by commentator Wu Shuangjian from Extreme Vision News questioned why the staff had uttered such ominous words like “the country will compensate” in response to homeowners. The supply of gas is a critical matter concerning people’s livelihood, especially when it comes to safety, and relevant companies should prioritize serving customers endlessly and promptly addressing complaints.
The article pointed out that the response of “the country will compensate for deaths” indicates a lack of consideration for customers’ rights, displaying a kind of reckless attitude of “we can just pay the money.” While Chongqing Gas Group may be financially sound, with annual profits in the billions, can issues concerning human lives be resolved with money? If accidents occur due to gas-related incidents, the personnel involved might even face legal consequences.
It is worth mentioning that just a few days ago, local regulatory authorities reported four main issues with Chongqing Gas Group:
1. Chaotic meter reading cycles: Gas meter reading cycles lack standardization and are disorderly, leading to inaccurate data recording.
2. Frequent instances of improper estimated and incorrect meter readings: Errors in estimated and meter readings still occur frequently, affecting accurate billing.
3. Inadequate workforce deployment: Insufficient workforce leads to an inability to effectively tackle daily challenges.
4. Inadequate preparation for billing cycle adjustments: Inadequate preparation for adjusting billing cycles has caused a certain level of management confusion.
Since January this year, residents have continuously reported abnormal gas charges by Chongqing Gas Group, urging the company to address and resolve complaints, totaling 7198 cases.
Wu Shuangjian’s article highlighted the significance of this complaint figure. Ultimately, it reflects the disregard of customer interests by Chongqing Gas Group. Under such public pressure, the fact that staff members are adding fuel to the fire is particularly puzzling, raising doubts about the company’s actual progress in rectification.
Chongqing Gas Group has been trending frequently since last year, even facing a severe public opinion crisis. The main reasons include multiple reports from users about abnormal gas charges, billing errors, and service quality issues. Problems such as chaotic meter reading cycles, frequent estimation errors, and improper billing cycle adjustments have led to numerous complaints and dissatisfaction from a large number of users.
These issues have attracted widespread public attention and generated numerous negative reports on social media and news platforms. Such crises of public opinion have had a significant impact on the company’s image and reputation.