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‘Ms Nightmare’ great-grandmother sees the funny side after company’s complaint blunder
Janet Nightingale of Cromer, is shocked at an email to her from British Gas calling her Ms Nightmare. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2019
A north Norfolk great-grandmother says she was amused - if a little insulted - by a 'nightmare' error in a response to a letter of complaint.
Janet Nightingale of Cromer, is shocked at an email to her from British Gas calling her Ms Nightmare. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2019
As typing errors go, it may not have been the biggest, but customer Janet Nightingale said it was a "bloody cheek" when she was addressed in the letter as Ms Nightmare.
The grandmother-of-six and great-grandmother-of-one, who will be 80 next year, had just moved into a flat in Overstrand Road, Cromer, and wrote a letter to British Gas, complaining that she was unable to access her online account.
The return letter from the complaints department at British Gas said in bold letters "we're sorry you've had cause to complain" and then in smaller text "dear Ms Nightmare".
She said: "My initial thought was 'bloody cheek'. But then I thought 'what the hell. What's the point of complaining?'
Janet Nightingale of Cromer, is shocked at an email to her from British Gas calling her Ms Nightmare. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2019
"A neighbour had helped me write the letter and he thought it was quite funny too. It has given many of my friends some amusement."
She said she was proud of her surname, which, for some reason, proved particularly popular when she visited New Zealand, where her son lives.
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And it is perfectly fitting for her second Christian name - Florence.
She was helped to compose the letter of complaint by neighbour Stephen Scott-Fawcett, who was equally amused by the response.
He said: "Janet moved into a flat below me in Cromer and asked for help to complain to British Gas about their service. She received a standard complaints reply addressed to, wait for it, Ms Nightmare.
"You couldn't make it up."
Later on in the response, British Gas said they had been able to resolve her initial compliant.
She is now set up as the new tenant for the property and can select a tariff and payment method, it added.
A British Gas spokesman said: "Unfortunately our complaint handler made a typo in the spelling of Ms Nightingale's name, which he promptly corrected.
"We've been in touch to apologise for the genuine mistake."
