I am angry, really angry. Just what do you have to do to get good customer service these days?

I have a couple of genuine examples from the past couple of days.

My first problem with shoddy suppliers came at the weekend after I changed gas and electricity suppliers.

We are all told it's in our best interests to shop around and when the fixed deal with my previous supplier was coming to an end, I did what all savvy consumers should do and went to a comparison website.

Don't worry, says all the expert advice. All the changes take place smoothly and in the background, you won't have to do a thing.

And I was assured everything would be fine because I had just had a so-called 'second generation' smart meter installed which would automatically 'talk' to my new supplier.

So good so far.

I found a new tariff that suited me and signed up for it and away we went.

And then the emails started.

Apparently, my new supplier couldn't extract readings from my super-duper second generation smart meter – not so smart after all – and could I let them have opening readings. Epic fail No1.

Being the technically savvy computer whiz kid I am, I went on line to enter the readings on my supplier's website. Only problem was it wouldn't accept them. Epic fail No2.

I later discovered they had set my account up with a day/night meter which involves entering three sets of figures (I don't have a day/night meter).

And still the emails came asking for the opening readings this time with dire warnings I could end up overpaying if they didn't have the figures.

So I was left with just one option, the dreaded phone call to the call centre.

So I phoned up, went through the menu system and was put on hold. And I waited and waited and waited some more.

Apparently, according to the recorded message, I was in a queue but could I continue to hold because I was a valuable customer and they would be with me as soon as possible.

I was on hold for 30 minutes before...I was cut off. Epic fail No3. Not such a valuable customer after all then.

I was apoplectic by this stage. I waited 10 minutes and phoned again. I went through the menu system and, you guessed it, was put on hold.

And I waited and waited and waited some more.

Apparently, according to the recorded message, I was in a queue but could I continue to hold because I was a valuable customer and they would be with me as soon as possible.

I held my breath as the clock ticked round to 30 minutes but this time...nothing happened. All I continued to get was more of the same recorded message.

And finally I got to speak to a human after 50 minutes on hold for a second time. Epic fail No4.

The question I have to ask is how do these companies stay in business? I can only assume they are treating all their customers this way and frankly, it's not acceptable.

The only good thing is the man I eventually spoke to was massively apologetic and actually admitted the problem wasn't the 'high volume of calls' but the under-staffed call centre.

Running almost parallel to this was the shenanigans with my insurers.

I got a lovely letter from the company that insures my house and contents telling me my insurance would auto-renew and I didn't have to do anything.

Oh, and by the way the premium was going up by £45. This, the letter told me, "reflects any changes you told us about over the last year".

There's just a slight problem with this – I hadn't told them about any changes whatsover.

So it was on to another call centre.

At least they had the good grace to answer my call quickly.

I explained in my best polite voice that I hadn't told them about any changes, told them the renewal premium was far too high said I wanted to cancel the policy.

Remarkably, after mumbling something about 'let's see what we can do for you', he came back with a renewal figure £30 less than I had paid last year and almost £90 than the auto-renewal price they were quoting me.

Apparently, I was entitled to a loyalty bonus which had mysteriously appeared on my account.

What a bunch of shysters.

I was happy enough to take the reduced price but why can't these companies just be honest and up front with their customers instead of relying on inertia to bump up their profits?