The mediation process between an individual consumer and the ENGIE company is regulated and specified in the French Consumer Code, which stipulates, since August 2015, in application of a 2013 European Directive known as the directive on consumer ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), that mediation must be proposed by a company to its customers, free of charge.
The regulatory provisions governing the mediation process are specified in Articles L 611-1 to L 641-1, and Articles R 612-1 to R 616-2 of the French Consumer Code.
ENGIE Group’s Mediation service strictly follows these provisions. To this end, a detailed process (20 pages) has been drawn up by the Consumer Mediator for ENGIE Group, which you can read by clicking on the following link: ENGIE Group’s Mediation Process.
You will find below the 7 stages of this process presented in a simplified and summarised form.
A soft approach to out-of-court settlements
Here are the stages followed by the Consumer Mediator within the framework of a request eligible for mediation.
1
The request is assigned
The request is assigned
The request (called a referral) is assigned to a mediation officer in the Mediator’s team.
2
The mediation officer then contacts the parties involved
The mediation officer then contacts the parties involved
With regard to the claimant, this stage is almost always carried out over the phone; more often by e-mail for parties within the company.
The aim is to confirm that mediation has been initiated, after reminding them of the principles and values of ENGIE Group’s Consumer Mediation. This stage ends with a confirmation letter to the claimant and the ENGIE Group’s professional(s).
3
The mediation officer asks to each party to provide him with the elements necessary
The mediation officer asks to each party to provide him with the elements necessary
for a complete and independent analysis of the mediation. At the request of one of the parties, he may disclose all or part of the case.
4
The mediation officer submits his analysis to the Mediator
The mediation officer submits his analysis to the Mediator,
who then makes one or more proposals for resolving the dispute within a maximum of 90 days. However, if the case is complex, this deadline may be extended. The Mediator then informs the parties.
5
The solution proposed by the mediator is presented to the parties
The solution proposed by the mediator is presented to the parties
who accept or reject it. These discussions may offer the opportunity to develop the proposal towards an acceptable solution for both parties. If necessary, the Mediation officer sets a deadline for accepting or rejecting the solution. The average deadline is 15 days; it may be longer to facilitate convergence towards a shared solution.
6
The mediation officer formalises his proposed mediation solution in writing
The mediation officer formalises his proposed mediation solution in writing
He ensures that it is implemented by the party concerned and informs the parties of the impact of the solution adopted.
7
The Mediator sends a satisfaction survey
The Mediator sends a satisfaction survey
to the claimants following the handling of their request to help ENGIE Group’s Mediation service to improve the effectiveness of its process.