by - Utility Warehouse sent representatives for eight days to recruit new customers
- Groups get an all-inclusive stay at the OBLU Xperience for £594 per night
Employees at an energy company that flew 100 employees to the Maldives for an all-inclusive vacation have posted gloating pictures and smugly declared: “Never tire of waking up to this.”
Despite rising consumer energy prices during the energy crisis, Utility Warehouse gave its representatives an eight-day vacation as a reward for attracting new customers.
They were given an all-inclusive stay at the OBLU Xperience, where rooms cost up to £594 a night, in what one reviewer called “a kick in the teeth” as customers struggled to heat their homes.
In a picture posted to social media, the UW agents could be seen enjoying themselves at an underwater restaurant while others took in the gorgeous view.
The 100 agents arrived on the island last Tuesday after landing in the capital Malé and taking a 15-minute speedboat ride to Ailafushi Island, The Sun reported.
Representatives were seen playing volleyball in the pool, relaxing on sun loungers and handing out business cards around the resort.
One holidaymaker said the idea didn’t suit him during the cost of living crisis.
“They just chill at the beach or by the pool most of the day. They also rented out part of the restaurant,” they said, according to The Sun.
Another said staff “ruined” their stay by handing out business cards and “making sales calls.”
Utility Warehouse relies on word of mouth and has self-employed agents who earn commissions every time they recruit customers for broadband, wireless and insurance deals.
The company has recently seen sign-ups surge after more customers were looking for cheaper deals, such as energy deals that are £125 below the price cap.
It has more than 800,000 customers and is “aiming for another million in the next four to five years.”
In exchange for bringing on four new clients every month for a year, agents have the opportunity to travel to vacation destinations like the Maldives and Mexico.
If affiliates refer enough customers, they can win rewards such as meal outs, family vacations, and cars.
Warren Kirwan, of disability charity Scope, told The Sun the trip was a “kick in the face” as representatives relax on a beach “while disabled people freeze and starve in their own homes”.
He argued that companies should focus on supporting customers rather than “profiting” from the crisis.
A Utility Warehouse spokesman said: “More than 50,000 people across the UK from all backgrounds are UW partners.
“Our partners are self-employed and earn an income by referring our services to their friends and family.
“By doing so, we are offering a meaningful opportunity to help people earn their way out of the cost of living crisis.
“We also offer our partners opportunities to earn additional incentives such as vacations.
‘We are proud of our hard-working partners and are transparent about the opportunities that arise from them.’
Utility Warehouse and OBLU Xperience were contacted by MailOnline for further comments.
