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Hope this doesn't happen to anyone else. We're renting a home here for the time being. Well, water service ceased yesterday afternoon. I called the H2O dep't to find out what on earth happened. After speaking with several unhelpful, dispassionate employees, I found out that they discontinued our service because THEY never transferred the account into my husband's name. DH called the day he arrived here and they had him in their database via SS# because he signed up for service. Well, they didn't axe the last tenant and never sent us the bills. No bills or notices were ever rec'd (during the past 3 months we resided here).
Based on these ignorant responses, be prepared to deal with the likes of these...
First rep "Why didn't you call us for the bill?"
When was the last time you called a company (aside from cc which operates like clockwork for billing?) Where we came from they bill H20 was quarterly.
Second rep "You shouldn't have let this happen to you"
DH rec'd other award winning pi$$ poor customer service attempts too but they aren't coming to mind at the moment.
Methinks they are in dire need of not just billing accuracy procedures re-training but sensitivity "act as if you care or have a heart" as well.
I actually just went around with them on this. For whatever reason the bill did not make it to us I had no Final notice or anything. I happened to be working at the home office and noticed the guy come up and start messing with the meter at the street. I watched as I figured he was prob. just reading it. He then walked up to the house put a little door hanger thing on the front door. I retrieved it ans it said our water had been turned off for a delinquent account. I called 311 and have never been treated so poorly. The guy was like what do you want me to do about it? I was ticked. Send me my bill for one! He then blamed the post office etc etc... Anyways to cut a long story short I payed them over the phone plus a $45 reconnection fee. I ended up cutting the water back on myself as they would not be out until 11pm. This was at 10am!!
OMG!! I had practically the same thing happen. They came and shut our water off after we'd been here about two months. Thing is, I specifically requested that all mail go to my UPS box and NOT my home address because I don't trust those boxes sitting at the edge of the street. I rarely check my home box, and when I do, it's FILLED with flyers and junk. When I called, they said the same thing: "Why didn't you call if you didn't get a bill?" Because Charlotte is the only place I've ever lived in that bills monthly (which is stupid and a waste of resources, if you ask me). I told her that if you'd have been sending the bill to the address I requested (and they had on file) I would have gotten the bill. They restored service and credited me the reconnect fee, but it took alllllll night.
"I ended up cutting the water back on myself as they would not be out until 11pm. This was at 10am!!"
Not that I plan on letting this happen again, but how did you do that?
The reason CharMeck does monthly billing is b/c people skip out on their bills all the time. So this way, the city doesn't get stiffed out of three months of water and sewer payments (they only lose one month). I don't know of any municipality in this region that bills monthly, altho I was billed monthly in Kansas City.
I don't think that is an odd question for someone to ask - re: why you had not called when you didn't receive a bill. I dont' always get my bills and I immediately call whoever the creditor is to find out what is going. I didn't receive a lot of my bills for three months after 9/11 so I had to call credit card companies, utilities, etc. - they were screening mail and things were all messed up (I was living in KS at that time, not here). The creditors did not care that I had not received my bill- they expected me to pay regardless. That is when I started setting things up online - this way I can monitor things online if I don't receive a statement.
I can see why you all would think you got quarterly bills but I can also see why city workers were incredulous that no one called - b/c it is not common here to get billed quarterly for any utility.
This is a good thing to post - b/c there may be a lot of other people who are unaware that this could happen to them, as well.
I actually just went around with them on this. For whatever reason the bill did not make it to us I had no Final notice or anything. I happened to be working at the home office and noticed the guy come up and start messing with the meter at the street. I watched as I figured he was prob. just reading it. He then walked up to the house put a little door hanger thing on the front door. I retrieved it ans it said our water had been turned off for a delinquent account. I called 311 and have never been treated so poorly. The guy was like what do you want me to do about it? I was ticked. Send me my bill for one! He then blamed the post office etc etc... Anyways to cut a long story short I payed them over the phone plus a $45 reconnection fee. I ended up cutting the water back on myself as they would not be out until 11pm. This was at 10am!!
Same scenario as you described and searpr's. However, we rec'd no note. I had no idea what the employee was doing way in front of our property (very close to the street). And as a woman, I wasn't going out to ask.
Obviously, they have an ongoing problem with billing personnel dropping the ball. Our "problem" is that we called, gave all our info and expected we would receive a bill. DH's SS#, telephone #, address was all in their system.
It really made me sick though to think of how people who are struggling financially are most likely treated by those crude dolts.
When I called them to start service on a new construction home, they pulled up somebody else's name and address tied to my SS#. I then calmly asked if that account had an existing balance and they said it did and had been sent to their collections company. I managed to get it all cleared up before it hit my credit, but I couldn't believe they could casually make such a big screw up in this age of identity theft. It ultimately seems like it was an honest screw up and nothing malicious, but damn....be more careful with people's lives! I would have been livid if my mortgage loan was affected by some idiot with the water company.
When I called them to start service on a new construction home, they pulled up somebody else's name and address tied to my SS#. I then calmly asked if that account had an existing balance and they said it did and had been sent to their collections company. I managed to get it all cleared up before it hit my credit, but I couldn't believe they could casually make such a big screw up in this age of identity theft. It ultimately seems like it was an honest screw up and nothing malicious, but damn....be more careful with people's lives! I would have been livid if my mortgage loan was affected by some idiot with the water company.
The more I am reading the more I have decided these people are idiots. At first I thought - well maybe not . . . but I was telling my DH about this and he reminded me that our next door neighbor had a terrible situation around Christmas. The line broke at his house (outside) and he ended up w/ a bill of over $2500, wh/ was drafted from his checking account, even after he had called everyone, talked to them, and the repair had been made!!!!!
Now can you imagine what happened after $2500 was debited from his account? He was told they could give him a $1000 credit. Excuse me??? What about the other $1500? LOL. They said they would mail him a check. He waited a week and no check. This fiasco goes on and on - but you are doubtless getting the message.
So altho I thought - well - I could see how someone would not know to call, thinking we got quarterly bills . . . and how the people in customer service would respond with "why didn't you call" . . . after reading all this stuff and recalling what happened to my neighbor . .. I am thinking . . . these people are just idiots. Plain and simple.
Wonder who you can complain to who will actually address this incompetency????
I'm glad I live in Monroe. When my line broke outside I was aware of it and called the City of Monroe. They were here within a couple of hours. We also get all our utilities (gas, electric,water, sewer and garbage) on one bill. That saves a lot of check writing.
I'm glad I live in Monroe. When my line broke outside I was aware of it and called the City of Monroe. They were here within a couple of hours. We also get all our utilities (gas, electric,water, sewer and garbage) on one bill. That saves a lot of check writing.
snowflake - I second that! One-Stop billing is better!
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