Gas Company

[Slugger926]

I was out of town yesterday for turkey hunting. My wife is out of state this week. My next door neighbors are out of town until fall in their RV thanks to their early retirement.

The called to have their GAS DISCONNECTED while they are out for the summer. Well, the gas company disconnected my gas thanks to their address mess up. I could probably turn the valve myself since they didn't lock it, but I don't know if would over pressurize anything. They want me to pay them $70 to meet them after 5:00 so they can fix their screw up, or sit at home all day and wait for them to connect it. I can't take time off on short notice for something stupid since I was off work yesterday. I am doing double time today to keep projects on time.

ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!! I wish I could change gas companies easily.

 

[Road Guy]

you just are not cussing enough on the phone to the right people.

call em back and start cussing out people until they come fix it(or let them charge your neighbor the $70)

they deregualted gas in my state a few years ago, while you can change gas providers very easily, the cost of NG has gone through the god damned roof.

 

[MA_PE]

Slugger:

I agree with RG. You need to start working up the food chain until someone agrees to waive the fee and correct the situation at YOUR convenience.

Out of curiosity, how come you need to be there when they turn it on, but they could turn it off while you weren't around.

Do they need to perform the start-up process for the burner? I know most stoves and water heaters as pilotless these days.

 

[roadwreck]

Wow, you can't be talking to the right people. Keep asking to speak to supervisors. There is no way I am paying the gas company anything if I was in your position. It's their mistake, it's negativly impacted your life 1. by not having gas and 2. by wasting your time and effort getting the problem corrected. Don't pay the fee, tell them to get out there to turn it back on right away and demand that they compensate you somehow for you lost time (i.e. - they need to credit your gas bill for a few months).

 

[TouchDown]

they need to credit your gas bill for a few months).

Yeah dude, I'd seriously be railing on someone to fix it NOW and credit my bill for the inconvenience to their F'up. No way in hell would I pay any money to them when they messed up something. If need be, go down to their office and raise hell, it'd get their attention.

 

[udpolo15]

Speaking of incompetent companies... (sorry for the hijack)

I took off this morning to have Comcast come and install their phone service. The guy showed up in the first 1/2 hr of the four time window, but that was the only good thing. He cut a cable to install the modem in the second bedroom, but then when someone else showed up, they decided to do it on the closet where the lines come in. About 3 hrs later, he left and said everything was working. I saw him pick up the corded phone and I am pretty sure he checked the other phone. After he left I check the corded phone and nothing. I check the other phone and it was working, but with AT&T. I looked at his handy work in the closet and one of the phone wire was cut, but not reconnect which I assume explains the non-working jack. I check the TV and it isn't work. I look at what he did and unscrewed one of the cable wires from a three splitter and hooked up the modem. Did he think I didn't want all my cable out lets working. I went and checked his work in the bedroom and sure enough, he didn't fix the cut wire that feeds the kitchen outlet. I tried to call but they Comcast couldn't even put me on hold because of the call volume. I tried to call from work and got transfered around a bunch and frankly don't have the time to spend all afternoon on the phone, let alone give up another 4 hrs waiting for them to come and fix the shit. If I had more time, I would explain my adventures getting transfered around.

It amazes me how companies can operate like this. The Chicago Tribune runs a "whats your problem" section once or twice a week. People write in with their problems (refunds, service calls, etc.) with big companies and the Tribune tries to resolve them. Of course once the Newspaper gets involved the problems get fixed right a way.

Good luck to all tomorrow.

 

[TouchDown]

It amazes me how companies can operate like this.

We have similar problems with our local cable company (mediacom) - they have a local office, but if you call them - they immediately patch you through to the "main 800 number" where they route all their calls / etc. Even if you go to the local office to bitch / complain - they just stare at you and say... "call the 800 number".

We have cable phone, and needless to say, it was not initially worth the $20/mo savings after all their screwups, 4-5 visits and hours upon hours waiting on hold on line with the 800 number.

They really don't have a "customer service" area for complaints. The people you talk with ARE the Customer service reps and they are more techs than anything and can't resolve complaints, they just put workorders in the system - then when something doesn't work, the locals blame the main company and the main company blames the locals. It's a cluster.

Whomever invented all the phone mazes these days needs a good hard kick in the nads.

 

[Hill William]

We used to have Adelphia in Motown. They kept raising rates with no raises for the workers. They went on strike. This all happened right while I was moving. I called in to have my service moved and they were then staffed with a bunch of temps who knew nothing. After they f'ed up enough times, I got ahold of the office manager and went on my best "unions=skilled work, scabs=retards" pitch. Got a hook up in two days instead of the 15-20 that they were gonna give me, no service charge, and a free month.