Breakthrough!!

**McD** · 04-12-2010, 08:50 PM

Have you ever had that moment when you see the lightbulb go off in someone's head? I did today and it felt great! Let me explain.

The water utility I work for is fairly relaxed in how we are expected to treat customers. What I mean by that is that we have to be polite, helpful, respectful, but we don't have to treat them with kid gloves and kiss their hind ends.

We are also really easy to work with in regards to shutting water off for non-payment. The way our utility works is that the bills are mailed on the 1st of each month, due upon receipt, late after the 20th. So after cash/mail is processed on the 21st, we apply a 1.50$ late fee and mail a reminder. On the 1st of the next month, we mail hte new bill. By the 3rd of each month we mail a pink notice--it has a final pay by date. Approximately the 12th of each month, we generate a blue tag and physically place on the front door of each deliquent residence. The cost per blue tag is $5.00 The blue tag gives them a 2 day window to contact us. 2 days later we shut the water off. To turn the water on, the account is charged a $25.00 fee if its during business hours. After business hours, the fee jumps up to $50.00

Okay, you guys still with me? There is a young 20 something guy who gets his water shut off every month. His bill is only 22.06 every month! Then he was getting charged a 1.50 late fee, a 5.00 tag fee, and a 50.00 turn-on fee!

Every single month as he came into pay to get the water on, I would tell him if you just call us, you will save 50.00. After about 5 months of that, it sunk in! He paid with his pink notice today--saving the 5.00 tag fee and avoiding turn off.

I wanted to do the happy dance for him!

**daughter of pearl** · 04-12-2010, 09:05 PM

Awesome!

I keep waiting for my grown kids to have that moment...so far, just a lot of waiting, but I live in hope!

**dcompton** · 04-12-2010, 09:15 PM

That's a good start. Now, I wonder how many more months it will take him to figure out it would be even simpler if he just pays the bill when it comes?

I hope the people who deal with you realize how lucky they are to have someone so nice on the other end of the phone.

**AmyBoz** · 04-12-2010, 09:23 PM

...and that's just one person...how many others out there do you think are doing this kind of nonsense all the time??!!?!?!

Glad it finally kicked in for him!

**Libby** · 04-12-2010, 09:30 PM

Hahaha isn't it nice to see how others finally see the light

Just like when you teach someone a new skill and they finally grasp the concept. Great job McD!

**frugalfoster** · 04-12-2010, 10:21 PM

Your city is generous...my dh works for the water dept in town also...The bill here is due on the 10th...delinquent on the 20th and shut off shortly afterwards... $50 fee if you are shut off...I believe it is a 10 fee if paid after the 10th... no mercy here..shut off and the box locked if the bill isn't paid...needless to say..he hates shut off day! We live in a very small town and half the town is due one month..the other half the next month...it is a two month cycle billing. Every month at least 100 houses are on shut off..do the math...it's a huge money maker for the city!!

**druthb00** · 04-13-2010, 08:56 AM

How stupid. I'd ask how many months of this went on before he finally 'got it' but I doubt that I really want to know LOL. That is a generous policy, though. I did the A/P for the company I worked for back in Indiana. I can remember getting a notice in the mail just a couple of weeks after the due date (of the bill that never made it to us) and they were asking for immediate payment or we would be immediately shut off LOL. I don't know if this worked differently for residential addresses or not because we lived in an apartment where our water was included at the time.