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So I called a utility company today and one not generally known for it’s good service. I was on the line quite a while... and it didn’t end as I expected.
A thread....
A thread....
I have had to adjust a utility service today and finally was able to call (I’ve been busy). I expected to get a run around and did, being switched from one agent to another, twice.
Waited on hold a couple times longest than 40 minutes before speaking to a person.
Waited on hold a couple times longest than 40 minutes before speaking to a person.
The background jingle kept on referring me to the website to do my business online. But...
you guessed it. The kind of service I wanted needed “voice verification”.
you guessed it. The kind of service I wanted needed “voice verification”.
After too long to be reasonable I finally got on the line with the right customer service agent. I was trying very hard not to be annoyed and, of course, he was great and gracious. Although...
...during the call he misspoke and then let out a little sigh. It was no biggie. But there was... a pause. So I ask “hey, what’s going on?”
He said “I’m tired. It’s been really busy.”
And we carried on.
At the end of the call I asked about the wait times, if that was normal. I had overall been 2h30min. He said...
And we carried on.
At the end of the call I asked about the wait times, if that was normal. I had overall been 2h30min. He said...
“Yes, it’s been exceptionally busy. The other week we had to have all customer agents and billing involved in our line of calls. They don’t normally do that. And almost all callls are now complex calls.”
You see I had called cancellations. For the past 6-8 weeks, cancellations at this major service company have been swamped. And it’s not for shortage of staff. They have staff. Call volumes are up A LOT, with two types of calls.
The first are all the people calling because they have lost their jobs and can’t afford certain services anymore. Remember 40MM Americans are unemployed, and they are starting to cancel out services including utilities.
The second kind of complex calls are “the Covid ones”. He has just gotten off a call with a woman was was cancelling for her husband, who has just died, and his brother. It’s complex, because cancellation without voice verification on the account takes longer.
And in NYC, there’s been a lot more of them to process in the past 6-8 weeks.
Even though we are starting to reopen, some are still dealing with the hangover or legacy of what’s just happened.
All this to say, be especially patient in cue with your aervice reps now. They are truly on the front lines of helping many people pick up their lives.
*queue not cue thanks Siri
