I have moved a LOT throughout my life, I have done this process many times, and I have worked at a city utility company. No, I haven’t dealt with this specific city utility company before, but it’s all a similar process and is typically arranged PRIOR to actual lease/purchase signings.

My husband and I are about to buy our first home. (Yikes.) It is the Thursday before closing day, and I am calling the utility companies to arrange services to be switched into our names on that coming Tuesday and, hopefully, to avoid any interruption of services.

The first two state-wide utilities are set up with no issues. Then, we call the city’s utility company. 

Representative: “How can I help you?”

Me: “I am buying a home and need to have services turned on or switched to my name on the ninth when we close.”

Representative: “No problem. What’s the address?”

Me: “[Address].”

Representative: “You’re going to need to provide a signed lease in your name with your driver’s license before we can start services.”

???????

Me: “We’re not closing until Tuesday, the ninth. I won’t have anything until that day, late afternoon.”

Representative: “That’s the only way to have the water turned on in your name.”

Me: “Okay… but we won’t have that until late Tuesday, and we don’t want an interruption of services, or we would at least like them turned back on that day.”

Representative: “You’re going to need to provide a signed lease in your name with your driver’s license before we can start services.”

Me: “Okay, so, I know people move into new places. They buy them or rent them, and they get services set up to be turned on in the future so they have services the day of. And none of them can get a lease or document of ownership until after the actual transaction is made. And they still get services set up.”

Representative: “Yes, we can do that.”

Me: *Deep breath* “Okay… I want to do what that is.”

Representative: “You can’t. You have to have a signed lease and provide your ID to prove you’re not the prior resident.”

Me: “But you just said—”

Representative: “There is a significant outstanding balance on the current account, so we can’t authorize a new service without proof of new occupants.”

Me: “Oh! Okay. See, that makes sense. I get that. Next time, maybe start with, ‘That location has an outstanding balance, so in order to get services in your name, we will have to have a lease/proof of purchase.’ That I completely understand. Thank you.”

Representative: “We can’t start new services after the current balance reaches a certain amount.”

Me: “Again, I get that. But I am buying the place through a realtor. The other utilities were set up without a hitch. How or why would I know that there was an outstanding balance on the seller’s account?”

There’s a long pause.

Representative: “Once you provide the paperwork, we should be able to get services turned on, same day. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Me: “Nope. I’m good. Thanks.”

I work in customer service where I meet clients in real life. I hardly ever have issues, and I like my job. A cheerful man comes inside.

Cheerful Man: “Hello, ladies, I’m here to deliver something! Or actually, I’m going to rob you, hahaha!”

Coworker: *Fake laughing* “I hope not. That would really dampen our day!”

Cheerful Man: “Oh, well, then I guess I have to call off my friends, haha!”

He sees that I’m not smiling.

Cheerful Man: “Don’t worry; I’m just joking!”

Me: “I hope so. I wouldn’t want to relive that moment.”

Cheerful Man: “Eh, what? You’ve been robbed?”

Me: “Yup. And I can’t recommend it. I didn’t really enjoy the experience.”

Cheerful Man: “Oh, and did they use violence?”

Me: “Yes, they did, so I’m very glad you are nothing like them. How can we help you?”

He gives me a form, which I copy for him. Everything else goes calmly and normally, but when he leaves:

Cheerful Man: *Mumbling* “It was a really good joke…”

No, dude, it was not. And yes, I was robbed for real; I didn’t lie. And I also didn’t lie that I can’t recommend the experience.

We rent out social houses, which means they are meant for people with a low income. Despite popular belief, we are not a rich company, and our CEO does not drive the latest super-expensive car. All the “profit” we make goes back into the houses we build, renovate, etc. I work in customer service.

Me: “Hello, [My Name] speaking. How can I assist you?”

Client: “My sewage was clogged this weekend.”

Me: “I’m sorry to hear that. Do you want me to plan a plumber for you?”

Client: “No, I already hired someone. Where can I send the bill?”

Me: “I’m… sorry? Did you talk to our emergency line, and did they tell you to hire someone?”

Client: “No, I never called you. Waiting for the emergency line took too long, so I just looked for someone online.”

Me: “So, you didn’t consult us beforehand? I’m sorry, but we won’t be able to reimburse the bill.”

Client: “What?! But I waited for hours, and no one picked up!”

Me: “My data says the longest waiting time for the emergency weekend line this whole weekend was seven minutes. While I admit that is long, I also see that a lot of people called in, meaning it was busy.”

Client: “But I have sewage insurance with you!”

Me: “I can see that, but that only counts if you contact us and we send the attached company. If you choose to hire someone else, that doesn’t mean we will reimburse you.”

Client: “Why not? You are a big company!”

Me: “We may be big, but we don’t have money laying around. Let me try to explain this differently. If I borrowed your car and I get a flat tire, that would be expensive, right? Well, what if I decide to go to a nearby garage and have the tire replaced and then give the bill to you? And ask you to reimburse me, because it is your car?”

Client: “What does that have to do with anything?”

Me: “I apologize for the example; it was just that. But either way, we can’t reimburse something when we are not contacted beforehand. If you would have made an appointment with us, it would have been free. But instead, you hired someone else, on your own. That voids the insurance you have with us.”

Client: “But this is €1,000!”

That is really a lot. I think someone got scammed…

Me: “I know that is a lot, but again, you never asked us. I can only advise you to call us next time. Perhaps your personal insurance can cover this.”

Client: “I will complain to the Housing Commission about you! You will pay for this!”

Me: “You are free to go to the Housing Commission. If they need any more information, I will write down the time we had this conversation, so the recording can be handed over if they request it.”

Client: “I hope your boss pays you well — selling your soul like that!”

He hung up. I’m sorry, but why should we bleed because you are too impatient to wait?

I work as a customer service representative for a finance company. The company provides loans for home improvements, decks, sidings, bathrooms, and the sort.

Today, I received a call from a woman demanding to know who did her siding. This is not an uncommon situation; lots of customers call because they’ve lost the contractor information, and it’s usually an easy call to handle. All I need to do is ask for their loan number and verify the customer, and then I can provide the contractor’s information.

Me: “May I have your loan number?”

Caller: “I don’t have a loan number.”

I thought she just didn’t have the loan number handy, so I tried to look up her account by other means.

Me: “May I have your social security number?”

Caller: “I’m not going to give you my social. Why do you want my social?”

Me: “I’m trying to find your account. If you don’t have your loan number handy and don’t feel comfortable providing your social, may I have your address?”

Caller: “I’m not going to give you any information. I don’t even have a loan with you.”

When she said that, I thought I may have misheard her; why would she be calling us if she doesn’t have a loan with us?

Me: “You don’t have a loan with us?”

Caller: “I just said that.”

Me: “Then how can I help you?”

I thought maybe I was wrong about the reason for the call.

Caller: “I told you already; I just want to know who did my siding. Why do I have to keep repeating myself?”

Me: “I’m sorry, Ms. [Customer], but I don’t have a way of knowing who did your siding.”

Caller: “Why?”

I really couldn’t believe I had to explain this.

Me: “You don’t have a loan with us, so we don’t have a record of who did your siding.”

Caller: “But you guys work with the people who did my siding. They offered me to finance through you, but I decided to pay in cash instead of taking a loan.”

Me: “They are a different company. We are just a finance company; we provide loans for home improvements. We work with lots of contractors who offer their customers to finance through us. If you paid in cash, you didn’t do business with us, only with your contractor, and I don’t have a way of knowing who the contractor was.”

Caller: “So, I’m being punished for paying in cash instead of getting myself into debt. Wow!”

Then, she hung up on me.

I don’t even know how she remembered our company’s name and not the contractor’s name.

As Mother’s Day was coming up, I decided to order my mom flowers from a certain online florist site. I spent $87 on this cute bouquet that had a centerpiece of flowers shaped into a small white dog with roses around it, set into a watering can, with a “Happy Mother’s Day” balloon and a personalized card. I gave the company a “flexible” delivery schedule of Thursday, May fifth through Sunday, May eighth, as Mother’s Day was Sunday, to avoid the extra $15 charge for guaranteed delivery on Sunday.

Thursday came around, and at about 8:00 pm, I received a delivery confirmation email and called my mom to make sure she’d gotten the flowers. However, nothing had arrived at the house.

And so began the migraine-inducing encounter with their “live chat” helpline.

After going through the motions with the robot and telling it my order number and other details, I was connected to a live agent.

Agent #1: “Hello, [My Name]! Thank you for contacting [Florist]. My name is [Agent #1] and I will be happy to assist you. Please give me a moment to review your chat with the virtual assistant.”

I waited.

Agent #1: “Thank you for your patience. I see that you are reaching out because your order was not delivered. I sincerely apologize that your gift did not arrive as scheduled. We value your business and understand how important it is for your gift to arrive on time. Please allow me to resolve this.”

This agent then disconnected the chat with no further messages, so I opened a new chat and got [Agent #2] who sent the same first two messages, but introduced himself as [Agent #2]. He could not see the all information I’d given the previous agent, so I had to give him all the confirming details again.

Me: “Thank you. Just please do not disconnect the chat like the last agent did after sending that same message with no other explanation.”

Agent #2: “Thank you for patiently waiting, [My Name]. Please accept my apologies for what happened to your order, and I hope you will give me a chance to make this right. I’m more than willing to process redelivery at the earliest time possible at no additional cost. Since I also want to make up for the inconvenience, I will also be sending, via email, a $20 Savings Pass good for your next purchase with us.”

Agent #2: “I’m sorry, [My Name], for what happened with the last agent.”

Me: “That would be amazing, thank you.”

Agent #2: “[My Name], is it okay to deliver your gift on May 10?”

Me: “Yes, that’s fine.”

Agent #2: “I’m sorry, [My Name], there is no available delivery date.”

Where the h*** did you get May 10, then?

Me: “How can there be no available delivery date?”

Agent #2: “Your local florists are not available.”

I gave up at this point.

Me: “Fine. Can I just get a refund, then?”

After a few more minutes, they sent me the confirmation of the refund and said it would take seven to ten days for it to show on my account. Since this was a major brand that used local florists to make and deliver orders, I couldn’t even complain directly to a proper shop, just the online chat. They wouldn’t give me the name of the shop that messed up due to “confidentiality,” but really what florist is open — let alone making deliveries — at 8:00 pm? And deliveries that don’t show up nonetheless!

Now, I have two days to find flowers for my mom from a local florist/grocery store since I don’t trust that online shop not to mess it up again.