The Monroe water department's recent billing mishap brought to light a fundamental misstep in customer service for the utility.
Mike Buol, a Monroe water utility customer, brought the problem to our attention in July. Buol, the owner of Green County Locker, alerted us that he never received a water bill for water and sewer service for the second quarter; instead, he received a disconnect notice just days after the due date for his payment.
He wasn't the only customer this happened to: the city utility sent out 900 disconnect notices just after the July 20 due date, about twice as many as it normally does. It was a fairly widespread problem, with some 450 customers, or 10 percent of the city's 4,500 water customers, receiving a disconnect notice in lieu of a bill.
According to the water department, a glitch with computer software is likely to blame. Bills were generated and sent out at the end of June, as usual. However, something happened, perhaps with the printer, that prevented some water customers from receiving their bills. The water utility told The Monroe Times that after bills went out, employees discovered that some residents received two bills, while others received none.
Instead of re-issuing the bills, it sent disconnect notices to those who hadn't paid - regardless of if they received a bill or not. The utility said it contacted the Public Service Commission, which helped the city determine the best way to handle the billing problem was to send out the notices informing residents their water would be shut off in 10 days if payment wasn't received. The utility routinely sends these notices out just after the due date to customers who have not paid. Because of the billing mix-up, the utility withheld the customary late charges - a small consolation for those who were hit with the disconnect notice out of the blue.
The utility opted for this route "rather than incurring the expense of sending out all the bills again," according to Kelly Finkenbinder, director of public works for the city.
Unfortunately, that decision came at the cost of good customer service.
We understand a simple error in billing. Between computer malfunctions, software glitches and old-fashioned human error, any business or government entity is prone to an occasional mix-up.
But what we find baffling is the utility's response. Customers were confused, annoyed and even upset by the disconnect notices. We don't blame them.
While it's always admirable to try to contain costs, re-issuing the bills, along with an explanatory note, would have been well worth the extra time spent explaining the problem to customers who called the utility about the disconnect notices. Or, a letter explaining the situation could have been included along with the disconnect notices to inform customers of the problem. Had we been contacted, the Times would have gladly published a notice to inform people of the situation.
This was an opportunity for the utility to be proactive in addressing the situation. Instead, it chose to send out the disconnect notices without a proper explanation.
That's unsatisfactory. As a public utility, the water department owes it to customers to be forthcoming with information. It should have stepped up and admitted the error in a more professional manner.
Mike Buol, a Monroe water utility customer, brought the problem to our attention in July. Buol, the owner of Green County Locker, alerted us that he never received a water bill for water and sewer service for the second quarter; instead, he received a disconnect notice just days after the due date for his payment.
He wasn't the only customer this happened to: the city utility sent out 900 disconnect notices just after the July 20 due date, about twice as many as it normally does. It was a fairly widespread problem, with some 450 customers, or 10 percent of the city's 4,500 water customers, receiving a disconnect notice in lieu of a bill.
According to the water department, a glitch with computer software is likely to blame. Bills were generated and sent out at the end of June, as usual. However, something happened, perhaps with the printer, that prevented some water customers from receiving their bills. The water utility told The Monroe Times that after bills went out, employees discovered that some residents received two bills, while others received none.
Instead of re-issuing the bills, it sent disconnect notices to those who hadn't paid - regardless of if they received a bill or not. The utility said it contacted the Public Service Commission, which helped the city determine the best way to handle the billing problem was to send out the notices informing residents their water would be shut off in 10 days if payment wasn't received. The utility routinely sends these notices out just after the due date to customers who have not paid. Because of the billing mix-up, the utility withheld the customary late charges - a small consolation for those who were hit with the disconnect notice out of the blue.
The utility opted for this route "rather than incurring the expense of sending out all the bills again," according to Kelly Finkenbinder, director of public works for the city.
Unfortunately, that decision came at the cost of good customer service.
We understand a simple error in billing. Between computer malfunctions, software glitches and old-fashioned human error, any business or government entity is prone to an occasional mix-up.
But what we find baffling is the utility's response. Customers were confused, annoyed and even upset by the disconnect notices. We don't blame them.
While it's always admirable to try to contain costs, re-issuing the bills, along with an explanatory note, would have been well worth the extra time spent explaining the problem to customers who called the utility about the disconnect notices. Or, a letter explaining the situation could have been included along with the disconnect notices to inform customers of the problem. Had we been contacted, the Times would have gladly published a notice to inform people of the situation.
This was an opportunity for the utility to be proactive in addressing the situation. Instead, it chose to send out the disconnect notices without a proper explanation.
That's unsatisfactory. As a public utility, the water department owes it to customers to be forthcoming with information. It should have stepped up and admitted the error in a more professional manner.
