At about 4:30 p.m., my grandson came and was surprised to see me sitting with a fan in my hand. The family lives next door, He said there was power and water. He called his dad to help me.
My son-in-law called CUC trouble desk and they talked. Trouble desk suggested he checks the meter if there was a black thing in it. True enough that was what he found out. It was too late. The only thing left was to wait until tomorrow. I had to sleep in a warm room at the first floor of my house with a fan in my hand. I was drenched with sweat. I had to change two times during the night. I got very little sleep.
I woke up early in the morning. I was in front of CUC office at 7:25 and I was the first one to march into the office. I was paying my bill through my Amex so that I was guaranteed I pay on time while I travel which I do frequently.
I was told that the card was declined because of the change of expiration date. I was guaranteed by Amex that there wouldn’t be any interruption in the service. The CUC staff concerned did not give me a call. Even before the disconnection, I was not informed at all. I was totally in the dark.
Instead of making it easy for me and for CUC, CUC chose to make it difficult for me. A telephone call about the expiration date could have been solved through one phone call.
I have not been delinquent in any of my payments. This is the reason I had direct payment by my credit card to guarantee payment on time.
Instead, my food in the refrigerator had been spoiled and the contents of my freezer had thawed.
CUC sent someone to disconnect early in the morning but sent someone to reconnect much later the following day.
It seems that it is easier for CUC to punish than to help. A little concern with your clients could have averted what had happened to me. A telephone call about my credit card expiration date and information about the impending disconnection should have given me the chance to react positively. Instead CUC did what they did without due concern and consideration to customers.
On the same day a similar situation happened to a friend of mine. There was a confusion in her payment for her utilities that she missed paying one of her bills.
A CUC crew for disconnection arrived to cut off the service. No notice. They were just there to disconnect the service and no amount of negotiation and promise would stop them because they were ordered to disconnect.
My friend promised to go then and there to pay but to no avail. The disconnection happened. She had to pay reconnection fee and some more in a matter of less than an hour.
The above are just two incidents that indicate that clients are not treated well, and that customer service is needed not customer disservice.
May I suggest and recommend that CDI of NMC can help your agency by developing a customized customer service training for your whole staff. Let us have a heart.
FE Y. CALIXTERIO
As Terlaje, Saipan
