Seattle Public Utilities Can't Get it Right

I called my utility company yesterday. I wanted some brochures about energy conservation. My retirement community could use some education , in my opinion. True, we don't pay electric or water or garbage bills, but our rent must reflect such costs. Besides, good for the environment. See, I have this idea that this retirement complex can be modern and conscientious, set an example---I have the idea that just because you are a senior citizen, too ill to care for yourself alone, or disabled, that it doesn't mean you want, or need to drop out of a purposeful life.



Brrrring "Seattle Public Utilities."

Do you have any brochures about how to save on electrical usage that can be mailed to me?

"Uh...I don't think so..." (Oh no she dinn't) "What is your name and address?"

(I give my name and address. I hear typing. I have sat at her desk, ie, walked in her shoes, and I know she is looking for my account which she won't find and it is not relevant to my request. She would rather talk about my possible late bill than the brochures I know they have.)

I say: Don't you have a storage room with brochures in it? (Uh-oh, busted.)

"Uh, yes, I can see if there are any. You don't PAY an electric bill."

I live in a retirement home and want to speak to the residents about conservation.

"Uh, I can mail you one..."

Do you have a conservation dept. that might be able to help me? (Suddenly she is alert!)

"Yes, I'll transfer you." Zip, just that fast I am in a "All the lines are busy...with you in a moment" queue.

Brrrburp, "Conservation, Kristin speaking." (Something like Kristin. She was very professional)

Hi, Kristin, I would like some conservation brochures. Is that possible?

"Just go to www..."

I don't have access to a computer, don't you have brochures? (Yes, I am lying but I am channeling my fellow residents.) I then proceed to explain to her my idea of having a seminar to teach my neighbors about energy conservation. This seems to get her very excited and she starts telling me about many projects that Seattle City light is working on. Now I'm excited too because she tells me that we are eligible to get free light bulbs. Nothing says loving to people on Social Security than FREE. My mind is even swirling with Bingo possibilities. At the end of our conversation I ask her last name, and she tells me she is the only one there. I laugh and say boy, they really are cutting back. We both have a good laugh over that. Then I ask if she can also help me with recycling and composting information. She directs me to another phone number.

Brrrring "Halo thss si garbagey anst whsi u ufghj ghjk ghjkmiuyhdgbjtyu,?"
(I had no idea what the person on the other end of the line just said. She has a heavy accent that I'm not familiar with. I spend the next 10 minutes trying to explain what type of brochures I need. She tells me she can only send me five, because that is all her envelope will hold. I ask her if she has more than one envelope and when she says yes, I suggest she use more envelopes and send me the number that I need. At that point she quickly transfers me to another department. At this point I decide to try our former mayor's one stop shopping phone number, which is supposed to go to the citizens service bureau.)

Brrrring "Customer service girl." What? What did she just say? I say, excuse me?
"Customer service girl." (At this Point I can't believe my ears, and I call back.
Brrrrring a different woman answers the phone. "Customer service girl." I feel like I have just been transported back to the 1970s. Should I ask to speak to the customer service boy? I somehow don't think an African American man would appreciate that.)
Customer service GIRL? That's your title? "Yes."
OK. I was told there was a way I could get water conservation information..."I'll transfer you."

And now I'm back were I started, in the main call center phone tree. I'm looking forward to seeing exactly what I will receive in the mail. And once again with the exception of the Seattle City Light conservation department woman, there was no accountability whatsoever. I had no one's name and no way to get back to the same person I had spoken to. The merger between the electric department, the water, sewer and garbage departments, was and remains a fiasco. Credence given to the more things change the more they stay the same.