Chris Franklin (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} campster) wrote,@ 2007-10-29 20:21:00 |
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In in vein of James Rolfe
You know what's bullshit?
Getting a notice in the mail that you owe $37.04 in electricity overages. What's more bullshit is finding out that this first and final notice that you're getting is for electrical charges in August when it's now the end of October and that payment is due by November's rent is submitted in seven days. What's even more bullshit is finding out that it's not $37.04 for the apartment, but for each person. And to top it all off, this wasn't officially sent to us through the mail - it was dropped off on our doorstep with a baggie full of candy from the friendly folks at Priess Realty.
Now, we haven't activated any stargates or flux capacitors or resonance cascades or seriously altered our energy consumption at all as far as I'm aware. To be (in addition to the $50/month we each individually pay) $148.16 over for one month, and have this bill unceremoniously dropped at our stoop without a postage date or formal copy of the bill is, to say the least, suspect. The way we figure it, one of three things is happening.
1. The Priess Company is trying to dick us out of money. This is not at all unheard of; the fiasco that forced us to renegotiate our leases under duress two months into living here is proof enough that they're willing to screw people out of every nickel and dime they can.
2. The Priess Company isn't being an unholy money-grubbing source of evil, but rather simply aggregating all of the smaller overages from the past X months together into one lump sum. While this is less evil, it doesn't excuse not telling us about them at all until now, as well as demanding payment in such a short period of time, as well as not including a copy of the bill with the notice. It may be a less evil option, but damned if it isn't the result of policies that are wildly unresponsible and needlessly abusive of their tenants.
3. Progress Energy maybe misreported our power consumption? I don't know if that's really possible, but when we go in and yell at the Priess Company later this week we'll demand to see the bill. If we really did get charged for $350 worth of electricity I'd have to take issue with the power company's system. And it also still doesn't excuse the late notice we received and ridiculous payment due date given.
Regardless, the lesson here is to keep your customers well informed so that they don't get surprised and pissed off when you charge them fees. Feedback is an important part of systems, and we sure as shit aren't getting any.
You know what's bullshit?
Getting a notice in the mail that you owe $37.04 in electricity overages. What's more bullshit is finding out that this first and final notice that you're getting is for electrical charges in August when it's now the end of October and that payment is due by November's rent is submitted in seven days. What's even more bullshit is finding out that it's not $37.04 for the apartment, but for each person. And to top it all off, this wasn't officially sent to us through the mail - it was dropped off on our doorstep with a baggie full of candy from the friendly folks at Priess Realty.
Now, we haven't activated any stargates or flux capacitors or resonance cascades or seriously altered our energy consumption at all as far as I'm aware. To be (in addition to the $50/month we each individually pay) $148.16 over for one month, and have this bill unceremoniously dropped at our stoop without a postage date or formal copy of the bill is, to say the least, suspect. The way we figure it, one of three things is happening.
1. The Priess Company is trying to dick us out of money. This is not at all unheard of; the fiasco that forced us to renegotiate our leases under duress two months into living here is proof enough that they're willing to screw people out of every nickel and dime they can.
2. The Priess Company isn't being an unholy money-grubbing source of evil, but rather simply aggregating all of the smaller overages from the past X months together into one lump sum. While this is less evil, it doesn't excuse not telling us about them at all until now, as well as demanding payment in such a short period of time, as well as not including a copy of the bill with the notice. It may be a less evil option, but damned if it isn't the result of policies that are wildly unresponsible and needlessly abusive of their tenants.
3. Progress Energy maybe misreported our power consumption? I don't know if that's really possible, but when we go in and yell at the Priess Company later this week we'll demand to see the bill. If we really did get charged for $350 worth of electricity I'd have to take issue with the power company's system. And it also still doesn't excuse the late notice we received and ridiculous payment due date given.
Regardless, the lesson here is to keep your customers well informed so that they don't get surprised and pissed off when you charge them fees. Feedback is an important part of systems, and we sure as shit aren't getting any.
