Central Electric Cooperative Inc

Our company has over 26,000 customers; our policies and procedures are set by our Board of Directors.The current policy on delinquent accounts is as follows:• When an account has become 60 days past due, a “disconnection notice” is mailedgiving the customer 10 clays to remit payment; a specific date...

to have payment made infull is clearly noted on the notice.• 42 hours before the due date of the notice, we make a call to anyone who still remains60 days past due; this call urges the customer to call our office to make paymentarrangements to avoid disconnection of service• It payment cannot be made by the due date of the notice, we allow an extra 2 weeksbeyond the notice date for payment to be made.• If payment arrangements are made, another letter is mailed to the customer stating theagreed upon arrangements to continue service• lf the payment arrangements are not made or not kept as agreed upon, service wouldhe disconnectedThe customer has 2 accounts with us; one is for a home and one is for a barn. Since January of 2015,we have issued 9 disconnection notices for the house and 7 for the barn. The customer has been urgedto contact us via phone to discuss accounts and arrangements, but prefers email.Most recently, we mailed a disconnect notice forthe house; it was sent on July15th with a date of July• On July 22st we made a call because we had not received payment or heard from thecustomer for arrangements.• On the same day we received the following email through our website:I received a notice for 7/25. I am going to make a payment7/22,23,24,25 and another payment in 2 weeks. Please let me know if you acceptthese arrangements.• We were not sure if the customer meant she was making payments on each dayof 7/22, 23, 24, 25 or one payment on one of those days. So the following emailreply was sent to her:I believe you are saying you will make one payment by July 25th and anotherpayment by August 8th; payments will total disconnection notice amount of$224.97. Is this correct?Aug. 10. 2016 3:19PM No. 0769 P. 4Her response: Yes, it would thank you.Her notice was now extended by 2 weeks which is in accordance with our policy.On July 29°~, the following email was received: I have not been feeling well so I have not madea payment yet but I will still have the total payment to you in 8/8. Thanks,• She was told this was acceptable.On August ~ the following email was received: My husband’s paycheck is not here yet, wewere told Wednesday, it will be in bank on Thursday is this going to be a problem, I can try toget you something this evening but I can’t pay it all.• She was told this was acceptable.This is just one example of our ongoing communications with the customer; there is a continualpattern of notices sent and notices extended and multiple emails before payment is received.The customer wants to pay less than the notice states but ALL customers are treated the same;if notices are not paid in full, service is disconnected. We are always willing to makearrangements as long as they fall within our policy perimeters. We pride ourselves in our abilityto work with our customers in a friendly, courteous manner; her allegations of rudeness areunfounded,Fina]Iy, when visiting the “Contact us” area of our website, she would see the following:Central Electric Cooperative in Pennsylvania,IMPORTANT: CEC e-mails are monitored Monday— Friday, 8a.m. to 4:30 p.m. if you have anurgent need or are experiencing an ouiage, please call ###-###-#### for our automated outagereporting system. Thank youl -

Review: I keep getting disconnection letters which is not a problem. I also receive a phone call giving me 48 hours to pay or make arrangements on my account. So I usually contact them to make the arrangements prior to the call. I set everything up and if I am not able to keep the arrangements, I contact them right away to tell them this. I have never not paid them although I may be late. My problem is that they are all very rude and do not do what they say in the message that is recorded on my phone. They even list the email of the CEO who you think your emailing only to find out he sends it to another cs representative. I have not spoken with one who allows you to make arrangements to what you can afford they want it all at once or disconnection is it.Desired Settlement: That they allow you to make arrangements with them like they tell you they will or change the way they arte misleading you to believe you can work something out with them.

Business

Response:

Our company has over 26,000 customers; our policies and procedures are set by our Board of Directors.The current policy on delinquent accounts is as follows:• When an account has become 60 days past due, a “disconnection notice” is mailedgiving the customer 10 clays to remit payment; a specific date to have payment made infull is clearly noted on the notice.• 42 hours before the due date of the notice, we make a call to anyone who still remains60 days past due; this call urges the customer to call our office to make paymentarrangements to avoid disconnection of service• It payment cannot be made by the due date of the notice, we allow an extra 2 weeksbeyond the notice date for payment to be made.• If payment arrangements are made, another letter is mailed to the customer stating theagreed upon arrangements to continue service• lf the payment arrangements are not made or not kept as agreed upon, service wouldhe disconnectedThe customer has 2 accounts with us; one is for a home and one is for a barn. Since January of 2015,we have issued 9 disconnection notices for the house and 7 for the barn. The customer has been urgedto contact us via phone to discuss accounts and arrangements, but prefers email.Most recently, we mailed a disconnect notice forthe house; it was sent on July15th with a date of July• On July 22st we made a call because we had not received payment or heard from thecustomer for arrangements.• On the same day we received the following email through our website:I received a notice for 7/25. I am going to make a payment7/22,23,24,25 and another payment in 2 weeks. Please let me know if you acceptthese arrangements.• We were not sure if the customer meant she was making payments on each dayof 7/22, 23, 24, 25 or one payment on one of those days. So the following emailreply was sent to her:I believe you are saying you will make one payment by July 25th and anotherpayment by August 8th; payments will total disconnection notice amount of$224.97. Is this correct?Aug. 10. 2016 3:19PM No. 0769 P. 4Her response: Yes, it would thank you.Her notice was now extended by 2 weeks which is in accordance with our policy.On July 29°~, the following email was received: I have not been feeling well so I have not madea payment yet but I will still have the total payment to you in 8/8. Thanks,• She was told this was acceptable.On August ~ the following email was received: My husband’s paycheck is not here yet, wewere told Wednesday, it will be in bank on Thursday is this going to be a problem, I can try toget you something this evening but I can’t pay it all.• She was told this was acceptable.This is just one example of our ongoing communications with the customer; there is a continualpattern of notices sent and notices extended and multiple emails before payment is received.The customer wants to pay less than the notice states but ALL customers are treated the same;if notices are not paid in full, service is disconnected. We are always willing to makearrangements as long as they fall within our policy perimeters. We pride ourselves in our abilityto work with our customers in a friendly, courteous manner; her allegations of rudeness areunfounded,Fina]Iy, when visiting the “Contact us” area of our website, she would see the following:Central Electric Cooperative in Pennsylvania,IMPORTANT: CEC e-mails are monitored Monday— Friday, 8a.m. to 4:30 p.m. if you have anurgent need or are experiencing an ouiage, please call ###-###-#### for our automated outagereporting system. Thank youl -

Review: I have sent 5 emails and did not get a response regarding a payment arrangement. I have never had a problem until now and am risk of losing service. I have made arrangements before and have always paid them. I have to email because I work and cannot make personal phone calls and by the time I get home their office is closed. Email has never been a problem until now. I have sent 5 waiting for an answer. The first was sent on 5/23.Desired Settlement: I would like to keep service on.