Minnesota Energy Resources

This customer has a farm tap account which requires they phone in or enter an online meter reading monthlyThey’ve never called in a reading, so once a year a tech gets an actual read and the customer is billed back to the read the year beforeWe’ve sent monthly meter read reminder letters to the customer alerting them they need to submit a readingThe usage and bill are correct despite what the customer has been told Our customer service reps have contacted the customer since July on this subjectAnother staffer called the customer again on 11/30/as a result of an after-call customer surveyThe consultant left a voicemail explaining that the customer is a self-read customer and due to no called in readings, we estimated the billingsDue to the lack of called in readings, the representative advised we took the yearly read causing the $bill Customer was contacted on 1/11/at approximately 4:and advised that unfortunately the usage on the account is accurate and we are unable to change the balance on the accountThe customer then requested to speak with someone who couldWe apologized and advised that the usage on the account is accurate and she would be advised of this regardless of whom she spoke toMs [redacted] - [redacted] became very upset and stated she should not be responsible for the charges as she was misadvisedRep apologized she was misadvised as well as stated we would be addressing the consultants with whom she spoke to who provided her with inaccurate informationThe customer requested the name and number of the customer repThat information was provided

Misty from our call center has spoken to the customer We adjusted the account and the customer is satisfied The customer has been given a direct line to Misty at the call center in case there are other questions or concerns

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2016/01/28) */ Mr [redacted] sold [redacted] building at [redacted] North Branch, MN and removed the service from their name as of 11/10/Mr [redacted] requested the remaining credit $on the account be mailed to him at their mailing addressWhen the new owner called to transfer the service in their name the consultant used Mr***'s inactive account and re-activated the service with their updated informationTherefore, when the refund was mailed to Mr [redacted] it was sent to the incorrect mailing address Mr [redacted] called to check the status of the refund checkThe consultant advised it was processed and mailed on 11/24/to [redacted] , Devils Lake NDMr [redacted] then advised that it is not their mailing addressOn 1/we re-issued a check to the correct mailing address A Leader spoke to the customer on 1/and was informed the customer still had not received the refundThe leader investigated the refund and determined it was mailed to the incorrect address againThe leader spoke to the customer on 1/27/to advise we are sending a 3rd checkThe customer requested the check to be overnighted to them Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2016/01/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I closed on the sale of the [redacted] property (buildings) on 10/29/I called a week prior to sa meter reading for both buildings on 10/29/An hour after the closing, I called again to verify that the meter readings were complete and was told the amount owed to me for the credit on my accountsI was told the checks should arrive in 4-weeksThe date of 11/10/was not correct, as I called twice to verify that my account was closed as of 10/29/ Update: On 1/26/16, I spoke to Misty again about the fact that my check did not arriveI asked her to verify that it was sent to the correct addressShe said she confirmed it was sent to the correct address and since it still had not arrived she was going to have the check canceledShe told me that she would call me or someone else from their finance department would contact me on 1/27/to sa new check payment or get something directly deposited into my bankMisty told me she would arrive at work at 2:pm CST and she would be in contact with me right away to provide me updatesAfter not receiving my check again or any phone call whatsoever, my wife (fellow co-owner of the property) decided to call Misty at 5:pm CST, a full and 1/hours after she started her shiftAfter spending over minutes on hold, we were told that Misty was not available and she would call us backShe never calledFinally at 7:pm CST, my wife again called and asked for MistyMisty finally answered and informed my wife that the check was indeed mailed to the wrong address again (this is the second time this error was made)My wife asked Misty why she failed to call and inform us of this error and she stated she just found out from the Green Bay office (not sure how late their accounting office is actually open till)Today (1/28/16) we were told the check will be shipped overnight to our address and it should arrive tomorrow (1/29/2016), a full months after the account was closed I am not pleased that Minnesota Energy has not once offered any compensation for the multiple errors they have committedThey have wasted my wife and my time for multiple hours and told us many incorrect statements in regards to these paymentsThe fact they are now just providing an overnight shipment for this check is a jokeI am very disappointed in my experience and know that they would be charging me interest excessively or sending a credit bureau after me if it were the other way aroundThis is not acceptable! I am still looking to be compensated for these errors Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (3000, 11, 2016/02/02) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Although I finally received the full payment of refund due, I am still not satisfied with MN Energy's efforts throughout this experienceI called multiple times to get this handled and not once was it ever escalated or shown any priorityThey never once offered to overnight my payment even though I requested multiple times after their errorsThe director finally did call after the fact, but that does not make up for the multiple hours of phone calls and waiting for my money that was promised to me over and over againNo business should wrongfully hold a customer's money for over months I will not be satisfied with MN Energy in this claim until they adhere to the same policy that have when customers don't pay their bills on-time1.5% interest charged on the balance due Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 9, 2016/02/02) */ A Leader spoke to the customer on 1/and was informed the customer still had not received the refundThe leader investigated the refund and determined it was mailed to the incorrect address againThe leader spoke to the customer on 1/27/to advise we are sending a 3rd checkThe customer requested the check to be overnighted to themAdvised we will reach out to MERC Leadership and contact them the morning of 1/with an update The leader contacted the customer on 1/and advised the check will be sent to them over night and they will have it by 1/The leader confirmed the correct mailing address and contacted the customer on 2/to confirmed the check was received Throughout the phone conversations the customer has not expressed the need for compensationThe customer was concerned with receiving the check and dissatisfied with the time frame in which it took to receive the checkThe Director of Operations spoke to the customer and apologized for the negative experienceThe customer was satisfied at the end of the call

For this customer here is how we are going to move forward: Pull meter #***, and send in for testing on 6/1/18. We will put a rush on the testing.When premise is set to be read again on 6/20/18, we will follwith a tech read to verify accurate reading of meter. The meter
reading issue has been address by the field supervisor, Monty, and he will monitor the reads for accuracy, as we move forward If we find the meter isn't operating accurately, we will then address the bill

I am rejecting this response because:I was not notified of a meter read in August, but was told by a representative that the meter was examined in July after I called in the first time concerned about the bill; I was told by a company representative that it was a meter glitch and that there charge was incorrect. I was refunded the money twice by Minnesota Energy Resources, told twice that it was a mistake. It is unethical to charge me money that I was told was an error and refunded, twice.I have contacted the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and filled a complaint

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me

The error originated from a tumbled meter read resulting in a $7,700+ bill. After receiving a bill via email on 7/21, the customer called disputing the charges. The agent who took the call created a request to have the account balance adjusted. Billing made the adjustment on
7/but were unable to cancel the pending paymentBilling sent an immediate awareness to the escalation team to contact the customer to instruct them to cancel the pending payment in their eBill profile. No one has access to a customer's eBill profile except the customer. The customer was contacted on 7/and a very detailed message was left for the customer. Our agent, Misty, attempted to reach the customer at 2:29pm on Friday, August to ask her to contact her bank and ask them to refuse the payment. Unfortunately, we have not heard from the customer. A second call was made on Friday, August at 6:23pm and again, our agent Misty had to leave a detailed message. If the bank does not or will not refuse the payment then we will be able to overnight a check to the customer today, Monday, 8/14/

The customer is scheduled for installation this week (November - 17) as this is the timeline when the crew will be in the Ortonville area

Total Due on 2/24/was $696.65. 2/21/17: 1st Door Tag to remind the customer to make a payment2/24/17: 2nd Door Tag to remind the customer to make a payment2/24/17: Non-pay shut off scheduled for 2/27/172/25/17: Customer paid $2/27/17: Payment posted to the account the day
of the non-pay shut off date Any payment made by the customer must be posted to their account prior to cancelling a pending non-pay shut off. This was a matter of timing, not a glitchWe did waive the re-connection fee for the customer and pushed the re-connection to the very next day

Our local manager has responded with the following: "We appreciate the feedback provided by Mr***It will be used to create a better customer experience going forwardWe utilized a summer intern in the local office to assist with scheduling routine meter maintenance for the first
time this year; this was done to enhance customer careThere is opportunity for improvement in the process Going forward customer letters will be revamped to be more sensitive to the customerWe will use printed envelopes and make sure to note the customer accounts when letters are distributed from the local office. Feedback from customers also helps to identify system issues that would show routine orders dispatched to the field technicians on office computersThe technicians could not see the orders on their field Toughbook computers which caused missed appointments. We are creating a work-around to eliminate this issue. Our desire is to schedule maintenance work at the customer's convenience and we will continue to strive to find this balanceThe process used this year resulted in the least amount of customer feedback in several years, but one unsatisfied customer is too many."

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. As long as there is no charge to me for this testing, I am agreeing to the terms. Will there be a temporary meter in place? We have a gas dryer and hot water heater that we will use still.

This customer has a farm tap account which requires they phone in or enter an online meter reading monthly. They’ve never called in a reading, so once a year a tech gets an actual read and the customer is billed back to the read the year before. We’ve sent monthly meter read reminder letters to...

the customer alerting them they need to submit a reading. The usage and bill are correct despite what the customer has been told.  Our customer service reps have contacted the customer since July on this subject. Another staffer called the customer again on 11/30/17 as a result of an after-call customer survey. The consultant left a voicemail explaining that the customer is a self-read customer and due to no called in readings, we estimated the billings. Due to the lack of called in readings, the representative advised we took the yearly read causing the $2800 bill.  Customer was contacted on 1/11/18 at approximately 4:28 and advised that unfortunately the usage on the account is accurate and we are unable to change the balance on the account. The customer then requested to speak with someone who could. We apologized and advised that the usage on the account is accurate and she would be advised of this regardless of whom she spoke to. Ms. [redacted] became very upset and stated she should not be responsible for the charges as she was misadvised. Rep apologized she was misadvised as well as stated we would be addressing the consultants with whom she spoke to who provided her with inaccurate information. The customer requested the name and number of the customer rep. That information was provided.

Customer is responsible for the usage. Since this is a Farm Tap we are only obligated to read and shore up the billing once a year. The customer started service 6/2/14The customer was on APP up until 10/02/17Billing confirmed back in July, when the first agent sent a cancel/re-bill that we’ve been underestimating the readingsNo meter readings have been called in by the customerWe’ve sent Self Meter Read letters every monthWe’ve done Investigate/Reads on the following dates with the follow reads.5/19/16 | 09696/7/17 | 22268/22/17 | 2251Based on the actual usage, the customer is responsible for the balance due on the account.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/01/28) */
Mr. [redacted] sold [redacted] building at [redacted] North Branch, MN 55056 and removed the service from their name as of 11/10/15. Mr. [redacted] requested the remaining credit $695.86 on the account be mailed to him at their mailing...

address. When the new owner called to transfer the service in their name the consultant used Mr. [redacted]'s inactive account and re-activated the service with their updated information. Therefore, when the refund was mailed to Mr. [redacted] it was sent to the incorrect mailing address.
Mr. [redacted] called to check the status of the refund check. The consultant advised it was processed and mailed on 11/24/2015 to [redacted], Devils Lake ND. Mr. [redacted] then advised that it is not their mailing address. On 1/14 we re-issued a check to the correct mailing address.
A Leader spoke to the customer on 1/26 and was informed the customer still had not received the refund. The leader investigated the refund and determined it was mailed to the incorrect address again. The leader spoke to the customer on 1/27/16 to advise we are sending a 3rd check. The customer requested the check to be overnighted to them.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2016/01/28) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I closed on the sale of the [redacted] property (2 buildings) on 10/29/15. I called a week prior to set-up a meter reading for both buildings on 10/29/15. An hour after the closing, I called again to verify that the meter readings were complete and was told the amount owed to me for the credit on my 2 accounts. I was told the checks should arrive in 4-6 weeks. The date of 11/10/15 was not correct, as I called twice to verify that my account was closed as of 10/29/15.
Update:
On 1/26/16, I spoke to Misty again about the fact that my check did not arrive. I asked her to verify that it was sent to the correct address. She said she confirmed it was sent to the correct address and since it still had not arrived she was going to have the check canceled. She told me that she would call me or someone else from their finance department would contact me on 1/27/16 to set-up a new check payment or get something directly deposited into my bank. Misty told me she would arrive at work at 2:00 pm CST and she would be in contact with me right away to provide me updates. After not receiving my check again or any phone call whatsoever, my wife (fellow co-owner of the property) decided to call Misty at 5:30 pm CST, a full 3 and 1/2 hours after she started her shift. After spending over 40 minutes on hold, we were told that Misty was not available and she would call us back. She never called. Finally at 7:30 pm CST, my wife again called and asked for Misty. Misty finally answered and informed my wife that the check was indeed mailed to the wrong address again (this is the second time this error was made). My wife asked Misty why she failed to call and inform us of this error and she stated she just found out from the Green Bay office (not sure how late their accounting office is actually open till). Today (1/28/16) we were told the check will be shipped overnight to our address and it should arrive tomorrow (1/29/2016), a full 3 months after the account was closed.

I am not pleased that Minnesota Energy has not once offered any compensation for the multiple errors they have committed. They have wasted my wife and my time for multiple hours and told us many incorrect statements in regards to these payments. The fact they are now just providing an overnight shipment for this check is a joke. I am very disappointed in my experience and know that they would be charging me interest excessively or sending a credit bureau after me if it were the other way around. This is not acceptable! I am still looking to be compensated for these errors.
Final Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2016/02/02) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Although I finally received the full payment of refund due, I am still not satisfied with MN Energy's efforts throughout this experience. I called multiple times to get this handled and not once was it ever escalated or shown any priority. They never once offered to overnight my payment even though I requested multiple times after their errors. The director finally did call after the fact, but that does not make up for the multiple hours of phone calls and waiting for my money that was promised to me over and over again. No business should wrongfully hold a customer's money for over 3 months.
I will not be satisfied with MN Energy in this claim until they adhere to the same policy that have when customers don't pay their bills on-time. 1.5% interest charged on the balance due.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2016/02/02) */
A Leader spoke to the customer on 1/26 and was informed the customer still had not received the refund. The leader investigated the refund and determined it was mailed to the incorrect address again. The leader spoke to the customer on 1/27/16 to advise we are sending a 3rd check. The customer requested the check to be overnighted to them. Advised we will reach out to MERC Leadership and contact them the morning of 1/28 with an update.
The leader contacted the customer on 1/28 and advised the check will be sent to them over night and they will have it by 1/29. The leader confirmed the correct mailing address and contacted the customer on 2/1 to confirmed the check was received.
Throughout the phone conversations the customer has not expressed the need for compensation. The customer was concerned with receiving the check and dissatisfied with the time frame in which it took to receive the check. The Director of Operations spoke to the customer and apologized for the negative experience. The customer was satisfied at the end of the call.

Misty from our call center has spoken to the customer.  We adjusted the account and the customer is satisfied.  The customer has been given a direct line to Misty at the call center in case there are other questions or concerns.