United Cooperative

Their customer service in Beaver Dam [redacted]!!!! Really bad...An employee in the Beaver Dam office contacted me today and asked me to call her back... Called the office and no one had any idea who or why the office had called me because my account looked fine.... So I was on hold forever while they tried to sort me out of several other people with the same name as me and tried to figure out who had actually contacted me as well (which annoyed me right away) If you as a business contact someone you should know why... Finally they figured it out ..Her name was Katrina....Upon Getting her on the phone She got an attitude with me very shortly after speaking to her and continued to have this bad attitude with me for the entire phone conversation. About something that was resolved a long time ago with my local office and I have had no problems with it until today...I usually just deal with my local co op and have zero problems with them. but I'm sure I will now because she told me with her ever so lovely attitude she will be contacting them... However This is the last conversation I will ever have with Katrina as I will be switching my fuel oil provider after today. It's sad to think that the small business that I have had an account with for many many years now has to suffer at the hands of the cooperate office because of one employees really crappy attitude... And it also makes me mad to think they feel they must have plenty of customers that they can afford to lose one over such a minor thing. I spend a lot of money with United Cooperative but I will not give my money to someone who treats their customers like that.

Review: Have been a customer with United Cooperative since 2006 primarily with service of having LP tank filled.

Had LP Tank filled December 10, 2013 and incrued charges of $659.13 which was paid in full 12/20/13.

Due to the harsh winter weather conditions, heat demands have been excessive resulting in LP tank needing to be filled again. I called 1/26 and left voicemail requesting LP tank to be filled with next route date (of 1/29/14). I received a phone call from [redacted] at UC on 1/27 to verify account information and what current level of tank was and verified tank would be filled 1/29 with assigned route day.

I returned home from work 1/28 to find that LP tank was filled with balance due of $1,351.03.

I have been reading/hearing in the news about the Propane shortage, so I expected an increase in rate. I did not expect bill to be more than double. I contacted UC office to inquire as to what my options were for paying bill (normally bill is paid in full within 10 days or due by the end of the net billing cycle. I was told that there were no accomodations that could be made for my account. I questioned staff as to why when the Governor of Wisconsin declares a state of Emergency due to the Propane shortage, why UC is not making accomodations to allow customers to pay for significantly higher balances on accounts. I was told that the due date on the account could be extended out until March 31st, but there would be a finance charge accrued for any portion of balance not paid by February 28th. When I inquired further I was told that this is all they could do, but it is no different that the current contract of said finance charge of any balance left at the end of any given billing cycle.

I was then connected to Ron, position not identified, to further discuss concerns. I was told that " I sympathize with you, but this is affecting all of our customers." "We have the same bills to pay despite what the rate of LP is" and was unwilling to accomdate my request for alternate payment options.

"We are the lowest rates in the area"

My concerns:

1) The known current LP shortage and effects on rates was not communicated to me at time that order was placed

Could have indicated what rate was

Could have given me options of not having to fill my tank per minimum requirements due to cost

These 2 areas would have helped prepare me more as a loyal customer to be prepared for the bill received this date.

2) Governor walker has declared a State of Emergency due to Propane shortage and has ordered financial assistance for low-income families to cover costs of LP and mandates for Propane delivery, etc

Yet United Cooperative offers me, a LOYAL customer, no other options of paying my bill to avoid financial constraints for my family

in this time of UNEXPECTED winter weather and subsequent LP shortage, all while the "Higher-up's" get to sit in nice offices and have nice fancy chairs and likely received a nice Holiday bonus.

United Cooperative and the rest of the economic world need to stop punishing the middle class for being hard workers that obtain an education so as to work in the workplace and pay bills only to support the "low-income families" that probably live a better lifestyle than I am able to at my expense.

Why is it that someone who chooses not to have a job and rely on the State to live can have support to pay their bills, but I cannot even have a small degree of flexibility in paying my LP bill at a time of STATE OF EMERGENCY as declared by the governor of the state.

Anything for a company to make their money---hang your customers out to dry and show no compassion for them or their families.Desired Settlement: I am not asking for my balance due to be lessened or eliminated. I intend to pay my bill- I always have and always will.

I am merely asking for a little flexibility from the company to be able to pay this bill, which is more than 2 times that last balance, in a fashion that would not further jeopordize the financial stability of my family. I do not just have $1300 laying around to fork over at the drop of a hat, especially without notification from company that the rates would be going up so drastically.

In order to show your customers that you do infact empathize with them in this difficult time, adjustments to your finance charges need to be considered to allow people to pay what they can without being reprimanded for doing what is right...PROTECTING THEIR FAMILIES FROM THE DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.

In the future, I do not plan to do business with a company that treats me and my family in this way just to ensure that their pockets are padded enough for themselves.

Business

Response:

Sorry for the late response on this. We had not seen the first one, and I received this notice on Friday last week. After reviewing the situation and talking to our staff, I have sent a written response to [redacted] which I have given you a copy of. While I understand her frustration with this winter’s heating costs, I truly believe United Cooperative out performed all of our competition. I believe that looking at this complaint in the perspective of the propane industry as a whole, actually shows United Cooperative to be an outstanding supplier for our customers. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you.

VP/Chief Operating Officer

United Cooperative

I would like to think that a business would have common sense over greed, I wrong.
I am on a automatic fill up. So I got filled up in fall/winter, good, it was very cold this winter, so I had
the heat @ 60-62, when hearing about the propane shortage and looked at what I had left in tank, I turned the heat to 48.
I, which was a mistake on my part, that when they came to fill up that they would only put 150-200 gallons in. They did
fill the tank up which was 385 gallons @ 4.59. I called them to ask why they would fill up or put that much in if there
was a shortage? They replied, "we don't have a shortage". Ok great but why fill it up at that price? Anyway, I called
back to set up payments, I made one of $465, and was going to try every month. I am a single home owner trying to live
like everyone is... I had it down to $1300.00 something. They cam back and filled it up again @ 1.89, so another $500.00
something bill when I owed them so much money!? Now I owe $1858.29. I am just flabbergasted. My Tank is still @ 80%,
I turned the heat off, not so the pipes would freeze. I need help paying the bill and do not qualify for heating asst.
I have not been able to get a loan from my credit union, even to pay off one credit card to put this on there. I looked
online also.
Bummed out, but still trying to make payments.