I've got a situation with Black Hills Energy here in South Dakota that's getting ugly. The billing supervisor seems to take every audit request as a personal attack. Last week she told me "you people are just trying to get something for nothing" when I questioned a $3,200 demand charge spike. Anyone dealt with openly hostile utility staff? How do you defuse that kind of attitude?
Dealing with hostile utility staff - need advice
Had similar issues with Westar Energy before they merged with KCP&L. One supervisor there would literally hang up on me. I ended up going over her head to the regulatory affairs department. Sometimes you have to escalate, especially if they're being unprofessional. Document everything - dates, times, what was said.
Entergy New Orleans had one guy like that. Turned out he'd been burned by some shady "energy consultants" who were basically scam artists. Once I showed him I was AAUBA certified and brought documentation of legitimate past recoveries, his whole attitude changed. Sometimes the hostility comes from bad past experiences.
I'd try the "kill them with kindness" approach first. Bring donuts to the office, ask about their day, show genuine respect for their job. SCE&G folks here in Charleston respond well to Southern hospitality. If that doesn't work, then document and escalate like Rachel suggested.
National Grid in Rhode Island has some tough cookies too. I've found that speaking their language helps - use exact tariff references, show you understand rate structures. When they see you're not just guessing, they take you more seriously. Also, always follow up conversations with email summaries.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I tried the documentation approach and copied the regulatory compliance officer on my emails. Amazing how quickly attitudes change when someone's boss is watching. Just got approval for a $2,800 credit that was "impossible" last week.
Late to this thread but wanted to add - Duke Energy Progress here in NC has gotten much more professional since the merger. I think the larger utilities often have better training and accountability systems for customer service. The smaller co-ops can be more hit or miss.
NorthWestern Energy in Montana is pretty good about professionalism, but I've seen this attitude at municipal utilities. They sometimes act like they're doing you a favor just by taking your call. Key is to stay professional yourself and document everything for potential regulatory complaints.
The documentation approach really works. I keep detailed logs of every conversation, and when utilities know you're keeping records, they tend to be much more careful about what they say and do. It also helps if you ever need to file a complaint with the PSC.