Janet from Biloxi. Ran into a client who signed the LOA but then got cold feet when I was ready to file the dispute. Said she did not want me contacting the utility directly because she had a good relationship with her account rep and did not want to make waves. The error is clear — $8,200 in recoverable overcharges — but she will not let me file. Anyone dealt with this?
Client refused to let me contact the utility — how did you handle it
Gary from Richmond. Yes. Some clients are genuinely conflict-averse and the relationship with the utility account rep feels more valuable to them than the recovery. Frustrating but real.
Pam from Richmond. I had this happen once. I offered to draft a letter the client could send herself, keeping my name completely out of it. She sent it, the utility responded, and we recovered the money without any friction. Might be worth offering that option.
Pam that is clever. She gets the recovery without feeling like she is going around her account rep.
Gary again. I would also gently point out that a $8,200 overcharge is not a relationship issue — it is a billing error. Most account reps, when they find out, are embarrassed that it happened on their watch. The relationship is rarely damaged the way the client fears.
Tina from Omaha. In my experience the utility account rep does not own the billing error. It usually came from a rate desk or billing department that has nothing to do with the rep. Framing it that way to the client can reduce their anxiety about the relationship impact.
These are all really helpful angles. Going to try the ghost-letter approach first and see if that gets her comfortable enough to move forward.