Modesto utility customers have flooded its customer service unit with more than 6,000 phone inquiries since the city launched a new billing system six weeks ago.
In criticism shared with The Modesto Focus and on social media, many water, sewer, storm drain and garbage customers complain of long wait times, dropped calls, delays in receiving bills, a forced switch to new account numbers and general frustration with the change.
“(I) tried to call and was told the call volume was too high and (to) try again – all week,” one customer said in a Facebook comment.
Another wrote, “I’d give this transition a D -.”
Acknowledging that all 76,000 customer accounts received bills for April later than usual, City Hall initially provided a grace period through May 25, then extended it to June 15.
No late fees have been assessed yet, city spokesperson Sonya Severo said. When they are, the penalty will be $10 or 1% of the bill, whichever is more.
All hands have been on deck in the customer service unit from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays, although the normal quitting time is 4:30, Severo said. She said all calls on a given day are answered that day.
60 to 90 minutes on hold is typical for Modesto utility callers
City staff isn’t keeping track of complaints, but the number of inquiries equates to about 200 calls per day. The average wait is estimated at 60 to 90 minutes, Severo said.
A Modesto Focus staff member joined the telephonic queue behind 44 other callers on June 8 and waited nearly three hours for help. Other customers said they couldn’t afford to invest hours waiting and gave up.
People on hold were offered a callback option without losing their place in line, the city said, though some customers report not receiving the choice on calls.
The transition to a new billing system was needed because the old one was “at end of life,” Severo said.
In several communications earlier this year, the city tried to alert people not to panic when they didn’t receive a bill in April and said it should arrive in early May. But bills continued to go out throughout all of May, the city acknowledged. Some customers, including a Modesto Focus staff member, never received an April bill.
“The delay in customers receiving their bill,” Severo said, “led some customers to believe they were not getting a paper bill. As customers began receiving their bills, this has subsided.”
Incentives for shedding outdated ways of paying bills
A $5 credit on a future bill was given to customers who enrolled in a new online portal by the end of May. Yet in another nod to the rocky start, City Hall then extended that offer to June 30. People also were offered $10 to sign up for paperless billing and another $10 to choose an autopay option.
Some people questioned whether the city continues to accept payment the old fashioned way – with a check in the mail – because city notices don’t address that question. “How is that open and honest government?” one wrote.
That wasn’t specified because checks are still fine, Severo said.
Other customers seemed to have little trouble adapting.
“I got my bill by email yesterday and was set up in 5 minutes in the new system,” one wrote on Facebook. “Oh, and the new bill has the new account number, so you don’t have to tear the house apart looking for an old bill.”
What might City Hall do differently if given the chance?
“Allowing additional time for the first billing,” Severo said, “and sending out additional reminder messaging earlier regarding the bills not going out in April would have been helpful.”
The customer service number is 209-577-5395. Visit the new portal here
Additional information is available at a city webpage dedicated to utility bills, and another answers frequently asked questions.
Garth Stapley is the accountability reporter for The Modesto Focus, a project of the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. Contact him at garth@themodestofocus.org.