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At the start of this year, certain areas that we provide service to had a tax increase. Now, everyone should have known about the increases well in advance, as it had been all over the news in the months prior (the sales tax increase was going to fund a new stadium for our local losing team). I figured that there would be some people who would be upset about their bill going up a couple cents, and prepared myself for the calls.
There were none.
I will admit, I was shocked, but pleased.
People start sending in payments in January, and I notice that some people wrote out checks for the old amount, or had automatic bill pay set up with their bank and hadn't adjusted the amount due. Because of this, these people still owed a penny or two on their account.
And thats where this woman comes in. I will call her BAD, as she made me want to Bang Angrily on Desk with my head.
February statements go out, and a couple days later BAD calls.
ME: Thank you for calling, how can I help you?
BAD: I have a problem with my bill.
ME: Okay, well, lets take a look at that, can I have your acct information....Ok, so I have a copy of you recent statement pulled up. What seems to be the problem?
BAD: It says that I have a past due balance of .01.
ME: [Yeop, sure does....she forgot to send in the correct amoutn last month. Ok, no biggy...I assume that her next question is going to be why did her bill go up, so I attempt to counter it] Well, there was that sales tax increase in your area at the start of the year, which is why your bill increased by one cent.
BAD: But one penny! What, do you expect me to send in a check for .01?!?! Do people do that?!?!?!
ME:[Goo. Ok, maybe she is afraid that she will get a late fee...lets try this again] Nooo, you can just send in your payment for $xx.xx as opposed to your new monthly bill of $yy.yy. No late fee has been added onto your account, as we realize that sometimes payments are made out for the wrong amount.
BAD: Is this going to affect my credit score!!! Do you report to the credit agencies!?!?!
Head, meet desk.
What I wanted to say was, "why yes, we do report to all the major credit agencies, along with a few secret ones that you know nothing about. Currently, your credit score in plumenting by the second, all due to the penny you shorted us! Now, if there is nothing else, I must end this call so that I can join my coworkers in eating puppies."
What I actually said was just a drawn out nooo, as my brain tried to grasp what thei woman had just asked.
To report to the credit companies, we first need to submit you into collections. Doing that costs money...more money then a lousy penny.
The sad thing, I actually gave her the benefit of the doubt. I thought that she was sane and had a legit complaint.
Silly me.
There were none.
I will admit, I was shocked, but pleased.
People start sending in payments in January, and I notice that some people wrote out checks for the old amount, or had automatic bill pay set up with their bank and hadn't adjusted the amount due. Because of this, these people still owed a penny or two on their account.
And thats where this woman comes in. I will call her BAD, as she made me want to Bang Angrily on Desk with my head.
February statements go out, and a couple days later BAD calls.
ME: Thank you for calling, how can I help you?
BAD: I have a problem with my bill.
ME: Okay, well, lets take a look at that, can I have your acct information....Ok, so I have a copy of you recent statement pulled up. What seems to be the problem?
BAD: It says that I have a past due balance of .01.
ME: [Yeop, sure does....she forgot to send in the correct amoutn last month. Ok, no biggy...I assume that her next question is going to be why did her bill go up, so I attempt to counter it] Well, there was that sales tax increase in your area at the start of the year, which is why your bill increased by one cent.
BAD: But one penny! What, do you expect me to send in a check for .01?!?! Do people do that?!?!?!
ME:[Goo. Ok, maybe she is afraid that she will get a late fee...lets try this again] Nooo, you can just send in your payment for $xx.xx as opposed to your new monthly bill of $yy.yy. No late fee has been added onto your account, as we realize that sometimes payments are made out for the wrong amount.
BAD: Is this going to affect my credit score!!! Do you report to the credit agencies!?!?!
Head, meet desk.
What I wanted to say was, "why yes, we do report to all the major credit agencies, along with a few secret ones that you know nothing about. Currently, your credit score in plumenting by the second, all due to the penny you shorted us! Now, if there is nothing else, I must end this call so that I can join my coworkers in eating puppies."
What I actually said was just a drawn out nooo, as my brain tried to grasp what thei woman had just asked.
To report to the credit companies, we first need to submit you into collections. Doing that costs money...more money then a lousy penny.
The sad thing, I actually gave her the benefit of the doubt. I thought that she was sane and had a legit complaint.
Silly me.
. I called them just to ask what happens to that 49 cents (mostly because I was curious; no I did not expect a refund check for 49 cents) and they said under a certain amount either way they just write it off. Of course if it's an ongoing bill, just figure it into the next month's payment...what's so hard about that?
There is a slight flaw in my character.
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