Archive for August, 2009
I don’t really have much to say, but I wanted to share these findings…
Free new RJD2 mp3 from Amazon MP3: download “Find You Out”
Free (not so new) Del tha Funky Homosapien album: Funk Man
New Dave Eggers excerpt: Max at Sea
National Grid’s response to my letter:
Dear Online Customer,
Thank you for your inquiry. The reason that the gas service was shut off was National Grid must change the gas meters every 17-20 years and since the service tech was at the property he changed the gas meter for your apartment. The landlord of the property was notified of this and should have advised you that this was going to be done, we also installed an automatic meter reading device on your meter at no charge. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused, please contact National Grid at [removed] to schedule an appointment to your best convenience.
Sincerely,
National Grid Customer Service.
So many problems with this… sigh
[nb: they did respond quickly.. just took me a bit to post]
Here’s a letter I’ve just sent off to National Grid.
Hi,
I’m writing to complain. Tonight when i got home from work, I had a notice letting me know someone had been by, and to call you back regarding a gas meter. To my dismay, you had turned off my gas without my knowledge or consent! When I called, you dutifully & expediently sent someone out to fix the problem, but since I’m a mere tenant in an apartment building, I don’t have access to wherever these gas meters are! I called back, but there’s nothing you can do for me at this point. The onus is on me to coordinate between my landlord, myself, and you to setup a time where we can all be here, so we can let you in to do your work. The only one who gets screwed in this scenario is me! I’m stuck here without gas — in a single swoop, you’ve rendered my stove & oven completely useless. And when I talk to any representative of your company, I’m blocked by the sheer mass of your bureaucracy. Since this isn’t the fault of any particular person I talk to, none of them care about the fact that you removed a basic service from me today.
The question I pose to you is: why would you ever turn off a basic service without my knowledge or consent, especially where there’s the real, distinct possibility that the process of re-enabling it is so difficult?
I’m upset at your company & your impersonal bureaucracy, but I’m especially dismayed that in the morning, I can’t make my coffee.
Sincerely,
Robert Tolar Haining
