My dad is an old school small business owner who hasn’t adapted to the digital and information age we’re currently living in. He entered the restaurant business when somebody’s word meant something. His old school moral code, where somebody’s word means something, is why he was shocked to receive an additional $4,000 charge on his electricity bill after reopening his restaurant.
This came as a surprise to him because he called the electricity company in April to request payment support due to the extended closure of his restaurant. The representative on the line told him not to worry about it as they were making adjustments for all their clients. He didn’t call back again because he felt reassured by the representative and everything he’d heard in the media about the supportive approach utility companies were taking with their customers.
He was excited to open up the restaurant for takeout and delivery services, but a bit daunted about the overdue bills he needed to pay. There was one bill that stood out, one bill that he couldn’t explain – a $7,000 electricity bill. He knew he was overdue on payments, but when a restaurant is closed for two months, he couldn’t imagine a $7,000 price tag. About $3,000 made sense, but not $7,000 – not at all.
We’ve been talking daily during the closure and the first thing he brought up on this day was the $4,000 charge on his account. Outwardly, I reassured him that they would either fix the additional charge if he just called to explain the situation. I told him that, worst case scenario, I would take over and help figure it out so he wouldn’t have to worry about it. Inwardly, I was furious that he was being taken advantage of by this utility company. I knew they wouldn’t be waiving the fee. I set about researching company, state, and federal policies to be ready for the call I knew I was going to have to make.
We spoke later that day and he told me they couldn’t do anything. He called to ask about the bill and explain his situation to no avail. The representative told him the $4,000 were for deposits needed to keep the account active since he was overdue on payments. When my dad referenced the call he made in April, they said they knew of the call but didn’t see any payment support plans in place. He’d have to pay the deposit.
He was exasperated by the situation and didn’t know what to do anymore. In small businesses during this time, every dollar counts and an unexpected $4,000 loss can break you.
He thought he had done everything he was supposed to do to keep his business afloat. Everything he’d been watching on the news and hearing from different people reinforced the idea that people just had to reach out for support from utility companies. He did just that in April, only to find out it didn’t apply when he followed up with them in May.
Luckily, I’ve never been one to let things go, especially when there’s an injustice occurring. I told him I’d take care of it and asked him to immediately send me pictures of the electricity bills. The next morning, I referenced the materials I researched the night before and made the call. I also made sure to take note of local news networks in his area, just in case…
The conversation started as expected, with the representative consistently referencing the overdue payments, the lack of a payment agreement, and the need for a deposit on overdue accounts. I reiterated that my dad had a payment agreement in place and that the overdue payments were due to the closure. They had record of the call he made in April, but not of any payment agreement.
I tried to logically reason with them, “You have proof that my dad called in April and my dad’s restaurant was closed during this time. Everything in the media points utility customers to call companies for support. Wouldn’t it point to a discussion about a payment agreement during that time?”
That argument wasn’t enough and none of the other logical lines of reasoning weren’t enough. It was time to try something new, by referencing some of the research I’d done.
“I’m a little confused here. You’re saying there’s a $4,000 charge on my dad’s account as a deposit that is necessary to keep his account active. And yet, your website specifically states there wouldn’t be any additional fees placed due to nonpayment and accounts wouldn’t be closed. Then, when I look at your parent company’s website, it says the same thing. And finally, when I look at New York State’s website, it looks like it might be illegal to do that. So, help me understand where this charge comes from.”
“Hold on for one minute while I talk to my manager,” the representative immediately replies.
A few minutes later, the representative shares that he is submitting a waiver request form to waive the $4,000 deposit charge. They tell me to call back in one week to check in on the status of the waiver.
I called my dad a few hours later to tell him about the call only to find out that the electricity company called him to inform him that his request has been approved and the $4,000 deposit charge has been waived.
Problem solved.
At least for my dad and his small business.
How many other old school small business owners have found themselves in the same boat? How many of them don’t have somebody who can advocate for them? How many of them decide they have no choice but to give up?
