I just had contact with Nicor Gas over their “customer service” online chat. These people are not trained in customer service and there is no recourse. Who do I complain to? There is absolutely nothing anyone will do to even investigate my issue.
I engaged a customer service agent because my bill this month was double my last month’s bill. This makes no sense because the home has been unoccupied since September 30. According to my billing I used 35.66 therms between August 31st to September 30 and somehow used 129.02 therms between Ocotber 1st and November 1st. That is triple the usage with no one home and temperatures unseasonably warm.
The logic presented to me by the customer service agent was that because no one is home the furnace will use more gas. When we are home we set our cold weather temperature to 70 degrees, we also cook every single day, and we use hot water. How in the world could I possibly triple my usage with the thermostats set to 65, no cooking, and no hot water usage? Here is the chatlog I saved from Nicor’s online chat.
The chat agent would not end the chat. They simply just let it time out. My guess is so I couldn’t get to the part where they usually have a survey for you. I was not going to be kind.
Maybe I’m an asshole or maybe I would just like a customer service agent to make an attempt at customer service. I know the person on the other end doesn’t have any power to do much but at the very least she should have made an attempt to push things up the chain or find some way to help me.
Chat
Thursday,November 12,2020
System:
[09:34:02AM] Good Morning! Welcome Kevin Bae! We look forward to being of assistance.
System:
[09:34:02AM] You are first in the queue.
Customer:
[09:34:14AM] Good morning
System:
[09:34:27AM] The conversation request is being delivered to an agent. Please wait a second.
System:
[09:34:37AM] The conversation request has been accepted by an agent. Please start the conversation.
Agent:
[09:34:42AM] Thank you for contacting Nicor Gas. Please be advised our interaction may be monitored for quality assurance. My name is Georgia, how may I assist you?
Customer:
[09:34:47AM] I setup my account with autopay and online it says I’m enrolled but it doesn’t seem to be working
Customer:
[09:35:04AM] So my October bill is past due
Customer:
[09:35:17AM] Can you check to make sure things are set up correctly?
Agent:
[09:35:50AM] Sure, one moment please.
Customer:
[09:36:49AM] Oh, wait. I’m sorry. The payment did go through.
Customer:
[09:36:56AM] I was confused by the size of the bill.
Agent:
[09:36:57AM] I do show that the auto pay is active and will deduct the payments
Customer:
[09:37:12AM] Can you tell me why my November bill is so high?
Customer:
[09:37:23AM] The home has been unoccupied since the beginning of October
Customer:
[09:37:32AM] And the weather has been warm
Agent:
[09:38:17AM] The bill is actually for most of October, and even though we have had warmer days last week or so it has also been cold in the mornings as well as some days.
Agent:
[09:38:27AM] The reading and usage is inline with last yers usage.
Agent:
[09:38:32AM] *years
Customer:
[09:39:05AM] Right. But I was living in the property then. No one is there and the thermostat is set to 65
Customer:
[09:39:14AM] The usage should be way lower
Agent:
[09:40:27AM] When no one is living in the home, even if you have it at 65, it will use more gas than normal.
Agent:
[09:40:32AM] The house will be colder with no one in it.
Customer:
[09:41:17AM] That doesn’t make a lot of sense. There were only two of us living in the house. We won’t generate that much extra heat to make that much difference
Customer:
[09:41:46AM] Why would it be double of the previous month
Customer:
[09:41:51AM] Something is not correct
Agent:
[09:42:37AM] It will be more because there is more gas usage being used.
Agent:
[09:42:47AM] Same thing happen last year as well.
Customer:
[09:43:10AM] I lived in the house then. We cooked, used hot water, and had the thermostat set to 70.
Customer:
[09:43:28AM] Now, no one has been cooking, no hot water used, and the thermostat set to 65
Customer:
[09:43:37AM] There should be much less gas used
Agent:
[09:44:02AM] I understand that, but the furnace is still on.
Customer:
[09:44:07AM] My goodness
Customer:
[09:44:26AM] This defies all logic
Agent:
[09:44:27AM] The colder it is outside, the more gas will be used.
Agent:
[09:44:37AM] How?
Customer:
[09:45:01AM] October has been unseasonably warm
Customer:
[09:45:05AM] No one has been in the house
Customer:
[09:45:10AM] The house is set to 65
Customer:
[09:45:24AM] How in God’s green earth can you tell me more gas is being used?
Customer:
[09:45:49AM] Someone needs to physically check the meter
Agent:
[09:46:07AM] We obtain afctual readings each month.
Agent:
[09:46:32AM] The colder it is outside, even if you have it at 65 and no one is living in the home the more gas will be used.
Customer:
[09:46:36AM] Taking a reading is not the same as checking the meter
Agent:
[09:46:42AM] There is no body heat to warm up the home.
Agent:
[09:46:52AM] Do you smell gas?
Customer:
[09:46:54AM] So by your logic I would also use more electricity if I’m not home
Agent:
[09:47:07AM] There is no movement in the home, so the home will be colder.
Customer:
[09:47:07AM] By your logic not cooking and not using hot water uses more gas
Agent:
[09:47:12AM] I did not state that
Customer:
[09:47:26AM] You’re telling me that lowering my usage increases usage
Agent:
[09:47:27AM] This has nothing do to with ComEd.
Customer:
[09:47:46AM] No fucking kidding
Agent:
[09:47:47AM] This is for the gas being used by the furnace to heat up the home to obtain the 65 degree you have set the thermostat on.
Agent:
[09:48:07AM] I stated that the colder it is outside, the more gas you will use for the furnace.
Customer:
[09:48:09AM] End the chat
Customer:
[09:48:17AM] You have no interest in helping me
Agent:
[09:48:57AM] I am trying to explaain and assist you in all ways that I can and I am capable of.
Customer:
[09:49:14AM] Please end the chat
Agent:
[09:49:22AM] You can close the chat and chat with another agent, and they will state the same. The colder it is the more gas the furnace will use.
Customer:
[09:49:25AM] I’m hoping there’s at least a survey at the end of this
Customer:
[09:49:40AM] The more people in the house the less gas I use
Customer:
[09:49:44AM] This is what you’re telling me
Customer:
[09:49:49AM] That is utter nonsense
Customer:
[09:50:28AM] Hello. Are you capable of ending the chat?
Agent:
[09:50:52AM] That is not what I also stated.
Agent:
[09:51:07AM] I stated that if there is no one living in the home, the home inside will be colder.
Customer:
[09:51:12AM] This is exactly what you’re telling me
Agent:
[09:51:17AM] But I understand you wish to end the chat
Agent:
[09:51:27AM] Thank you for chatting with Nicor Gas. It’s been a pleasure assisting you today. Have a great day and stay safe!
Customer:
[09:51:31AM] End the chat please. Or do you get your jollies by continuing this nonsense?
Customer:
[09:51:39AM] I do not wish you the same
Agent:
[09:52:57AM] Thank you!
Customer:
[09:53:16AM] You’re not welcome.