Kristin O'Shea

Review of City of Portland - Portland Wa...

Before I go on, I want to say that I believe publ...

Before I go on, I want to say that I believe publicly held utilities are the only way utilities should function. I do not feel as so many do-that government is bad. But the water bureau in Portland is slowly chipping away at this core belief!

They are the worst. Many of the customer service reps are incredibly rude (although I have had some very nice ones too) and they won't work with you. I went through a rough financial patch and while other utility companies worked with me, they refused to do so. Because I was paying late (?) they were constantly charging all types of late fees. This also happened to me last year when they abruptly canceled autopay. They also shut off my water service, even though I paid for my monthly bill, but because I had not paid $90 in late fees. And again, those late fees come often, seemingly randomly. Eventually I talked with a supervisor who cut the late fee bill from $90 to $25. And why that reduction? I suppose because I was pleasant over the phone. I don't understand the how or why of any of it. They remind me of the frustration of working with Pacific Bell 40 years ago.