National Grid

My last message was deleted… and I’m almost a week without gas, the ones coming to turn on the gas either do not call you or call you after you have waited all day. They were supposed to come at 8am this morning and now they can’t until Tuesday… just doesn’t make sense a company cares so much about their customers that they would make them sit in their own filth for a week before someone actually does anything. The customer reps have no education about national grid, they do not leave notes, put you on hold only to come back with an answer that doesn’t resolve anything pertaining to the question you asked prior. Closed on Saturdays and Sunday’s so don’t try calling or anything.
TERRIBLE. If I knew of an alternative company I would go with them in a heart beat.

Crowded, long lines. No ones happy to have a job.
3 stars for the kiosk. I can pay my bill to a machine and not see a angry rep glaring at me.
The sad part is the guy that’s sitting there doesn’t pay attention enough to the elderly who have a hard time paying that machine. And there are people who will pretend to help them and steal from them. I wanted to grab him by the collar and say look at these folks. Help em!

This place has the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. And don’t be fooled by the name, this is a private company not a government bureaucracy but they still make the DMV look like top-​tier concierge service in comparison. If you can possibly avoid going here, do so and save yourself the headache and frustration.

If you’re not familiar with metrotech center it can be confusing to find your way around. The entrance to national grid is on Jay street.
Walking in is still further confusing. I walk up to the first person I see behind a desk. I start explaining my problem so as to get directions where to go. The guy cuts me off and says, if you’re looking for the gas company, you have to walk through the door in the back there. Uhhh… quizzical look from me.
I see lots of people waiting out front. I guess they handle electricity in some parts of the city as well?
I follow instructions and walk to the back. I look around & see numbers up above each teller. Hmmm, I guess I need to take a number. So I look around for the number tag dispenser, but find none. Confused. Finally I see someone who looks like they work here, and ask. Oh she says, you have to go back out in front and take a number.
I love how there is always this tone of, «how can you not know something so simple?» when you walk into a government office. It’s that feeling you get at DMV. Mentally I had prepared a bit for this… it just creeps up on you slowly.
I make my way out to the front. There is a bigger more main entrance to the building, and there they have someone else waiting by a video kiosk. She asks what I need, and gives me the right tag. Hurrah, someone is helping!
I go back to the back room again and wait. It’s actually not that bad of a wait, as far as gov & utilities go. After about half hour, my number is called & I walk up to the window.
«Hi, I called earlier about access to the meters. They told me to come by with a key to the basement. So I’ve brought that»
Attendant: Oh we don’t take those anymore, you have to signup for n-​scan. Ok, sure let’s do that.
Clickity click, clickity click. Ok, here’s your appointment. Great I say. Then she gives me a form for doing a meter reading.
«I’ll need four of those, I say. I manage the building itself. That’s why I’m taking care of access to the basement.»
Attendant: Oh, each of those individuals will have to call National Grid, and do the same thing.
Me, looking extremely quizzically. There’s only one key & access.
Attendant: Yes I know, but because of privacy reasons, they all have to individually call.
Thinking that is never going to work, I ask for some more clarification. She says she needs more paperwork. She says it can’t be done. I must do these other things. Nothing I can do. Then she walks away.
Now I’m lost. I’m stepping away from the window knowing this will unfold into a multi-​month drama of untold beaurocratic proportions. 27-​b-​stroke-​6 anyone? Ten points if you know the reference.
As I’m stepping away another woman seems to have been watching the whole thing. She seems as though she’s watched this woman for a while. She whispers to me «She’s so mean. She’s always like this. I heard the whole thing. You should talk to her supervisor. She’ll take care of you.»
I’m confused. Being used to non-​governmental organizations I’m thinking, what could be fixed. I’m assuming everything that’s transpired has real meaning, that it’s actually true.
Minutes later, sure enough the supervisor walks over. I explain the situation. I tell her they can’t take keys anymore. «Sure, we can take a key, of course. Lemme fix this.»
She goes behind the counter and instructs the woman what to do. Not to condemn or criticize, just to explain some alternate course of action, as if this were taking the west side highway instead of FDR. Then the woman calls me back to the counter, and asks me for my ID.
I hand it to her. Then ask, «What’s my ID for?» Again another oh-​you-​fool look. «How can I fill out these forms without your identity.
«What forms?» I ask.
«To take your key» she says.
«Ah of course, I respond. I’m a fool for not knowing. Thank you.»
The only way to deal with the insanity that is government agencies is to pretend that it’s all normal.
One minute something can be impossible. The next it’s quite straightforward. Just don’t lose your temper. You’ll be stuck in hell for a long long time…