Tips for Customers Experiencing Long Hold Times

We’ve had some long hold times for customers calling the CCC recently, mainly due to summer bill inquiries and payment arrangements.

To help with the current high call volume, the CCC will be open on Saturdays for the foreseeable future, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. There is no plan currently to open the Community Offices during this time. In addition, MLGW is extending the weekday hours of the CCC to 9 p.m.

When calling, here are some helpful reminders:

1. To reach an MLGW Customer Service representative: For billing, payment & reconnect issues, call 544-6549.

• To start, stop or transfer service, call 820-7878.
• For trouble calls and pilot safety inspections, call 820-7878.
• To report electrical outages, call 544-6500.
• Listen closely to the menus. Listen to each menu option.
• Press 9 to hear menu options again.
• Select the menu option that most closely matches your need.
• Almost every prompt in the IVR can transfer you to a live agent. Listen at the end of the menu for “Press 0 to speak to a customer service representative” after second or third time through menu.

2. Customer's experience (wait and proper routing) is greatly enhanced when the customer makes a selection in the IVR that closely matches his or her need. Entering invalid numbers or characters to force a transfer or non-selection of language to force a timeout transfer puts customers in unknown queues that take longer to answer.

3. Consider using our self-service channels: payment arrangements/account inquiries via IVR, www.mlgw.com and web mail for items that do not require an immediate answer. Payment extensions can also be requested online and via MLGW’s iPhone app. Always have your MLGW Account number available to access our self-service channels. Customers are asked to please contact via one channel at the same time: either voice, web chat, web forms, IVR or e-mail. Contacting us at multiple channels simultaneously is diverting valuable human resources to address multiple contacts for the same issue or request.

4. MLGW Emergency lines (dedicated or IVR) should only be used for 911 types of emergencies invovling utilities, such as gas leak, an odor of gas, downed or sparking electrical lines, burst inside or outside water lines or unsafe MLGW street barricades. MLGW cannot assist customers who are requesting reconnection of services, payments arrangements, or bill complaints through the emergency hotline. Using the emergency line for non-emergency inquiries could potentially hamper the ability of MLGW representatives to respond to life-threatening situations of other customers.

5. IVR (Automated Phone System) Design Points.

MLGW's Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Unit is designed around the following two factors:

1. Order of important calls (emergency, outage and trouble calls and then billing & payment issues)
2. Highest call volume (reconnects, payment arrangements, billing inquiries. etc.).

The IVR's Main Menu presents the following:

1. Language: 1-English and 3-Spanish
2. Emergency (Press 1-Emergency) or Non-Emergency (Press 2-To Continue).

The IVR's Non-Emergency Menu presents the following:
1. 820-7878: Utility Service Outage Reporting (no electricity, no gas or no water)

2. 820-7878: Utility Service Trouble Reporting and Builder's Support

3. 544-6549: Residential Billing and Payment Services (Balance, Assistance, Statements)

3. 820-7878: Residential Utility Services (Start/Stop/Transfer and Pilot Safety Inspections)

4. 544-6549: Commercial Billing and Payment Services (Balance, Assistance, Statements)

4. 820-7878: Commercial Utility Services (Start/Stop/Transfer)

5. 544-6549: General Information (Mailing Address, Phone Numbers, Payment Locations)