Thur» . Jan 1,1981 ( S t e l l S A N D Y (O r« ) POST— 1
Agency handles consumer gripes against utilities
It's 28 degrees outside and
your u tility is about to turn
off you heat because you
didn't pay your b ill What
can you do?
If you are like some 5.800
other Oregonians last year
who had complaints against
their u tility , you w ill contact
the Consumer Assistance
Division of the state Public
U tility Commissioner’s of
fice The PUC may r.ot be
able to resolve the situation
in your favor, but w ill act as
mediator between you and
your
u tility
to
assure
everyone is treated fairly.
Established
in
1970,
Consumer Assistance is a
section of the PUC whose
authority is to represent
customers of investor-owned
utilities and to protect them
from
‘ unjust
and
unreasonable demands and
practices ” The division’s
major
emphasis
is on
resolving individual con
sumer complaints
Program Manager Pat
Fawcett reports directly to
the
commissioner
and
supervises a staff of one
partime and three fulltim e
employees — coincidentally
all women — who respond to
consumer
complaints.
According to Fawcett, a
consumer is often referred to
the department by a u tility
which, especially in the case
of service disconnects, is
required to notify their
customers of appeal rights.
Referral usually happens
when
a
customer
and
company disagree on a given
situation. Sometimes a social
service agency w ill refer a
consumer.
The process of resolving a
complaint
involves
any
where from 15 minutes
for routine inquiries to 60
minutes for the more com
plex. The consumer analyst
listens to the complaint,
interprets the situation as
best she can, and makes
notes that go into a per
manent file.
Sometimes she w ill obtain
advice from professional
agency staff. Then she calls
the utility company to ex
plain what the consumer
reported and to find out and
record
if
the company
substantiates
the
in
formation or wants to add
something new?
Finally, with both sides of
the story in, she makes a
judgment
on the
case.
Guidelines that help in
analyzing a case include the
adm inistrative rules of the
agency, ta riffs filed by the
company,
and
routine
policies and practices that
tell how to handle com
plaints.
“An analyst's job is not
necessarily to determine
who's
right
and who’s
wrong,” Fawcett said, ‘ ‘but
what can be done w ithin the
constraints of the law, rules
and the ta riffs to resolve a
situation.”
Fawcett gave an example
of a case ‘ Say a consumer
has a question about the
amount of and how to pay a
deposit a company is asking
for before they’ll restore
service. Our staff analysis
may reveal the company is
asking for too much.
"So we would go back to
the company and say, We
feel you're asking to much,
and we think you should
reduce the deposit' Then we
try to negotiate a payment of
that deposit.
"B eing successful in that,
we would report back to the
ratepayer, saying, We’ve
discussed it w ith the com
pany. To re-establish your
TRI-COUNTV
W ood
Cabinet»
P U B L IC A U C T IO N
L A N D SALE
Jan uary 23,1981
at l l 00 a m
The Oregon Tran sp o rtat ion
Commission will otter tor sale at
public auction, a landlocked
parcel of land located on the
south- side ot Highway 28, ap
proximately 1 25 miles east ot
the east Sandy city limits The
property it turther described as
tol lows
A parrel ot land lying in the N E ' *
N fi
S E'< ot Section 19.
Township 2 South, Ranges East,
w M
C lackam as
County,
Oregon, containing 0
acre,
more or less
4
THE SALE W ILL BE H E LD m
the Region R iqht ot Way ottice at
9010 SE
McLoughhn Bivd ,
Milwaukie. Oregon
TERMS OF sale
Cash sale
only The minimum price that
will be accepted is »1,900 Buyer
must deposit SMOor 20 percent ot
the sale price, whichever is
greater on date ot sale and pay
the balance within 60 days
Successful bidder is entitled to
possession ot property when
entire purchase price has been
pa>d
Taxes." it any, to be
prorated as ot date ot sale. The
State reserves the right to accept
or reiect any or all bids Sale
subied to special assessments,
existing
restrictions,
reser
vat ions and easements, if any
This sale is turf her subject to the
following
(A)
The Oregon
Transportat ion
Commission's
use restrictions on signboards
and all types of junkyards. (B I
noise and air pollution clause;
and (Cl complete restriction of
access to highway
IN F O R M A T IO N
P r o p e r ty
R e g io n
A g e n t,
9002
SE
M c L o u g h h n , P o r tla n d . Oregon
Phone 653 3123 prio r to date of
sale w e e k d a y s 8 to 5
(F ile 25433. Sale No 10)
On the other hand, real
hardship cases come up from
tim e to time. “ You get a lot
of
personal
problems
revealed to you in the course
of taking a complaint —
extrem ely sensitive fam ily
situations where you’d like to
be able to sit down and pay
the person’s b ill for them,”
she said.
" I f people reveal they need
financial
assistance,"
Fawcett said, “ we’ll refer
them to the Department of
Human Resources or other
agencies who may be able to
come up w ith some short
term assistance for them.”
Throughout the consumer
interview process, Fawcett
encourages her staff to
m aintain
a
professional
approach to each case and to
avoid becoming personally
involved.
"M ost of the people who
call in react favorably to the
information or assistance we
give them ," she said. "Y ou
w ill always get people who
would not be satisfied,
regardless of the outcome —
somebody who just has to
vent their frustrations. ”
BUXTON’S
Lee Meet Company
Sandy SM-4I3B
Custom Slaughtering
Grain Fed Locker Beef
• Cut, W ra p p e d & Frozen— Locker Pack»
Cattle Hauling on Tuesdays
We Do Our Own Cure .. Smoking
1
A full service contractor! "
668-5016
39373 Proctor Bivd in Sondi
lióme to Ctecl!
COMMUNITY
PRESBYTERIAN
CNURCN
Sunday school
Oponmi worship............ 9 30
Sundas school............... 9 45 a.m.
Morning worship ------ 11:00 am
Hom« Bible Study..........6:00 p.m
an
Nursery Coro During Worship
Postor John H Von Lierop
Homo 668-4100
Church 660-4543
This space
for
rent
Call
668-5548
NOW
Banclub
$10,000
Insurance
CHOICE PLUS
INTEREST
IMMANUEL
LUTHERAN
CHURCH
Worship
Sunday School
Olbia Study
Worship
Clackamas County Bank gives you
a NOW Account option on
all checking plans.
8:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
9:45 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
A Cordial Welcome is
Extended to All
PASTOP FRANK KOEPKE
You’re hearing more and more these days
about something new
called a NOW account.
It’s really nothing more
than interest on your checking balance,
something you’ve been telling banks
you’ve wanted for a long time.
We at Clackamas County Bank suggest
that when you hear or see anouncements
about NOW accounts being offered
at other financial institutions,
you look carefully at the choice
of interest-hearing checking plans
they offer. We think you’ll find
most of them are saying you can
have any kind of NOW account you want,
as long as it’s black.
Well, Clackamas County Bank doesn’t believe
in forcing people into a single choice.
That’s why we’ve taken the
unique approach of offering
checking-with-interest as an
option on ALL our checking plans . . .
and for years, we’ve led the way in
designing unique checking plans
for people of all ages
in all walks of life.
So, when you come to
Clackamas County Bank
for your NOW Account,
you’ll have the freedom to choose the
checking plan that’s just right for you.
And isn’t that the kind of choice
you’ve come to expect
from Clackamas County Bank?
Banclub
$20,000
Insurance
668 6232 - Church
A warm Christian wolcoma
awaits you a t . . .
Hoodland Church
of Wemme
Presenting the reformed faith
Sunday School................ 10 a.m.
W o rs h ip ..........................11 a.m.
W»d service..............................7 p.m.
Rax. Alon I. Wyatt, poator
St. MICHAEL'S
CATHOLIC
CHURCH
Gospel of Christ
Community
Church
Sunday School
9 :4 5
Morning Worship 11:00
Evangelist Service 6 00
Bible Study
Wednesday........... 7 00
a.m .
a.m
p.m
p.m.
Corner Strauss & Pleasant
Sandy. Oregon
Father Carl Gtmpl
668-4446
13050 Bobby Bruce Lana
SANDY
SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST
CHURCH
Sandy Church of
the Nazarene
Pastor H.O. McAdams
663-6213
Sunday School - 9:45 a.m.
AAorning Worship - 11:00 a.m.
SANDY
ASSEMBLY
OF G O D
Chapel of the Hills
Bible Fellowship
SUNOAY SERVICES
M ornin g W orship
Evangelistic Service
9 45 a.m
10 4b am
6 00pm
F a m ily N ig h t
W ednesday ...7 0 0 p m .
D a l« E d w a rd s
PASTOR
'¿?u,ch
Phone
668 5589
ORIENT DRIVE
BAPTIST CHURCH
(S o u th e rn )
15150 S E ORIENT DRIVE
BORING OREGON
(2* q miles from Sandy)
BIBLE STUOT - 9:45 AM
MORNING WORSHIP - I l 00 AM
CHURCH TRAINING - 198 P.M.
AFTERNOON WORSHIP 2 00 P M
(PASTOR) Tad Dams
CHURCH PHONE - 661 6083
HOME PHONE - 668 6261
Senior
ltizen
Checking
Currently meeting ot
17150 University A ve.. Sondy
(Seventh Day Adventist
Church)
You Are Welcome
Pastor
TERRY 2ULL
668 7714 - Home
668 €144 - Church
Sunday School
Banclub
$30,000
Insurance
(Kaiso area)
6pm
proctor and University
Sabbath School
9 30 a.m
Morning Service
11 00 a m
Public notices
He felt the phone company
should put a warning on the
receiver
of
everyone’s
phone Consumer Assistance
investigated and found that
cotton is in fact installed in
the receiver — to aid trans
mission — but it is not
chemically treated.
In the case of chronic
complainers — people who
call in repeatedly — Fawcett
says the department’s policy
is to give the person a chance
to explain his problem again.
" In most cases, we w ill call
the company again, make
sure there has not been a
change in the situation, and
then take a firm e r approach
w ith the consumer.”
Residential / Commercial/ Industrial
Mass 6 p.m Sat.; 8 a.m Sun
17435 Shelley Sandy
Acre«« Irem TTs 66B-6673
little quirks," says Bay, who
has been with the depart
ment for 5 years.
While most complaints are
legitimate, consumer an
alysts do get odd calls
Bay tells the story of a man
who called to complain about
"th e
chemically-treated
cottonballs” in his telephone.
F ire - B u rg la ry - C.C. TV
St Johns Catholic Church
Welch»» Oregon
C u ato m -b u iH
another 39 wrote letters
One of the most common
complaints heard by Con
sumer Assistance is the
threat of disconnet for
nonpayment of a bill. Many
people who cannot pay their
b ill turn to the PUC fo r help,
usually at the last minute
before disconnect.
Other complaints are as
varied as the people who
report them. A consumer
might call to protest a rate
increase that would sub
stantially raise his or her
monthly
bill.
B illin g
disputes, service out of or
der, or personal criticism of
the commissioner or a u tility
employee are also heard.
According
to
senior
analyst Joyce Bay, there are
no "ty p ic a l”
complaints.
"They all have thier own
r
ELECTRIC
* ELECTRIC W IR IN G
* ALARM SYSTEMS
Sat »ve Maas 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Maas 10 00 a m
Steve«
credit you w ill be charged a
$60 deposit. The company
has agreed that you can pay
the $60 over a two-month
period.'
"Y ou could go through a
variety
of
scenarios,”
Fawcett said, “but the basic
process would be the same.”
Most cases are handled by
telephone or letter, with
telephone
the
preferred
method of consumer contact,
because it ’s "m ore personal
and efficient.”
However, occasionally a
consumer w ill make a
personal
visit
to
the
department, located in the
Ijib o r
and
Industries
building in the Capitol m all
in Salem. In the month of
Devember, for instance, 3
consumers showed up in
person to register a com
plaint, while 410 phoned and
Pastor Robert
F. Scheifen
6 6 8 -5 7 1 2
♦
Located 8. Hwy 26
between Sandy 8 Brightwood
Sun. Bible School . . 9:45 a.m.
Sun. Worship Serv . 11:00 e.m.
Sun. Evening Serv . . 6:00 p.m.
Wed Pastor Visitation . 7 p.m.
Thwrt. Bible Study . . 7 : IS p.m.
You ore welcome
(¡olden
Security
Society
Independent Nor denominational
Pastor Kent McKinnon
Assistant M ike Whisner
Call 122-3164
Clackamas County Bank . . . giving you
the hometown advantage.
Church of the
Good Shepherd
(NOW Account» available December 31, I9N0)
Member FDIC
(E p isco p a l)
S un do y C o m m u n io n
9 a .m .
Midweek Services
TuesThurs. 10 a.m.
littfe Pioneer church
on West Pioneer Bivd
O
Regular
(becking
Father Lindsay Warren
2 8 4 74 3 9
S andy B a p tis t C h u rch
We Invite you to Join ua fo r fe llo w sh ip .
Sunday
Chiach 66B4064
Pastor 6684795
\
9 4 5 Sunday School
11 0 0 Morning Worship
6 0 0 f.vamng Worslxp
Sandy Office 668 5501
L
CLACKAM AS
COUNTY BANK
Hoodland Office 622 3131
Boring Office 663 3000
j
W ednesday
PI7B0 1
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i is
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n
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