Washington Gas, one of the D.C. area’s largest natural gas suppliers, is issuing an apology after months of customer complaints prompted the utility to address issues with its customer service.
NBC4 Responds received more than 20 complaints in just one week. What really drew attention was the common thread throughout the complaints: extremely long wait times.
Whether trying to set up a new account, turning off the gas when moving or simply trying to solve a billing issue, the complaints against Washington Gas have been coming in fast. Customers who can’t reach anyone on the phone are also sounding off on social media.
Washington Gas told NBC4 Responds it is in the middle of transforming its customer service experience to fix these issues. Washington gas said it's increasing staff so calls are answered more quickly, implementing a callback feature to eliminate long wait times and developing an online chat service to help resolve issues.
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Washington Gas said many matters people are calling them about can be solved online, such as starting or stopping service. Make sure to contact them at least two business days in advance to place an order for service. Service cannot be started and stopped on the same day; it requires a one-day separation.
And for help paying gas bills or making payment arrangements, go to this page on the Washington Gas website.
The company said it doesn’t release staffing numbers, but it does expect to have levels it needs within a couple of weeks, so expect to see significant progress with customer service in September.
