Berger Audiology Phone Number (574) 935-HEAR

Workroom Cabinetry was installed last night and is now ready for stocking repair supplies.

Becky now has a phone number at her new office:  (574) 935-HEAR(4327)  She has started taking appointments.  She’s working on a mailer to send out.

Phones were set up, but not without hassle.  Less so than what I went through with NIPSCO though!  What I thought should have been a single call to transfer service became a multi day debacle.  For your amusement, I’ll share my frustration below.  To the right I’ve included a picture of the workroom cabinets and countertop we installed last night.

First I will have to say that with the exception of 1 woman, everyone I spoke to at NIPSCO was friendly and sympathetic.  That has to be quite a feat, since after multiple phone calls and 6 representatives that I spoke to, I’m sure I wasn’t as friendly as when I started out and I think I hold my temper better than most.

1. I called on Friday afternoon to set up service for Becky and Berger Audiology.  She is starting as an LLC.  I was told NIPSCO requires an Employer Identification Number.  She is a single owner LLC, so this is not necessary, but apparently it is to get a NIPSCO account.  They took down basic information and gave me an account number to reference.  I was also told that I would be required to make a deposit of $1,087.  Wow!
   1. Friday evening I tried to get an EIN from the IRS.  Went through the application, but was then told that I couldn’t submit it outside of business hours.
   2. Monday morning I again filled out the online form and submitted it and got a computer generated letter with the number.  So, what, government computers don’t work beyond 9-4:30 either? As near as I could tell it was all done electronically.
2. I call NIPSCO again.  Present them with the EIN.  I was then told that I needed to take the letter from the IRS and the Articles of Incorporation from the State (which we already had) and fax them to a number at NIPSCO.  I was told to give them a number where I could be reached and they would contact me.
   1. I found the materials.  I wrote a cover letter to go with them.  I gave them my office phone number to contact me.
   2. As an aside, they needed the information faxed to them?  I was able to do this because I have a business, but if Becky had been doing this on her own, she would have had to find a place from which to send a fax.  Couldn’t this have been handled by email?
3. No call from NIPSCO…  until I get home and there is a message on the answering machine because I had previously given them the home phone number to get things set up.
   1. Instructions in message say that I should call them to make the deposit payment.
4. Next day I call NIPSCO.  I’m getting frustrated and complain.  The options the computer routing system gives don’t apply.  I have to wait for it to go through options for the phone number I’m calling from which don’t apply every time and it won’t let me short circuit and get to a representative.  The system continually asks me for my account number, which I give, but then the representative asks me for the number again when I speak to a live person.  “The system populates our screen based on the phone number.  I apologize. I can add your current phone number to the account and that should fix that.”  Are there any other options than going through the phone tree every time?  No.  I’m told that I can bring a check to NIPSCO or do it with a credit card online.  I chose the credit card since I don’t want to take off work to drive the check somewhere.  They won’t take the credit card.  I have to call another number for their credit card handling company.  There will be a $2.40 charge for the transaction.
5. I call the credit card handling number.  I put in the account number.  It asks me for the amount I would like to pay…  Ummmm…  I knew it was $1,081 or $1,087… something just under $1,100.  But since I don’t know…
6. I call NIPSCO.  Always a different person.  Always the BS about going through the system.  I still have to give the account number again because there are now two account numbers associated with my office phone number.  Every call is at least 5 minutes of wasted time with the computer before I get to someone that can help me.  This woman is not as friendly and tells me the deposit will be $1,160.  What, it went up in the last five days?  “No, that’s what it is.”  I know that’s not what I was told, but there doesn’t seem to be much option.  Oh, by the way, the computer system that accepts the payments can’t authorize more than $750 so you’ll have to call twice.  So I get stuck with TWO processing fees!?!  “Yes.  And I really shouldn’t be talking to you because when your wife set up this account, she didn’t list you as an authorized representative.”  Ma’am, you have never spoken to my wife.  I set up the account.  I’m on the phone with you with a credit card in hand wanting to give you money and you’re concerned about whether I’m authorized to do so?  “I’m sorry, but she needs to call in and make you an authorized representative on the account.”
   2. Call the computer credit card company and charge $750 + $2.40
   3. Call the computer credit card company and charge $410 + $2.40
7. I call NIPSCO.  Same phone tree.  Same questions.  Everything is in order.  Here’s your new account number.  Ummmm, I have an account number.  At this point I have the account number memorized!  No, that was just an account number for the deposit.  This is your actual account number.  Fine.  We go through the information again.  We set up service to switch over on Friday.  “We apologize for the inconvenience.”
8. By my count, that was 6 people and 12 computers I had to interact with in order to get this done.  Because I was trying to work while doing this, plus the delays they set up, it took nearly a week.