Question: What’s going on with HECO? Its customer service line is busy all day long and was that way all week long. I called another number about getting a new electric meter and was placed on hold for two hours, 45 minutes.
Answer: It’s the same problem Hawaiian Electric Co. was having in June, after it installed a new computer billing system (is.gd/pNt3Fb).
Back then, HECO said, lengthy delays in getting through to customer service were expected "to decline in the next few weeks and disappear within a month or two."
This time, there’s no estimate being given as to when the problems will be resolved.
"Our call center is experiencing higher call volumes and our representatives are continuing to grow their expertise on the new system," HECO spokesman Peter Rosegg told us this week.
The problem was compounded because a vendor helping with call overflows "encountered unexpected problems, so we have had fewer than expected available representatives on the phone."
Rosegg said HECO is adding more customer service workers.
In the meantime, he suggested going to www.heco.com for such things as starting or stopping service and finding phone numbers for other services.
The website also allows customers to email questions or concerns.
Rosegg said if a customer has questions about a disconnect notice and is not able to reach HECO by phone or in person before the disconnect date on the notice, to send an email by clicking on "Contact Us" in the upper right corner of the HECO home page.
"No one will be disconnected who has sent an email to us until they have had a chance to discuss their questions and concerns with someone from Hawaiian Electric," he said.
Another option, he said, is to go in person to a customer service center. On Oahu, centers are at 820 Ward Ave. and at 900 Richards St.
"We know many customers are frustrated and we are very sorry for the inconvenience people are experiencing," Rosegg said. "They have every right to be upset. We are working to answer calls and emails so that we can help people as quickly as possible."
Question: There is a paved road below the H-3 freeway on the town side. The road starts at the rear of Hawaiian Cement’s quarry and plant and travels parallel toward the H-3 tunnels to Windward Oahu. Is this road accessible for public use for walking and bicycling?
Answer: The service road under the H-3 is not open for public use, recreational or otherwise.
It is on government property, secured with locked gates, and is used by the state Department of Transportation for maintenance of the elevated H-3 viaducts, said DOT spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter.
Also, because getting to the road involves going through private property, as you noted, public access must be requested through the DOT’s Highways Division and only for official purposes, she said.
The roadway has no amenities, such as restrooms or potable water sources, or safety features, such as road lighting or striping, so it "is not suitable for public use," Sluyter said.
MAHALO
To a kind man named George. On July 12, I bought a queen-size mattress and box springs, tied them to the roof of my car and headed home to Waianae with my kids. I didn’t realize they were sliding off until cars started honking. I pulled over near the Ko Olina exit. George, who was driving an Iruka Tours bus, pulled up behind me. He spent more than 30 minutes helping me to securely retie the mattress and box springs, which wasn’t easy with cars zipping past us. He even followed me home to make sure they didn’t slip off again. What a great person. His kokua really made my day, especially since it was my birthday. — Min Pongklub
Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
