Water Shut-Offs

Today was water shut-offs.  The day that the people who haven't been paying their water bill for four months suddenly stop having water.  And they think I sit at my desk and randomly shut off people's water, because:

8:00 a.m.  It begins.  The phone rings.  I answer.  And:

"I DON'T HAVE WATER!!!  My water's not working!  Could you send someone out right away?"  

I ask for their last name, and pull up their water bill.  "Well, it looks like you haven't paid your water bill for the last four months."

"THAT'S WRONG!!! I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN A BILL FOR THE PAST FOUR MONTHS!!!"  

And I simultaneously feel all of these emotions:

"Well, we've been sending them out, and we also sent you a final shut off notice last month."

"Well, I got that.  But you're wrong.  I've paid my bill."

At which point, every fiber of my being wants to say:

"You have to pay the full amount, plus $25, in order to get your water turned back on.  Or else, you need to pay the past due amount, which is $_____ (insert amount here), plus the $25, for a total of $______."

At which point, they say:

And I think:

So I try to calmly and simply explain again that they have to pay at least the minimum to get their water turned back on.

"Well, if I can't pay it now, but I can pay it on Friday, then will you turn my water back on right now?"  

"No, unfortunately we cannot turn your water back on until you pay at least the past due amount."

"Well, will you accept $25 to turn it back on?"

And after twenty more minutes of trying to explain that they need to pay the past due amount before I can ask the utility man to go turn their water back on, they either ask to talk to the utility manager or pay the past due amount. 

Water Shut-Off Day is a hassle, but: