Communication Needs To Improve When Power Goes Out

The storms that knocked out power to more than 100,000 We Energies customers in southeastern Wisconsin on Tuesday evening left a mark that will not soon be forgotten. We Energies has never had to deal with such widespread storm damage to its infrastructure and such a large number of customers being left without power.

The company has had crews working around the clock to restore power, and they’ve done just that for thousands of customers in the area.

But the outages have left thousands of other We Energies customers looking for updates and information about their block and when the power might be coming back on, and many aren’t pleased with the communication – or lack thereof – coming from the company.

They are without computers and Wifi (unable to check online information), no air conditioning, no refrigeration, and unable to use so many other electric powered devices and appliances.

Many of my constituents are coming up on being without power for 48 hours, and they are expressing consternation and frustration, as We Energies provides only vague answers to their questions. They’re not satisfied with the company’s response from a customer communications standpoint, and quite frankly, I share their concerns.

I sincerely hope We Energies studies this mass outage and comes up with a better, customer-focused communications approach that provides real answers and specifics for those seeking information.

Next time, I really hope We Energies is ready to handle those calls.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.