Like many people, Joan Chapman was looking to lower her energy bill by making changes to her account. It’s a task most people handle over the phone with a representative, but for Chapman that wasn’t an option. A medical condition prevents her from speaking.
In 2020, she was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer and has undergone several surgeries. But four years later, she is still enjoying time with friends and taking care of important business for her condo buildings HOA. She communicates mostly through email and text.
On the day we visited Chapman, she used a notepad to write down her responses to our questions.
“Look at me. I do not feel disabled. I do more than most people. Just can't speak,” Chapman wrote.
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According to Chapman, contacting a representative from Florida, Power, and Lights to remove unwanted add-ons to her account proved difficult with her condition.
“I signed up for surge protection and solar energy, but seriously, I do not have solar and never had power surges. Power went out, but no surges. So why pay $24 to $35 each month for stuff I have no use for?” Chapman wrote.
In an email to NBC6 Responds, Chapman explained she couldn’t make the changes through her online portal. She wrote to an FPL support email she found online and sent a certified letter. But she explained she never heard back. She also tried the company’s chat option but showed us error messages which redirected her to call.
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A call she would need to make with the use of what’s known as relay services which help people with hearing or speech disabilities make phone calls. But according to Joan, several times she was redirected to the wrong department and was still unable to make the necessary changes over the phone. That’s when she decided to reach out to NBC6 Responds.
“Yes, I saw a segment on channel 6 about helping someone in the community. I said, Joni, give it a shot. What do you have to lose? But a few minutes after writing the email, then wow, I got the answer the same day,” Chapman wrote.
NBC6 Responds reached out to Florida, Power, and Lights about Chapman’s situation.
In a statement an FPL representative told us, “At FPL, we are always working for our customers and offer various account management options including FPL.com, the FPL app and phone. Additional options for customers who are Hard of Hearing or Speech Disabled include the Florida TTY-based (Teletypewriter) Telecommunications Relay Services and the chat option found on FPL.com by clicking ‘Support’ under the navigation bar and selecting the ‘Contact Us’ option. We can’t comment on any specific account; however, we worked with this customer – as we do with all of our customers – to ensure she gets the help needed now and in the future.”
Within days a consumer advocate reached out to Chapman and helped her remove the add-ons from her account. A technician also visited her home to help her look for ways to save on her bill. With her issues fixed, Chapman hopes her story will inspire others.
“Yes, you can't speak, but you still have a voice. And sometimes the writer's word is remembered longer. So, if you have my disability, don't hesitate to demand that companies try to accommodate our disability, too,” Chapman said. Though FPL’s chat option did not appear to be working when Chapman tried using it. We recently used it and it is currently working.
