Announcer: LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN
DETROIT, LOCAL 4 NEWS AT 5:30
STARTS NOW!
Kim: THE SMELL OF GAS OUTSIDE
YOUR HOME IS ENOUGH TO MAKE
ANYONE NERVOUS AND CONCERNED.
ONE WOMAN DESPERATE TO GET A
NATURAL GAT LEAK REPAIRED
FINALLY GETS RESULTS AFTER
CALLING "HELP ME HANK."
THE GAS LEAK REPAIRS IN ROYAL
OAK HAPPENING AFTER HANK
WINCHESTER INVESTIGATED A HOME
OWNER'S COMPLAINT.
Guy: THE REPAIRS WERE MADE A
MONTH AGO BUT SHE WAS STILL
SMELLING GAS.
Hank: THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN
RESOLVED.
THE ISSUE WAS FIRST REPORTED TO
CONSUMERS DECEMBER 1st, MORE
THAN FIVE WEEKS AGO.
WHAT TOOK SO LONG?
TONIGHT, WE'RE HEARING FROM
CONSUMERS.
CONSUMERS ENERGY CREWS ON THE
SCENE REPAIRING A GAS LEAK HERE
IN ROYAL OAK.
THE ODOR OF THE GAS A BIG
CONCERN FOR ANN STEMMONS.
ANY TIME YOU HAVE A SCENT OF
GAS, IT'S SERIOUS.
Hank: RESIDENTS ON HIGH ALERT
N 2013, ONE MAN KILLED AFTER A
ROYAL OAK HOME EXPLODED.
WE LATER LEARNED A WORK CREW WAS
THERE BEFORE THE BLAST BUT LEFT
BEFORE A COMPLETE REPAIR WAS
DONE.
THAT INCIDENT HAS MANY IN THIS
AREA QUICK TO CALL IF THEY
SUSPECT A PROBLEM.
PEEL LIKE ANN WHO FIRST REPORTED
A POSSIBLE LEAK DECEMBER 1st.
A CREW CAME OUT AND SAID THE
LEAK WOULD BE REPAIRED ON THE
2nd, BUT IT WASN'T.
THE GENTLEMAN CAME OUT FROM
CONSUMERS AND SAID, STOP
CALLING.
AND I SAID, I'M SORRY.
AND HE SAID EVERY TIME YOU CALL
THAT IT STARTS THE TICKET ALL
OVER AGAIN AND IT DELAYS THE
REPAIR.
THAT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO
ME.
Hank: CONSUMERS ENERGY TELLS
US THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
REPEATED CALLS DO NOT SLOW DOWN
REPAIRS, AND THEY ALWAYS WANT TO
HEAR FROM YOU IF THERE IS A
CONCERN.
THAT'S NOT THE TYPICAL
CONVERSATION WITH A CUSTOMER.
THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN.
WE WILL BE REVIEWING THAT WITH
EMPLOYEES WHO RESPOND TO THIS
AND OTHERS.
Hank: BILL IS THE MANAGER AND
SAYS EVERY LEAK IS INVESTIGATED
AND CLASSIFIED.
SOME DON'T NEED AN IMMEDIATE
REPAIR.
THE TWO MAIN THINGS WE LOOK
AT IS HOW CLOSE IT IS TO A
BUILDING AND WHAT PERCENT OF GAS
LEAK.
Hank: SHE WAS REASSURED IT
WASN'T DANGEROUS BUT BECAME
FRUSTRATED WHEN SHE COULDN'T GET
AN UPDATE.
I TRIED TO BE PATIENT FROM
THE 30 DAYS AND I WAS AFRAID TO
CALL BECAUSE I BASICALLY WAS
TOLD NOT TO CALL AGAIN.
Hank: SHE CALLED "HELP ME
HANK" TO INVESTIGATE, AND T
WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS.
WE WANT YOU TO CALL, WHETHER
IT'S A HOLIDAY, A WEEKEND,
EVENING, DURING THE DAY.
WE'LL COME OUT AND CHECK IT.
Hank: THE WORK NEW COMPLETE,
RESIDENTS LIKE ANN ABLE TO REST
EASY.
THANK YOU, "HELP ME HANK" FOR
GETTING DID THE JOB -- FOR
GETTING THE JOB DONE!
Hank: MY MAILMAN FIRST
SMELLED A LEAK IN FRONT OF OUR
HOME AND IT WAS LOWER PRIORITY
AND TOOK ABOUT A WEEK TO GET IT
REPAIRED N THIS CASE, IT'S THE
SAME SITUATION.
CREASE CAME OUT AND DETERMINED
IT WAS LOWER PRIORITY AND MOVED
DOWN THE LIST A LITTLE BIT.
CONSUMERS WANT US TO MAKE IT
CLEAR, IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE
AN ISSUE, DO NOT HESITATE TO
CALL.
AND IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE
BEING IGNORED, CALL BACK.
HANK WINCHESTER, BACK TO YOU.
Guy: BOUGHT A LOT OF
CUSTOMERS MIGHT FEEL
UNCOMFORTABLE WAITING FOR
REPAIRS, SO WHY DOES IT TAKE SO
LONG SOMETIMES?
WHY IS IT A LOW PRIORITY?
Hank: EXACTLY.
AND CONSUMERS LIKE THE WATER
DEPARTMENT OR OTHER UTILITIES,
THEY HAVE TO COME OUT AND
DETERMINE IF IT IS
SERIOUS THREAT.
BUT THEY NEED TO GET ON IT THERE