CSI Plainfield: PMUA's 2008 Calendar

Click on image above or follow this LINK for a printable, fridge-sized 2008 PMUA Calendar. AND be sure to email this page to your friends and neighbors.

Plainfielders may well wonder how the PMUA could have gotten its knickers in such a twist over such a simple -- and predictable -- task as issuing the pickups calendar for the new year.

Nevertheless, confusion continued yesterday.

When I got home late yesterday afternoon, my mailbox was full of comments on the pickup situation -- and an email from sender 'Reach PMUA' at the PMUA, which helpfully offered a press release and a PDF of the 2008 Calendar.

A 'CYA' MOVE?

The press release noted that PMUA workers would be picking up on Thursday both paper and co-mingled items which had been set out on Wednesday. And the PMUA was kindly suspending the issuance of waste rules citations for incorrect putouts. (Nice touch!)

But wait, the press release is dated January 3, and says the extraordinary collection was for January 3. OK... But my email had a time stamp of 4:02 PM. At the end of the work day in question. Are you confused yet?

The email from sender 'Reach PMUA'

So, I slipped into CSI: Plainfield mode and checked out when the 'press release' was composed.

Properties sheet for the press release, showing time of creation.

So the 'press release' was composed at 3:34 PM (actually, that was the time of saving an edited copy of a previously composed document) and then emailed to me (and perhaps others?) at 4:02 PM.

Why do a 'press release' late in the day to cover an activity that was to take place earlier in the day? Do the words 'cover your butt' come to mind?

THE CALENDAR DELAY

The 'press release' also cites 'a delay in receipt of the new 2008 collection schedule by most residents'.

A reader had emailed me of her experience with PMUA customer service Thursday in this regard. When she called --

...the PMUA this morning...I was told that there had been "a change" and that the first and third Wednesdays were now dedicated to the collection of paper recycling. When I asked how residents were informed of this change, I was told that no notification had gone out and that the city was a fault. I was assured that details of the change in the pick-up schedule would be published in the next newsletter, and that I would get the afore-mentioned newsletter by next Monday.

Councilor Burney's mileage varied. He reports on his blog that --

"[The PMUA] assured me that actual calendars were on the way and every household in Plainfield should have one by this Saturday."

Saturday or Monday? Why wouldn't the customer service people have the same information for EVERYONE who called?

If it had been promised for Monday and delivered on Saturday, the PMUA would look heroic. The first law of customer service, you will remember, is 'underpromise and overdeliver'. On the other hand, if you promise Saturday delivery and muff it... Well, you get the idea.

And what does the City have to do with it at all? Why would a customer service person blame the City?

But wait! The PMUA sent me a copy of the 2008 Calendar. Back into CSI: Plainfield mode. When was the 2008 Calendar prepared?

Properties sheet for the 2008 Calendar, showing a December 13 creation date.

Inspecting the properties sheet for the PDF document shows that the 2008 Calendar was in its final form by December 13, 2007. That's three weeks before the events of January 2nd and 3rd.

But it couldn't get into your mailbox by New Year's Day?

And I would have been happy to let all this go without any further comment after the FIRST 'press release' from the PMUA on Wednesday.

But they had to 'fix' things.

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-- Dan Damon

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