Portsmouth Public Utilities

Good service, good instructions given for what I needed on my move. Long wait on the phone. Please add additional phone support. Thank you for all you do! God’s continued blessings. J

By far the worse department in the city. i have been trying to talk to a representative for more than a week. left messages last week, haven't heard from anyone. i was on hold for 25 minutes. SMH
UPDATE-I received a call from a Ms. Thomas, the issue was resolved.
Thank you Ms. Thomas. I'll adjust the stars to a 5.

Pearline was such a wonderful surprise at this office. So accommodating and helpful.Her interactions with her other customers and her peers was awesome to watch.

Called today to end water service to my house. Ms. Harrington was very polite and quite helpful.

If you actually go into the building, the service and environment is great. The staff was welcoming and quick to address our needs.

In person, my experience with them has been great. Helpful and friendly people. But they DO NOT answer the phone. I don't know why they even have phones.

Hold times are long, lines are often long inside, procedures for starting service are annoying, but I've never had a bad experience with customer service in person or on the phone. They've always been kind and answered my questions thoroughly.

Originally posted 1 star after very long waiting time on hold... but after getting the rep I had, I told her I had to change my review! Ms. Y Terrell provided amazing customer service and went above and beyond the call of service and was pleasantly and surprisingly helpful with my inquirie as for water service! She deserves an Award at the least and sets a new tone for the phrase CUSTOMER SERVICE! Thank you ms. Terrell!

Customer service was pretty helpful but that's the only positive thing. Long waits, questionable bills, and an antiquated billing system have made the ordeal unpleasant.

You guys communications suck. My water has been shut off twice the past 3 days, including the holiday because of the city doing work on a line on my street. I haven't been given any alerts, not even a knock on he door. I have family here because we just lost a family member, and my water keeps getting cut off when people are trying to shower! Not only that, but they also damaged the fiber line and took my internet out on New Years Day! I have had issues with you guys communication ever since I purchased my home in 2021. We've dealt with plumbing issues and leaks that I was never made aware of until 3-6 months after it started. Today I called for help and spoke to 3 different women. The first was somewhat helpful but transferred me. The second didn't listen to anything I said, I wish I got her name. She transferred me to another company that sent me straight to voicemail. The third said she'd escalate it to the supervisor and have them call me. Waiting to see if that actually happens. None of the three would let me finish a sentence at all!! Y'all are inconsiderate down there. You lack empathy or any concern. And make your actual good citizens not even want to live here! It's such a pain dealing with you all until someone shows up to the building aggressive and fed up, but it shouldn't even have to come to that.

A year ago I moved out and requested service disconnection, my online account was disabled before my last bill was due and I was never notified in any way of that last bill, and couldn't check my account. Just now that bill was deducted from a tax return, I called to ask about it, and it took ten days to return the call. I had a bunch of trouble when I first moved in too, I don't live in Portsmouth anymore thankfully

Terrible, spoken with multiple people over the course of the last 3 months and not one of them told me the same thing. So now I'm expected to pay an inflated bill because they told me only to pay my regular payment after a water leak.

Recently moved and needed water cut off , I found it very strange and crazy that I cannot get a PROOF i turned my water off . I was told by TONI that they do not send receipts showing you turned off water. Sad to say but the area of Portsmouth's says it all, have these people work in customer service and they don't even wanna serve . LIKE FOREAL . please vet your new hires and OLD .

The worst experience I’ve ever had in my life. I wish I could give less then one star for customer service. We have been trying for over a month to get our water turned on and after emailing and calling numerous times with false promises of an account number “coming in the next few days” our water was turned off today without warning and my spouse and I are working 24 hours with no option of leaving and we are unable to leave to buy our dog water. I could go on forever about the rest of the details but I am nothing short of disappointed and disgusted at that disregard and carelessness of Portsmouth Public Utilities.

Lived up and down Virginia. The hardest place to get things set up. No one answers the phone. When they do it's a that's to bad for you figure it out feeling. No wonder no one talking well about Portsmouth.

I truly believe any 5 star review is a lie. Call them during open hours. I dare you. They won't answer. They don't return calls. I've been trying for weeks. If you have an issue like I am, go to city council. Go to the mayor. Look at all these 1 star reviews and tell me I'm wrong that this isn't an ongoing issue.

Horrible customer service especially when they mention how much they appreciate their customers and the military. We have a water leak and the lady I was on the phone with was rude, snide, and unprofessional. To top it off even though I was calm and collect responding with yes ma'am and no ma'am she repeatedly would cut me off. And then after being on the phone waiting for over an hour my call was cut short at an 1hr 13min by her hanging up on me saying she is submitting a ticket. Now I know why no one wants to live in Portsmouth, VA and why this company is the worst in the Hampton roads area.

No one ever answers the phone. Waste of time calling in. Worst services of the seven cities in this area.

worlds worst customer service. had leak repaired and gave them them the receipt and they said i had to wait 2 months for them to fix the bill and that i still needed to pay the balance that was due. this bill was over 2 times my normal bill. this is ridiculous was told to call back later this month and they would think about lowering my bill. if i could give negative stars i would because this is straight up BS

They NEVER pick up the phone and for leak adjustments they recommend you pay what you normally pay which changes every month. The really need to do better.