Hello everyone:

The movie The Second Best Marigold Hotel opens with the elderly character Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench) trying to sign up for internet service on what was her late husband’s account.

The customer service representative on the other end of the phone line repeatedly insists on speaking to Mr. Greenslade, since his name was the only one on the account. The representative refuses to tell Evelyn anything; Evelyn informs the woman that she can’t talk to him because he is dead.

As it turns out, not only can Evelyn not change anything with their internet service provider, but her late husband ran them into the ground financially. His untimely heart attack has left Evelyn impoverished and needing to sell their family home and all of their possessions in order to pay back his debt.

Evelyn has been kept completely in the dark about their financial situation and she ends up moving to India, to live in a second-rate hotel. Her monetary situation is so precarious that she needs to find a job, having to work for the first time in her life.

Several gals have told me their tales of woe with customer service agents who refuse to change the names on their electric, gas, or water bills. What worked for them was to have the names on the account, such as Mr. John Smith, changed to Mrs. John Smith as a way around receiving a monthly bill for someone who is six feet under.

What ideas do you have for meeting this challenge?

Best,

Dr. Sheri