Kimberly Bloom, of Connoquenessing Township, is frustrated with customer service for her home protection plan. A water shut-off valve in her home has been leaking for several weeks. Justin Guido/ Butler Eagle

A water shut-off valve that began leaking a few weeks ago in the basement of Kimberly Bloom’s home would have been an easy repair for her late husband, who died more than a year ago.

Bloom, of Connoquenessing Township, couldn’t fix it herself, but remembered she has been paying $9.99 per month for a protection program that would repair water equipment that is not the responsibility of the water company.

The customer service representatives at the American Water Resource call center she reached after discovering the leak were difficult to understand, she said, but she eventually understood them well enough to hear that a repair person would call her before coming to her home to fix the problem.

No one called or showed up, so she called the customer service number back.

Communication issues continued, and some representatives hung up on her, she said.

Others promised someone would call, then come to repair the valve, but no one did.