What is it with Customer Service people? I'm sure I've blogged about this before but..
I had to ring Southern Cross Healthcare today about a claim they should have paid while I was away - they were asking for information that they already have on file (sigh!!).
I still cannot hear on the phone, so I asked a friend to phone for me. My friend kindly explained that I was deaf and could not hear on the phone.
"I still need to talk to her" they said.
She had to explain a second time! (Double sigh!) You would think coming from a MEDICAL firm that they would understand deafness.
Maybe the misheard and thought I was dead?
Either way I still wouldn't be able to use the phone!
Is there any hope for the human gene pool???
Cheers
Robyn
10 comments:
Thanks to the HIPAA laws, insurance companies cannot divulge information to anyone but the patient. So that's why your health insurance company insisted on talking to you. I know, the HIPAA law is way too broad and do not take people with disabilities into account. Perhaps the HIPAA law could be considered a violation of the ADA - ha.
hi Roselil,
This would be fine - except I live in New Zealand and there is now HIPAA law.
There is a privacy act, but if the person is right there (as I was), then they have to divulge information.
However, I was not asking them to divulge information in any case - I was telling them via a friend that what they needed was already there - so the Privacy Act in this case wouldn't have come into being.
But you do have a point in your last sentence about the HIPAA and the ADA - however, once again, that would only pertain to the USA as we don't even have an ADA or anything like it :(
Sometimes it sucks to live in NZ LOL
Cheers
Robyn
As I understand it, the real purpose of the first level customer service people at many places is to make you *go away* and not bother the people who actually do the work there, whatever it is.David
There appears to be a need for a life guard at that pool! Lol.....
DT
What I've done at times is just have the person calling pretend to be me. It works frighteningly well.
Sometimes it's fun to get on the phone and simply frustrate the hell out of the other person.
I've done it.
Eric-- She can't hear on the phone. She's deaf.
Idiot-- I need to speak with her.
Me-- Hello.
Idiot-- blah,blah, blah
Me-- Hello? I can't hear you. I'm quite deaf.
Idiot-- BLAH BLAH BLAH
Me-- Hellooo? I can't hear you. . .I'm quite deaf.
Idiot-- BLAH!! BLAH!! BLAH!!
Me-- Hellooo?! Hello?? I can't hear you. I'm quite deaf... Would you mind speaking to my husband.
Eric-- She can't hear and asked me to take the call. Is that all right?
Idiot-- sigh of relief, then cooperation.
Lesson learned.
Smiles,
Oh! You live in New Zealand! Cool! I didn't know that! My apologies. Then in that case the HIPAA won't even apply. Not sure why that person was giving you such a hard time... Well, thanks for your NZ stories! :-)
My wife usually says, "What part of 'deaf' don't you understand?"
Oy, I love those types of customer service orienated people that lack the one IQ to realize that the entire conversation is well.... one sided :)
nope not just over there - customer service's here are useless too. Alongside anything that has "government funded" anywhere in the equation.
I recently started a college course the guy said i couldnt take group 1 because i cannot do thursdays was it ok to put me in group two? yeah why not.
six weeks into the course I find group one runs on a wednesday's and a friday's - he recommend's "I" change group as "I" made the error.
Idiot.
Post a Comment