Heartbreaking Call Center Hell: Tale of Bad Customer Service + Money = Power

From Hellraiser:

In call center hell you get a lot of the same old rude, obnoxious, entitled, and just plain weird custys, but you sometimes get calls that just break your heart.

Especially with health insurance.
 

Long story short: Grandmother purchases equipment from equipment supply company. Equipment Supply Company reassures grandmother that they are part of our preferred network of providers, and that we should cover the full cost of the equipment (not the case even if they were part of our network). Turns out that they are not part of our network, and have never been so.

Grandmother's daughter calls to find out why they are suddenly responsible for all these bills, and why the company is now threatening to take away the equipment her grandmother needs to live. We do a 3-way call: Me, granddaughter, and douchebag.

Granddaughter: I don't understand and I don't know the right questions to ask, please help me!

*Me (to douchebag): I see you are not part of our network, and have never been. Did you perhaps submit this claim wrong? Is there any way we can resolve this?

Douchebag (in heartless, unnecessarily assertive tone): I just know that we are in network with multiple insurance policies like this one. I'm not getting involved in what you do cover or do not cover. That's between you and the patient. We tried to work with the patient, we can either take away the equipment she needs to live, or she can pay the full bill.

Repeat variations from * about 4 times.

Okay, this is a prime example of how NOT to do customer service. By the end of the 3-way the granddaughter was crying, and all I could think was:

"Hey douchebag, you got involved when your company told her this would be covered. Didn't think to check your facts first, I see. Instead you use weasely lawyer words like "multiple." Multiple doesn't mean shit, and you're an asshole for using it against some grandmother who doesn't know any better! Plus, since when is "pay or take away" considered working with the patient? Discount, doofus, offer her one! I'd say she's got a case for one based on your bad attitude alone, let alone the weasely lawyer terminology."

But of course I couldn't do anything either. All I could do was apologize. But I wish I could do more.

Actually, I've wished that ever since I worked at KFC/TH. If retail slaves had some real power we wouldn't be pushed around so much and we'd be much happier in our jobs. Ways to reward good custys and punish bad ones. And I'm not just talking a super-friendly smile, faster service, and a free apple pie. That will only get you so far. People respond to money like nothing else. I'm talking discounts for good custys, at our discretion, and extra fees for rude custys. And it can go to call centers as well. Say you give each employee an allowance. It doesn't have to be much, maybe just $100-$200 a month.

And if we feel a custy really needs it, we can use this money to pay on their bills. Retail slaves of all kinds hear a lot of bullshit, so we won't be fooled by it, and we can play the hero for those who deserve it. Think of how good that would make a company look, in the eyes of the customers we really want.

And where would that money come from?

Hmmm, can we send out bills to the rude custys? Would that be legal? Any lawyers in the house?

--Hellraiser

Comments

[The Last Archimedean]

Since Supply Company flat-out lied to the grandmother, they are 100% responsible and should have to foot 100% of the costs. Her bill from them should be $0. End of discussion.

[First Mate of the HMS Membership]

The non-profit I work for gives us an allowance of $100 a day! I can honestly say that it boosts morale like crazy, because finally I don't feel so helpless when someone really needs something. It's really great having that little bit of wiggle room, and I don't end up having to use it that often.

[trekkiebabe31]

That's an awesome idea, Hellraiser! There have been times I've wished I've had money in my pocket, especially for the cute kids that want to buy books but don't have enough, and of course their parents are nowhere in sight.

[Mari]

I used to work in a similar job as the "douchebag" in this story. It sucks, but that's what we need to say to keep our jobs. I have to feed my child somehow.

[mystic_eye]

I'm not a lawyer but it seems to me you can send a bill for anything you want, you just can't force someone to pay it if they chose not to.

For example private companies here keep giving people parking tickets, they aren't legally enforceable but people pay. Also there's a woman that bills her doctors if they make her wait, apparently the doctors pay up (at least half the time)
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/07/patients-bill-doctor-late.html

[Chicajojobe]

@mysic_eye,
The story wasn't saying the company was assholes for expecting payment for the equipment. They were assholes for lying about the insurance company covering it, and for saying "pay your bill in full or we'll repossess" instead of offering to set up a payment plan.

Also, saying 'work with multiple insurance companies' strikes me as meaning 'we work with a lot of companies but we can't be bothered to know which ones!'
That being said, I think this is a prime example of why you have to be proactive about your healthcare and don't just trust a sales person who says 'its covered'. However, since this was an old lady, I can understand. They were jerks for taking advantage of that.

[BookAce]

I actually do practice a bit of monetary rewarding/punishing in my job. ;) All copy department work is totaled up with SKUs for each thing we do. We get to use our own discretion as to which SKUs we use and what we'll charge for. For a really kind customer or someone in a tight spot I'll not charge for small services or will knock off labor fees if it wasn't something too complicated.

For custy dickheads, I tack on ALL the fees. Scanning, editing, folding, paper upgrade, labor, typesetting, etc etc. The best part is, it's totally legal since technically we're supposed to charge for all that stuff! >D

[Skittles]

Good luck to that company finding anyone who will reposess live preserving equipment.
While I agree wholeheartedly with The Last Archimedean the only problem would be in proving the case. There would be a good legal case against the company, if they did make a statement like the one in the post.