When it comes to Modern Communication.
Recently I wrote a Blog on the senselessness of telephone answering messages that do not identify the phone's owner - especially in the case of Commercial Establishments - i.e. you have reached number xyz 111-2222 please leave a message and we will get back to you as quickly as possible ... tone ....
Now I have encountered a similar situation, this involving my aged Aunt and my attempts to contact one of her health insurance providers to find out why her reimbursements have suddenly ceased.
Here goes:
First the usual mechanical voice overs and various prompts telling me how important my call is to them and that they consistently bend over backwards to provide first class service. Ultimately I am connected with a real person - let's call her Mary J; infact, that is what she calls herself.
I give Mary the background leading to my call at which point she advises me that she cannot speak to me - she must, for privacy reasons, only communicate with my Aunt.
I tell her I can understand her position but it would save everyone time and inconvenience if I could be told what the issue is regarding her ceased payments. I tell her that I suspect it is due to them not being advised of my Aunt's recent move - but again - the stock answer - they can only deal directly with my Aunt. This same Aunt who has no idea that her payments have stopped or for that matter, what her new address is.
But seeing that I am getting nowhere - I disclose that I have Power of Attourney and we agree that I will send Mary J a copy at which point they will be able to deal with me directly too.
What's your e-mail address I ask? Mary J "we are not allowed to give that information out".
Okay - what's your fax number? Mary J provides me with a 1-800 fax number.
And what is your full name so I can direct my fax to your attention? Mary J "we are not allowed to give that out either - only our first name and the first initial of our family name".
Okay - I will send a fax to you 'Mary J'.
May I have your direct telephone extension so I can call you afterward to make sure it gets to you?
You can guess - "not allowed to give that information out"
I send the Fax.
A few days go by and nothing.
I call Insurance Provider at its main 1-800 number and get the following recording:
"If you know the extention of the person you are calling - dial it now. If you do not, press #5 for a list of our staff directory".
Of course I have neither.
Eventually, I reach the company operator and explain the difficulty I am having tracking 'Mary J' down.
The Operator asks me for Mary's full name. I explain, feeling quite silly, that all I have is the first initial of her last name as in 'J'.
Operator tells me that she is unable to find 'Mary J' in her list of employees.
I ask the Operator to connect me with Mary J's area of work and in due course end up speaking with 'Bonny B'.
Bonny does not know a Mary J either and in response to my disbelief - she explains that there are many employees in their section; "she cannot possibly know them all".
I ask Bonny B if their section has received my fax of several days ago?
Bonny then proceeds to scold me for sending a fax to them - "we have several fax numbers how could you possibly know which one to send it too" she snarled.
Finally, I start to lose it. In a gruff voice I punt back - 'your Mary J gave me the number and asked me to use it, so I did;.
Bonny pulls in her horns.
She puts me on hold and then gets back to advise that there is no record on my Aunt's file that my fax has been received. Would I mind sending it again?
"To Bonny B" - I reply. 'Yes', says Bonny - as we are not allowed to give our last name.
And the fax number you are reluctant to give out would be? Bonny B provides me with a different one than was provided in the first instance by Mary J.
And I take it there is no telephone number available for direct follow up with you? "Correct".
Then how will I ever know that one or both of my faxes have been received? "Keep calling our main line until someone here confirms receipt" she responds.
Later that day I receive a voice mail message from Mary J - you remember her - my first contact. Mary just wanted to let me know that she was in receipt of my fax. I wondered to myself if it was fax 1 or fax 2 - but was thankful that at least one of them had gotten through and that she had taken the time to let me know. I know I am unlikely to get a similar call from Bonny B.
So after all that, I still have no idea why the reimbursements stopped but a least I think I am making some progress?
So there you have it - Communications in our Modern World. I am beginning to think though, that a return to Carrier Pigeons may be in order.
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
