Tweet
Oh this one’s special. I’ve been working in a benefits office for an insurance company for over one year now but I’ve been with the company for four. We are mainly responsible for setting up group benefits for companies and making changes to any plans. If people are calling about whether or not their claim has been paid, I refer them to a claims line since I do not have access to that info. That being said, I’ve gotten some pretty stupid calls but this one is special.
I’m at reception about to relieve the receptionist for her lunch and then a conference call and she’s on a call that actually takes 10 minutes before she could get the caller off the phone. Apparently she (the caller) was giving out her life story, not answering the receptionist’s questions and kept referring to someone whose name she couldn’t read and that it was for her mother’s pension from 1998. Eventually the receptionist gave her the phone number for an Ottawa office (where she was calling from) and got her off the phone.
This is when I took over:
Call #2 (technically)
Me: Good afternoon, insurance company
SC: I’m calling from Ottawa. I was given a number by someone at this office and I’m not sure if they’re with insurance company.
Me: Yes, my cw informed me of the situation and I can assure you the number she gave you was from insurance company’s directory.
SC: Well when I call all it says is the person at this extension is not available. It doesn’t even say anything about insurance company I asked that if they’re associated with insurance company to give me a call but I want to make sure they’re associated with insurance company
Me: Well it could be that they’re using an automated message instead of recording one themselves
SC: Yes I’m aware of this. I work for a phone company so I know how that process works. But I got a letter from the pension office in regards to my mother and I don’t know what to do
Me: Did they leave a number to call back?
SC: No all they mentioned was to contact insurance company
Me: There was no number on the letterhead or anywhere on the letter?
SC: It wasn’t a letter. I was sent a form to complete and I don’t know what to do with it. It says to send it to Head Office but the post office lost this already. Is there anyone I can talk to about this?
Me: Did you try zeroing out (some places will transfer you to the receptionist if you press 0 when listening to someone’s voicemail message) on the number my cw gave you?
SC: I got you.
Me: No the number my cw gave you for Ottawa, Did you try zeroing out?
SC: I didn’t get that option. Maybe I could have Head Office’s number?
Me: *yay!* Yes *gives number*
SC: I already called this number and they said to call you
Me: Well other than the phone number my cw gave you, I’m not sure who else to refer you to
SC: Well I’ll try this. Could you transfer me?
Me: No I can’t transfer calls out of the office *seriously what is it with people thinking one office in one city can transfer a call to another office in another?*
Me: Have a nice day *yay!*
Call #3
Me: Good afternoon, insurance company
SC: I’m not sure if I was talking to you already
Me: You were
SC: I called that number and they said to contact Group Benefits so here I am. And I don’t want to be transferred to London because they can’t help me
Me: *that’s funny I never transferred you to London, I never even gave you their number* I thought this was for your mother’s pension or rsps
SC: I never said anything about pension or rsps. I got a letter from the pension board in regards to my mother passing away in 1998.
Me: So it is a pension?
SC: I never said it was ever for a pension
Me: But you got a letter from the pension board?
SC: I never got a letter, my brother just got a form from the pension board for my mother who he and I are both beneficiaries on her life insurance policy
Me: Did they indicate anything on there in regards to a insurance broker or a policy number?
SC: All I have is *policy #* can you search by that?
Me: *where the hell has this policy # been the whole time?* Yes. What’s the number?
SC: *gives number*
Me: This is being handled out of out Toronto office
SC: Then why is this being mailed to Head Office?
Me: Because most of the documents sent to our offices are processed in Head Office. Toronto is more like a point of contact but they would know about your mother’s policy as we do not handle that in our office. Here’s their number.
SC: Do you have a 1-800 number.
Me: No I don’t.
SC: Can you transfer me?
Me: No I can’t
SC: Well I hope they take collect calls
Me: Just call them and they can help you since our office does not handle this policy. *just to make it crystal clear*
SC: Ok I’ll call them
Me: Have a nice day *click yay!*
Seriously? This should have been handled by 2000 at the most not 15 years later and then when she calls the most random number Head Office picks out she doesn’t even know what she wants. Altogether she asked about pension, rsps, and then group life insurance and apparently pension offices send forms without letters attached or any phone numbers noted. Special, real special.
Here’s something else I’ve been saving for the next time I posted.
*Note when we haven’t received payments for policy premiums, we freeze employee drug cards
Me: Insurance company, Jenn speaking (I use a different greeting on my own line)
SC: I mailed payment for our premiums last month and I wanted to check if you have received them
Me: *ok typical call* What’s the plan number? *receives* No I’m sorry I don’t see any payments being received as of yet
SC: But this is ridiculous! I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I’m best friends with the advisor! Our employees need access to their benefits
Me: Where did you send the cheque to? Was it our office or Head Office?
SC: Wherever Winnipeg is.
Me: That would be Head Office but they haven’t logged any payments as of yet
SC: Well what am I going to do? Our employees need access to their drug cards.
Me: You could courier another cheque to our office so that it will get to Head Office faster and then we can reinstate to drug cards
SC: Oh no I don’t use courier but I could mail another one to your office?
Me: You could do that but then there’s no guarantee when it will get here as the post office isn’t always reliable
SC: This is ridiculous! I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I’m best friends with the advisor! Our employees need access to their benefits.
Me: I’m sorry but without proof of payment we can’t reinstate drug cards
SC: What if I sent you the stub I have from when I wrote the cheque?
Me: I’m sorry we can’t accept that.
SC: This is ridiculous! I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I’m best friends with the advisor! Well when our contract comes up for renewal I will not be renewing
Me: *so let me get this straight. You didn’t send a cheque by courier and just hoped the post office would deliver it on time and now that they haven’t you want to stop benefits with us* I’m sorry to hear that
SC: Well I know T’s out but I want to leave her a voicemail about this
Me: Please hold for transfer
I’m at reception about to relieve the receptionist for her lunch and then a conference call and she’s on a call that actually takes 10 minutes before she could get the caller off the phone. Apparently she (the caller) was giving out her life story, not answering the receptionist’s questions and kept referring to someone whose name she couldn’t read and that it was for her mother’s pension from 1998. Eventually the receptionist gave her the phone number for an Ottawa office (where she was calling from) and got her off the phone.
This is when I took over:
Call #2 (technically)
Me: Good afternoon, insurance company
SC: I’m calling from Ottawa. I was given a number by someone at this office and I’m not sure if they’re with insurance company.
Me: Yes, my cw informed me of the situation and I can assure you the number she gave you was from insurance company’s directory.
SC: Well when I call all it says is the person at this extension is not available. It doesn’t even say anything about insurance company I asked that if they’re associated with insurance company to give me a call but I want to make sure they’re associated with insurance company
Me: Well it could be that they’re using an automated message instead of recording one themselves
SC: Yes I’m aware of this. I work for a phone company so I know how that process works. But I got a letter from the pension office in regards to my mother and I don’t know what to do
Me: Did they leave a number to call back?
SC: No all they mentioned was to contact insurance company
Me: There was no number on the letterhead or anywhere on the letter?
SC: It wasn’t a letter. I was sent a form to complete and I don’t know what to do with it. It says to send it to Head Office but the post office lost this already. Is there anyone I can talk to about this?
Me: Did you try zeroing out (some places will transfer you to the receptionist if you press 0 when listening to someone’s voicemail message) on the number my cw gave you?
SC: I got you.
Me: No the number my cw gave you for Ottawa, Did you try zeroing out?
SC: I didn’t get that option. Maybe I could have Head Office’s number?
Me: *yay!* Yes *gives number*
SC: I already called this number and they said to call you
Me: Well other than the phone number my cw gave you, I’m not sure who else to refer you to
SC: Well I’ll try this. Could you transfer me?
Me: No I can’t transfer calls out of the office *seriously what is it with people thinking one office in one city can transfer a call to another office in another?*
Me: Have a nice day *yay!*
Call #3
Me: Good afternoon, insurance company
SC: I’m not sure if I was talking to you already
Me: You were
SC: I called that number and they said to contact Group Benefits so here I am. And I don’t want to be transferred to London because they can’t help me
Me: *that’s funny I never transferred you to London, I never even gave you their number* I thought this was for your mother’s pension or rsps
SC: I never said anything about pension or rsps. I got a letter from the pension board in regards to my mother passing away in 1998.
Me: So it is a pension?
SC: I never said it was ever for a pension
Me: But you got a letter from the pension board?
SC: I never got a letter, my brother just got a form from the pension board for my mother who he and I are both beneficiaries on her life insurance policy
Me: Did they indicate anything on there in regards to a insurance broker or a policy number?
SC: All I have is *policy #* can you search by that?
Me: *where the hell has this policy # been the whole time?* Yes. What’s the number?
SC: *gives number*
Me: This is being handled out of out Toronto office
SC: Then why is this being mailed to Head Office?
Me: Because most of the documents sent to our offices are processed in Head Office. Toronto is more like a point of contact but they would know about your mother’s policy as we do not handle that in our office. Here’s their number.
SC: Do you have a 1-800 number.
Me: No I don’t.
SC: Can you transfer me?
Me: No I can’t
SC: Well I hope they take collect calls
Me: Just call them and they can help you since our office does not handle this policy. *just to make it crystal clear*
SC: Ok I’ll call them
Me: Have a nice day *click yay!*
Seriously? This should have been handled by 2000 at the most not 15 years later and then when she calls the most random number Head Office picks out she doesn’t even know what she wants. Altogether she asked about pension, rsps, and then group life insurance and apparently pension offices send forms without letters attached or any phone numbers noted. Special, real special.
Here’s something else I’ve been saving for the next time I posted.
*Note when we haven’t received payments for policy premiums, we freeze employee drug cards
Me: Insurance company, Jenn speaking (I use a different greeting on my own line)
SC: I mailed payment for our premiums last month and I wanted to check if you have received them
Me: *ok typical call* What’s the plan number? *receives* No I’m sorry I don’t see any payments being received as of yet
SC: But this is ridiculous! I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I’m best friends with the advisor! Our employees need access to their benefits
Me: Where did you send the cheque to? Was it our office or Head Office?
SC: Wherever Winnipeg is.
Me: That would be Head Office but they haven’t logged any payments as of yet
SC: Well what am I going to do? Our employees need access to their drug cards.
Me: You could courier another cheque to our office so that it will get to Head Office faster and then we can reinstate to drug cards
SC: Oh no I don’t use courier but I could mail another one to your office?
Me: You could do that but then there’s no guarantee when it will get here as the post office isn’t always reliable
SC: This is ridiculous! I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I’m best friends with the advisor! Our employees need access to their benefits.
Me: I’m sorry but without proof of payment we can’t reinstate drug cards
SC: What if I sent you the stub I have from when I wrote the cheque?
Me: I’m sorry we can’t accept that.
SC: This is ridiculous! I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I’m best friends with the advisor! Well when our contract comes up for renewal I will not be renewing
Me: *so let me get this straight. You didn’t send a cheque by courier and just hoped the post office would deliver it on time and now that they haven’t you want to stop benefits with us* I’m sorry to hear that
SC: Well I know T’s out but I want to leave her a voicemail about this
Me: Please hold for transfer
Comment