Seriously, we're not the only company that does this (some language)

[firegirl1514]

First, a little background. I work for an outpatient facility as a billing clerk. One of my job duties is to field calls from patients with questions about their bill. Typically, the calls I deal with are ones that one of the other clerks can't resolve. I do get a few easy ones, though.

The call I got earlier this week would usually have been an easy one, but apparently the person was just stupid. It is not uncommon for patients to call saying they received a bill for X amount, but they made a payment of Y amount on such and such date, so shouldn't their balance be Z amount. When I explain to them that our billing cycle ends on a specific day, and that any activity after said day will reflect on the next bill, they usually either thank me and hang up, or ask me to double check that the payment has been posted and then hang up. Not this one, nope, that would be too easy.

Me
SP=Stupid Patient

Me: This is firegirl, how may I help you?

SP: This is the second time I have received a bill from you people that is incorrect. You need to get your sh*t straight!

Me: Let me check that account for you. May I have your name, please?

(I go through the procedure of verifying the information, and proceed to look up the account in question.)

Me: It appears that we did receive a payment of $Y.00 on (date). Unfortunately, our billing cycle ends on (two or three days prior to payment date). That payment will be reflected on your next bill. With that payment applied, your new balance is $Z.00

SP=That's the sh*t I'm talking about. You all don't have a clue what the h*ll you're doing! I am going to stop coming to you all if you don't get this straight! I don't understand this whole thing about billing cycles. Why can't I get a correct statement? I've never had to deal with this anywhere else!

SP ranted and raved for a few more minutes before hanging up in a fury.

Seriously, you don't have a phone bill, or a checking account, or anything like that? Because every utility bill, bank account, etc. I have ever had has a billing cycle, and anything that happens after the end of the billing cycle appears on the next bill/statement.

[HYHYBT]

No, I *insist* you sign me up for those magic statements that update in real time even after they've been mailed!

[draftermatt]

I get bills like that from time to time, and I always wonder why they send out their next bills before the payments from the last one are due.

Granted in some cases people make late payments but that's never been my case.

I always call to make sure my payment was received and if I pay $z will it be ok? And at times I do ask "why send a bill before the payment was due?" No one has an answer other than "it's the billing cycle"

My mortgage company recently told me to pay $z when my statement was for $y (because of an escrow overpayment) then they made me pay the $20 difference and knocked me for being late, despite their insistence that the $z amount would be honored, but that's another rant

[Andara Bledin]

I get bills like that from time to time, and I always wonder why they send out their next bills before the payments from the last one are due.

Would you prefer that every company demanded that payments be received sooner rather than allowing such a generous amount of time?

My mortgage company recently told me to pay $z when my statement was for $y (because of an escrow overpayment) then they made me pay the $20 difference and knocked me for being late, despite their insistence that the $z amount would be honored, but that's another rant

The person who told you that sucks.

And, unless you absolutely have to have the money for something else, it's usually best to just pay the higher amount to make sure you don't get hit with the fees.

^-.-^

[draftermatt]

Would you prefer that every company demanded that payments be received sooner rather than allowing such a generous amount of time?

Yes

And, unless you absolutely have to have the money for something else, it's usually best to just pay the higher amount to make sure you don't get hit with the fees.

Believe me I kicked myself for not having sent in the higher amount. I wished I had paid well over so it at least went to principle, but it doesn't change the fact that the CSR "sucked" as you aptly put it.

[cinema guy]

No, I *insist* you sign me up for those magic statements that update in real time !

That's called t'internet.

[baileysinmycoffee]

I can totally relate! I'm not sure what's so complicated about billing cycles..

[Cloudy Sky]

What is so difficult with figuring out that if you made a payment after the billing date it won't show on the bill? Sometimes my mouth will head off without a filter, and I tell these customers "<company> is great, but we haven't yet perfected time travel". If nothing else, it gets me a moment of silence!

[Bright_Star]

No, I *insist* you sign me up for those magic statements that update in real time even after they've been mailed!

Far too many people mistakenly believe that once you drop a payment in the mailbox that it's INSTANTLY sent to whoever you're mailing it to.
That's what online paymentst are all about-instant payments! But even with that you have to give it time to update.

[EricKei]

No, I *insist* you sign me up for those magic statements that update in real time even after they've been mailed!

I get those...then again, the bills get delivered to me by the owl that that nice Potter boy keeps as a pet....er, I mean, AMNESIA DUST TO THE FACE!