YOU'RE the company's rep?!

[tilly101]

So our 'customers' are not only the members of our health funds, but also technically DRs and Hospitals - they will call in most days chasing up on outstanding accounts etc

Just earlier I got a call from a woman from a DRs rooms.

CAST:
Me -
SC - The oh so rude DRs receptionist lady

Me - *opening spiel*, how can I help you today?

She talks over me, is a very agressive tone, doesn't introduce herself at all, this is what she says right off the bat...

SC - 82293847

Me - O...kay. Was that your membership number?

SC - Yeah, look it up

Me - Okay. I've got that on my screen now. Could I please confirm your full name, date of birth and address?

SC - No you can't, look it up and tell me why you didn't paid the claims for March

Me - Ok, well I'm sorry but I cannot discuss a policy until I have identified the person I am speaking with

SC - Maria from Dr George's rooms

Me - Oh, so this is NOT your own membership?

SC - No, now go type into your little computer and tell me why you haven't paid this claim

Me - I'm sorry, you said you were calling on behalf of a Dr??

SC - Yeah, go look it up! Hurry up!

[So I put her on hold and looked it up, no small talk for her that's for sure. From this point on, my voice was deadpan and I tailored my responses to be the same as hers]

Coming back to her after finding that the money has already been paid into the DRs bank account [this happens every now and then where a claim has been paid, they call thinking it hasn't been 'cause they get so many payments they oerlook specific ones]

Me, back to SC, in my deadpan voice - Already paid

SC - No it hasn't been

Me - 28th March, Drs bank account

SC - Well I don't see it

Me - Check again?

SC - [now sounding frustrated] Whatever. Well I got 5 more, go type them all in

Me - Sorry limit 1 payment search per call

SC - NO type these in and hurry up!

Me - Limit 1 payment search per call

SC - I SAID no!

Me - Limit 1 payment search per call

SC - *CLICK*

Technically, we can do 3 payment searches per call.
She was out of line in the way she spoke, so she was getting just the one

I can't believe though that they employ someone like that as the 'voice' of their company, how embaressing

Edited : spelling etc

[BrenDAnn]

Nicely handled. When are people going to learn that nice gets you a lot further than bitch does?

[BeenThereDoneThat]

You are great at pwnage I have been training myself to either do the deadpan thing or kill them with kindness...it's come to the point where I'm having trouble feeling sorry for anyone who calls me anymore. (Yes, there are still some exceptions, and if they're nice to me I'm always nice back.)

[Kristev]

I feel like I got hit by a hurricane just reading that.

[BuffySummers]

As one who does insurance billing at my office, I am sorry for your encounter with Bitchface.

Seriously. It takes me no extra effort or energy at all to say "Hello, my name is Buffy, I'm calling from Dr Dooms Dental, and I'd like to check the status of a few patients claims, please."

People like that lady just suck the joy outta life, you know?

[XCashier]

Nicely handled. When are people going to learn that nice gets you a lot further than bitch does?

Never, it seems.

People are getting ruder and nastier. Just this past week, I and two other employees at my store have been verbally abused by nasty customers. Fortunately, one was an assistant manager, who has the clout to kick someone out when they're abusive, and she did.

I look forward to the day when that horrid phrase "the customer is always right" is sent the way of the dodo, and we employees are allowed to stand up for ourselves.

[Laund-o-rama Mama]

Wow, is that ever unprofessional. Why is she getting so emotionally involved in some other person's claim anyway?

Maybe the patient gave her grief and like any bully, she takes it out on the person she thinks can't fight back.

[Moosenogger]

That would probably be a good time to contact the Dr. and inform them of just how rude their employee is over the phone. Maybe let them listen to the recorded call? I figure a lot of doctor's or professionals aren't aware of how their employees act when the Dr. isn't physically in the room.

[Moirae]

You are great at pwnage I have been training myself to either do the deadpan thing or kill them with kindness...it's come to the point where I'm having trouble feeling sorry for anyone who calls me anymore. (Yes, there are still some exceptions, and if they're nice to me I'm always nice back.)

Yeah, I tend to do the deadpan thing unless they're nice and say something interesting. Problem is, apparently that comes off rude and sometimes they say something stupid like "sorry for bothering you" or "sorry for inconveniencing you" or something. And thats annoying.

Its VERY hard to keep any kind of enthusiasm on the phone for hours and hours and hours on end. And doing that for years? Its not going to happen.

[tilly101]

Yeah, I tend to do the deadpan thing unless they're nice and say something interesting. Problem is, apparently that comes off rude and sometimes they say something stupid like "sorry for bothering you" or "sorry for inconveniencing you" or something. And thats annoying.

I'm always soooo so careful to make sure whenever I say anything like what I posted, I tread that fine line to make sure that if it was ever brought up, I wouldn't get in trouble for being 'rude' etc.
I would never ever want to be seen as a rude person

I've had what you said there happen on just a handful of occassions - where someone is being pretty out of line and nasty to me so I become deadpan on the phone, then all of a sudden they throw out some actual legitimate excuse for their behaviour and keep apologising to me for 'wasting' my time and for 'being a hassle', and then I end up actually feeling guilty

Having said that, those occassions where the customer will acknowledge they were being rude and sincerely apologise is RARE
I hate the ones who are condescending and rude and then through in a sarcastic yet sweet voice 'I'm verrrrry sorry for inconveniencing you'
It's like a trap
If you say 'no that's fine' then it's like you're saying their behaviour is ok
If you don't respond at all, then they complain and say you're rude

With some customers you just can't win

[auntiem]

Having said that, those occassions where the customer will acknowledge they were being rude and sincerely apologise is RARE

I once put someone on hold to check on something and also because he was ranting at me. When I got back on the line you could hear his wife in the background yelling "you better be apologizing to that girl!" After which I got the most sincere and detailed apology I ever got at that job.

As for the Dr office "lady" - my hunch is it was the Dr's wife, IME they are the most likely to start claims calls like that.

[Moirae]

I once put someone on hold to check on something and also because he was ranting at me. When I got back on the line you could hear his wife in the background yelling "you better be apologizing to that girl!" After which I got the most sincere and detailed apology I ever got at that job.

*snip*

rofl. Priceless.

[Kristev]

How perfect!

[XCashier]

I once put someone on hold to check on something and also because he was ranting at me. When I got back on the line you could hear his wife in the background yelling "you better be apologizing to that girl!" After which I got the most sincere and detailed apology I ever got at that job.

Right on, SC's wife!

I get the feeling she's always having to deal with the fallout from his BS and has had an awful lot of practise in making hubby behave...