Monday, November 13, 2006

Don't do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign



I have become Kathie Lee in the amount that I talk about my kids. And I don't think I will apologize for that. Those little people are three of the greatest, most amazing little creatures in the world. So when one isn't well, I can barely function. Not only is Cooper still feeling awful, Parker is sniffling and Griffins voice sounds like he has smoked for thirty years.

As per usual when there are sick kids, the mommies get up at the crack of dawn to be the first phone call into the doctors office. I did that this morning and the phone answerer person said, "What's the name?" I tell her. "The birth date?" I tell her. "The reason for being seen?" Again I respond with the appropriate information and not by going into how the eye works and translates images to our brain, and she said, "OK the doctor is on vacation all this week."

"Um, ok, sooo, um, can we...I guess try to see someone else?" I am wondering if the vacation information was new for her as well since she didn't offer it up right away. Then she asked me who I want an appointment with. Well our doctor but I guess he is on vaca. I don't even think I know another doctors name there since we only see our doctor so I rolled the dice to see who we get this morning. It throws me for such a loop when things don't go the way I need them to go.

The first issue I have with all of this is that customer service is dead and gone and there are few who even remember what it was. That is a whole different issue that makes me want to spit nails.

The second is I wonder how often people have needed me, even given me some information and I hang my Gone Fishin' sign and say, "Oh, I'm on vacation." Maybe today I'll try to be more aware of the signs I'm hanging.

2 comments:

Bragg said...

The reason your customer service experience this morning was terrible is because you actually called a receptionist who is on the other side of the world and it took the length of the questions to bring up the information about your doctor.

It could be worse though, you could have one of those automated machines that tells you to say the information, but due to voice recognition software you will have to respond 12 times before getting routed to the receptionist on the other side of the world.

I hate customer service calls. There is no respect anymore.

Liz said...

I LOVED that song when I was in high school. And ya, at least you got to talk to a live person, it takes me 7 minutes ( i timed it ) to call in sick at work to get through the automated crap. Are you coming to the 'boro to see the doc then? If you are there around 1 call me and I will meet you on my lunch! :)