Calls such as mine

I'm sure everyone thinks I've given up blogging.  I'm pretty sure my blog name is at the bottom of your lists since it hasn't been updated for awhile.  But no, I haven't given it up ... it's just February.  You see, January and February are the months wherein I liken myself to a fish or frog frozen under a pond ... alive, but barely moving.

Actually, truth be told, this January/February has been the best I can remember in 8 years.  I haven't slowed down to "frozen like a frog".  Rather I've slowed down like ... um ... some animal that ... well is still slow but faster than frozen.

Anyways ... that is not the story I'm trying to tell here.  Today I had the great pleasure of calling my insurance company.  I don't know why I bother calling them because I always get a different answer to the same question each time I call.  Each new representative assures me they have the correct answer to my question this time.  They always apologize that the last rep gave me incorrect information.  If I call back, the apology is the same even though the answer to my question is different.

For 15 years this has been my repeatedly frustrating experience.

My insurance company changes.  My coverage changes.  The fact that NOT A SINGLE PERSON there can give me the same answer twice ... that never changes.

Six weeks ago my doctor routinely called mine (and all the other patient's) insurances to determine yearly deductibles and coverages.  She was told every payment I made would be applied to my deductible which needed to be met again in 2010.

After opening my benefits explanation today, I discovered that NONE of my payments have been applied to my deductible.  At this point I realize I have to call the insurance and ask questions.   *SIGH*

 The representative today tells me that none of the payments need to go towards the deductible (the exact opposite of what the doctor was told 6 weeks ago)  I admit here that I lost my temper.  Now I do try very hard to be polite, considerate, and patient ... but I've been mislead, misinformed, and flat out lied to by television companies, banks, stores, insurance, government officials, and so many other institutions that I just couldn't take it. 

So I asked why it was that I was given exact opposite information 6 weeks prior.

So I asked what guarantee I had that this time I had the correct information.

So I asked why it is that every customer service rep gives me a different answer.

So I asked what the answer might be tomorrow.

So I asked why they even HAD customer service when their service was terrible.

So I asked why should I believe him.

So I talked right over the top of him as he was explaining the "correct" answer to me.

So I asked for the manager.
He says, "I'll transfer you to the department that handles calls such as yours."

Calls such as mine ... people who are angry that customer service representatives shakes a magic eight ball whenever questions are asked ... I would LOVE to talk with that department.

The manager assured me her answer was correct and apologized that the last representative gave my doctor (the actual doctor!) the wrong information.  What a shock.  I bet tomorrow if I call they'll tell me the doctor doesn't even exist and I never received treatment.  They'll assure me it's the correct answer and apologize for today's incorrect one.

Tomorrow I'll fascinate you with the story of how I almost couldn't graduate from college because customer representatives, after asking them the same requirement question 7 semesters in a row, couldn't give me a straight answer.  No joke.