My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

Metspitzer wrote:
My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

Banks are even worse

On 6/29/2010 11:40 PM Metspitzer spake thus:

My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

Now that you mention it, WTF is up with all those places you call that
make you key in your phone # early in the call--and then the first
question the live human bean asks is "what is your telephone number?"?


--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.

- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)

Now that you mention it, WTF is up with all those places you call that
make you key in your phone # early in the call--and then the first
question the live human bean asks is "what is your telephone number?"?

Don't know for sure, but I suspect it's to reduce the number of
threatening anonymous tirades they have to deal with.

Erik

"Erik" wrote in message
...

Now that you mention it, WTF is up with all those places you call that
make you key in your phone # early in the call--and then the first
question the live human bean asks is "what is your telephone number?"?

Don't know for sure, but I suspect it's to reduce the number of
threatening anonymous tirades they have to deal with.

Erik

In addition, you may have your home phone as the number on record, but be
calling from your cell or work phone making caller ID meaningless

On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:40:02 -0400, Metspitzer
wrote:

My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

In order to read this message I will require your full name, phone
number, social security number, drivers license number, home address,
name of your employer, your bank and account numbers, and the numbers
from all your credit cards including expiration dates.You will be
charged five dollars for providing this service. Once you have
provided all this information, and paid your $5, I will read this
message.

On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:40:02 -0400, Metspitzer
wrote:

My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?


Two things that I dislike in life: Insurance companies and lawyers.
I've been trying to get individual medical insurance for almost three
years, currently uninsured and actively looking for work. My
insurance application has been rejected three times--maybe I'm lucky
because I have not had any serious medical issues.

On Jun 30, 2:40*am, Metspitzer wrote:
My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. *I suggested the they
should use caller ID. *The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

First person you talk to on any business call is a moron. You have to
work your way up to the knowledgable people.

First person you talk to on any business call is a moron. *You have to
work your way up to the knowledgable people.

verizon landline is the absolute worst, endless auto attendant choices
and when you finally get thru that it says all reps are busy please
try you call again later goodbye............

I called with a easy question the other day and they refused to
answer. I said just transfer me to disconnect, that department
answered the question instantly.....

verizon landline / FIOS a company that needs to go out of business as
a service to its customers

In article ,
Metspitzer wrote:



I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

If this is health insurance, then they are required by federal
law to make sure it is you and not just some person with access to your
phone. Heck, as the policy holder, I have to get my wife's okay to ask a
question about her billings.
For other types of insurance that may be required by local law.

--
I want to find a voracious, small-minded predator
and name it after the IRS.
Robert Bakker, paleontologist

Frank wrote:

First person you talk to on any business call is a moron. You have to
work your way up to the knowledgable people.

Never ask for something from a person who is not authorized to give it to
you.

On 6/30/2010 2:49 AM, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 6/29/2010 11:40 PM Metspitzer spake thus:

My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

Now that you mention it, WTF is up with all those places you call that
make you key in your phone # early in the call--and then the first
question the live human bean asks is "what is your telephone number?"?


Some people want cheap. Someone who is a fan of harbor freight chose the
system features. It costs more money to integrate the phone system with
the software used by CS.

On 6/30/2010 7:26 AM, wrote:

First person you talk to on any business call is a moron. You have to
work your way up to the knowledgable people.

verizon landline is the absolute worst, endless auto attendant choices
and when you finally get thru that it says all reps are busy please
try you call again later goodbye............


I called one yesterday that trumped that. Welcome to cheapo mega corp,
our options have changed, press one for this or 2 for that. I press 2,
welcome to cheapo mega corp, our options have changed, press one for
this or 2 for that or 3 for this other thing. I press 1, welcome to
cheapo mega corp, our options have changed, press one for this or 2 for
that, 3 for another thing. I pressed 2 and heard "that is an invalid
option---goodbye...".

I called back again and was careful to pick 2 and it again hung up on
me. I called back again and got the same result. I then called back and
chose another option and got a voicemail announcement I couldn't
understand. No one has returned my call.

I called with a easy question the other day and they refused to
answer. I said just transfer me to disconnect, that department
answered the question instantly.....

verizon landline / FIOS a company that needs to go out of business as
a service to its customers

"Metspitzer" wrote in message
...
My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

My wife recently switched gynecologists. Our insurance is provided through
her employer. The very long form she filled out for the Doctors office
wanted my SS#. When she asked me for it I said leave it blank and refer them
to me if they question it. When she went if for her 1st appointment the
receptionist was looking over her paperwork and laughed when she saw the
blank entry for my SS# and said "nobody gives that information".

On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:34:19 -0400, Kurt Ullman
wrote:

In article ,
Metspitzer wrote:



I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

If this is health insurance, then they are required by federal
law to make sure it is you and not just some person with access to your
phone. Heck, as the policy holder, I have to get my wife's okay to ask a
question about her billings.
For other types of insurance that may be required by local law.


Lets see.............The number coming in is from a valid policy
holder. Someone may have killed the owner and is in his house. He
has used the number on the back of the card to get to us. Now he
wants to find out why we denied the owner's claim. The *******!

On Jun 29, 11:40*pm, Metspitzer wrote:
My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. *I suggested the they
should use caller ID. *The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

Man, did you ever scratch a lot of victims' itches!!

One of MY pet hates is companies that mis-handle our "Contact Us" or
"Support" emails.

You spell out your whole _(()*(*&^%problems carefully; then get a
robot reply, followed by a reply from outermost Bangladore that asks
you to "explain" the problem. The reply DOES NOT quote the original
email, so you have to try to locate it -- where? it was sent from
their Website!! -- and RE-EXPLAIN the problem. Wouldn't it be a lot
more efficient to include the original request in their robot-reply?
But noooo... THAT would require putting themselves in the place of the
paying customer who gives them their jobs!

Second pet hate is companies that have you punching a lot of phone
buttons, only to end up much later with "We are closed at this time.
Please call back at..." Why the hell is it so difficult to program
their robo-replies to give the ****ing hours UP FRONT and save us all
that button-pushing!!!

In article ,
Metspitzer wrote:

Lets see.............The number coming in is from a valid policy
holder. Someone may have killed the owner and is in his house. He
has used the number on the back of the card to get to us. Now he
wants to find out why we denied the owner's claim. The *******!

Never said the laws made much sense. Under the healthcare privacy
laws, I could technically be on the hook for fines of up to $100,000 and
a couple years of jail time if I gave out information I shouldn't have.
So, I am not gonna deviate from the policy one little milimeter.
Although I have to admit I haven't seen anyone have to pay or do jail
time.

--
I want to find a voracious, small-minded predator
and name it after the IRS.
Robert Bakker, paleontologist

In article ,
Kurt Ullman wrote:

In article ,
Metspitzer wrote:

Lets see.............The number coming in is from a valid policy
holder. Someone may have killed the owner and is in his house. He
has used the number on the back of the card to get to us. Now he
wants to find out why we denied the owner's claim. The *******!


BTW: I have even gotten threatened with termination for looking up
my OWN medial records. I was leaving the hospital employment and going
to get my own insurance and I wanted to find some information on a
couple OTJ injuries I had. For some reason this tripped the tracker on
the computer and the privacy, IT, and my floor honchoes all came unglued
all over me.

--
I want to find a voracious, small-minded predator
and name it after the IRS.
Robert Bakker, paleontologist

On Jun 30, 2:40*am, Metspitzer wrote:

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. *I suggested the they
should use caller ID. *The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

What if you're not calling from the phone that's registered with the
insurance company? For example, if you decide to deal with this from
your work phone, or using your cell phone instead of your home land
line.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

What if you don't want them calling the phone you're using to call
them? For example, you may want them to call your cell phone instead
of your work phone.

On Jun 30, 6:34*am, Phisherman wrote:
Two things that I dislike in life: *Insurance companies and lawyers.
I've been trying to get individual medical insurance for almost three
years, currently uninsured and actively looking for work. *My
insurance application has been rejected three times--maybe I'm lucky
because I have not had any serious medical issues.

Must be one helluva long form if it takes you an entire year to fill
out.

Now tell us WHY they rejected the applications.

Metspitzer wrote:
My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?


I don't mind being asked for name/addy/phone, but I'd like to hear
someone speaking American English.

On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:34:02 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Jun 30, 2:40*am, Metspitzer wrote:

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. *I suggested the they
should use caller ID. *The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

What if you're not calling from the phone that's registered with the
insurance company? For example, if you decide to deal with this from
your work phone, or using your cell phone instead of your home land
line.


Well then it woudn't work, of course, but I was, so it
should.


The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

What if you don't want them calling the phone you're using to call
them? For example, you may want them to call your cell phone instead
of your work phone.

In article , " wrote:

I don't mind being asked for name/addy/phone, but I'd like to hear
someone speaking American English.

My pet peeve is the Indian or Pakistani call center operators who say "Good
morning, thank you for calling _____, my name is Maureen [or Kevin, or Bruce,
or JoAnne], how may I help you?"

One of these days I'm going to say "Don't give me that, your name ain't Kevin,
your name is Ganesh or Vasutha or something like that, isn't it??"

Metspitzer wrote:
My insurance company sent me a letter asking for more info.

Instead of putting their number on the letter head or anywhere else in
the letter, there are instructions on the letter that say.....If you
have any questions, call the number on the back of your insurance
card.

I also have to enter my member ID when I call. I suggested the they
should use caller ID. The girl said that they actually do use caller
ID, but they are required to ask anyway.

The next thing she said was......can you give me your phone number in
case we get disconnected?

I worked part time at an inbound only call center for a while first
customer care and later collections. They contracted to major companies
Took a couple of months before I knew what I was doing in customer
care, collections was easy. Kinda interesting job the way things work
from the other side. Something they don't talk about is call time. We
were allowed 6 1/2 minutes per call average, 30 seconds of that to enter
notes. The turnover was very high. Some people didn't last a week, but
some of the old hands were great at their job. My favorite response to
late and non payers that wanted their phone turned back on even though
they hadn't paid last month's bill, Yes, I can turn on your phone but
the computer will add another 25 dollars reinstatement fee and then
automatically shut it off again at midnight. The software was what it
was and nothing the customer said changed it and we couldn't over ride
it. I worked 9 months and quit. Everything was about how many calls
you could take in a day and how much money you collected. For the
customer reps it was mostly about how long until break so they could go
smoke a cigarette. When I left one of the monitors came down and told
how much she enjoyed listening in on my calls and she would miss me.
The supervisor or anyone else at the place didn't give a damn though, it
was all about how many calls and how much money.
All in all I'd say it's one of jobs I've ever had that I missed the
least.

On Jun 30, 3:44*pm, (Doug Miller) wrote:
In article , " wrote:

I don't mind being asked for name/addy/phone, but I'd like to hear
someone speaking American English.

My pet peeve is the Indian or Pakistani call center operators who say "Good
morning, thank you for calling _____, my name is Maureen [or Kevin, or Bruce,
or JoAnne], how may I help you?"

One of these days I'm going to say "Don't give me that, your name ain't Kevin,
your name is Ganesh or Vasutha or something like that, isn't it??"

Yes, I know it's annoying, but please don't take it out on the Indian
or Pakistani
call center operators. They're just trying to earn a living. They are
under
tremendous pressure from their immediate supervisors to handle 'n'
calls per day. The
supervisors in turn are under tremendous pressure from the home office
to raise
"productivity" of their staff.

I saw a really cute film called "Outsourced" which pokes gentle fun
at these
centers. A young American is unwillingly sent to jack up the Indian
staff.
In the process he learns about their culture and wins the affection of
his
staff. There's a love angle too.

Not many "clean" and funny pictures around these days. Reccommended.

On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:37:57 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Jun 30, 6:34*am, Phisherman wrote:
Two things that I dislike in life: *Insurance companies and lawyers.
I've been trying to get individual medical insurance for almost three
years, currently uninsured and actively looking for work. *My
insurance application has been rejected three times--maybe I'm lucky
because I have not had any serious medical issues.

Must be one helluva long form if it takes you an entire year to fill
out.

Now tell us WHY they rejected the applications.

Insurance companies blow.

"FatterDumber& Happier Moe" wrote
The supervisor or anyone else at the place didn't give a damn though, it
was all about how many calls and how much money.

Your call is important to us so please stay on the line. Yes, important to
keep the queue filled.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

"Erik" wrote in message
...

Now that you mention it, WTF is up with all those places you call that
make you key in your phone # early in the call--and then the first
question the live human bean asks is "what is your telephone number?"?

Don't know for sure, but I suspect it's to reduce the number of
threatening anonymous tirades they have to deal with.

Erik

In addition, you may have your home phone as the number on record, but
be calling from your cell or work phone making caller ID meaningless

That reminded me of something that happened to me about 6 months ago. My
cellphone started acting up. I could boot it up and dial a number but I
could not hear the phone on the other end ring nor could I hear or talk
to the other person. I tried calling the cell co. from my land line but
no matter what number I called the automated system recognized my home
number as a pay as you go customer and took me to a endless self serve
automated hell. Finally I grabbed my kids pay as you go phone and
slipped my SIM card into it (I have a cell phone plan), booted it up and
dialled *611 and finally got a human.

In article ,
"Ed Pawlowski" wrote:

"FatterDumber& Happier Moe" wrote
The supervisor or anyone else at the place didn't give a damn though, it
was all about how many calls and how much money.

Your call is important to us so please stay on the line. Yes, important to
keep the queue filled.


When I hear that I always mumble to myself: "If it was really that
freaking important, you would employ enough people to actually ANSWER it!

--
I want to find a voracious, small-minded predator
and name it after the IRS.
Robert Bakker, paleontologist

George wrote:

I called one yesterday that trumped that. Welcome to cheapo mega corp,
our options have changed, press one for this or 2 for that. I press 2,
welcome to cheapo mega corp, our options have changed, press one for
this or 2 for that or 3 for this other thing. I press 1, welcome to
cheapo mega corp, our options have changed, press one for this or 2
for that, 3 for another thing. I pressed 2 and heard "that is an
invalid option---goodbye...".

I called back again and was careful to pick 2 and it again hung up on
me. I called back again and got the same result. I then called back
and chose another option and got a voicemail announcement I couldn't
understand. No one has returned my call.

How about the companies that only refer you to there webpage, no matter
which option you press.

Jon

"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...


How about the companies that only refer you to there webpage, no matter
which option you press.

Particularly annoying if you're calling because your internet access is
broken.

On Jul 1, 6:40*am, "h" wrote:
"Jon Danniken" wrote in message

...



How about the companies that only refer you to there webpage, no matter
which option you press.

Lazy, arrogant f****ing *******s!!! When possible, take your business
elsewhre
and let them know why.

Particularly annoying if you're calling because your internet access is
broken.

At that point, faced with the usual endless button pressing, I usually
stop wasting my time and write a polite but stiff letter to the CEO
of the company (get their info from Yahoo Finance). Or Fax if it's
urgent. Sometimes there is even a person at the main office who can
READ! Usually gets results.