Yesterday I mentioned the two hours spent on the phone with my mail order pharmacy. Three calls and enormous frustration. I first tried to register on-line and could not. I had an e-mail telling me that there was something holding up my order. Since there are HIPPA laws, you must register and go into your account to know what the problem is.
Unable to get into my account, I called. I got a representative and explained my dilemma. She transferred me to another person. This person did not have a good grasp of the language I speak. I spoke slowly and distinctly, but she seemed to be in a speed talking competition and I could barely understand her. She kept telling me they could not "release" my order because there was a balance due of $13. Yes, only thirteen dollars.
I became somewhat agitated, since last month HeWho spent a considerable amount of his time, giving them a credit call to keep on file for both our accounts. He was not patient with his last call. Took three calls for him to get accounting to apply the card. So, he takes my phone and the very first thing he says to the woman trying to use English as a second language is to speak up and speak clearly because he is hard of hearing. Maybe he should have used a different phrase, because this did not help and he got mad as the conversation escalated. She hung up on him.
He called back and either got the same representative or someone else speaking English as a second language. This was not going any better, so I took control of the phone again. It went downhill from there. I have only two days left on what I refer to as my "crazy pills". This is not a medication one can just stop taking. She tells me I don't have a credit card on file and I respond by telling her it wasn't my fault that the person who took the information failed to do there job. THEN she tells me that the estimated cost of this prescription was $8 and had to be paid in advance or they couldn't ship it and that even then it would not ship until May 3!
I kept offering my credit card info and she kept talking about the $8. I hung up on her. Then I took a deep breath and called again. He must have been a supervisor. English is his first language and he took care of everything. My prescription will be shipped tonight and expedited to over night at no additional charge to me. This is all well and good, but I am still annoyed over the amount of time it took to get through to someone who could grasp the situation.
I will be filling out that survey. Oh, yes, I will. Their customer service rating will go down at least one point.
7 comments:
From now on I'd suggest you ask for a supervisor right from the beginning of the call. Hopefully the problem has been fixed though so more calls won't be necessary. I have trouble with accents too, most people who call or who I have to call seem to be in overseas call centres. Very frustrating to have to ask them to please speak slowly so I can understand them.
My poor husband deals with this almost monthly. I know how frustrating and inept they are.
if you first person you talk to isn't helpful just ask for their supervisor. shouldn't have to go through so many calls until the right person picks up.
This is what the drug insurance industry has come to...a way of making huge sums of money by making the patient use mail-order meds and farming out all ordering service to foreign countries where the salaries are a pittance of what they would pay in the US.
I will keep using our local, independent pharmacy as long as possible because the pharmacist will call and chat with me about my prescriptions (and other things). Yes, I pay more, and yes, I have some delays because the insurer just doesn't like it when the doctor changes the dosing of my meds. I always call in my refills with lots of time for refills knowing this will happen. It may be, also, that the insurers are hoping if the patient doesn't get the right meds, they will die sooner.
If I get a non-English speaking rep who is also incompetent, I simply say I cannot understand them and ask to be transferred to another rep to try again.
No mail-order meds for me. Our mail delivery is not dependable. Even when it IS, somebody might steal it out of the mailbox, which is on a the blacktop county road a mile away from our house. My insurance is always sending notices promoting the mail order meds. I don't recall many businesses that are so selfless that their main goal is to save the customer money. The insurance and drug companies have to be benefiting from this arrangement. Sure, I may be able to save 1/6 the cost of my meds. But what if the doctor changes my prescriptions, or I develop an allergy, or the meds are recalled, or I DIE? Then the drug companies already have my money. I'm not getting a refund.
We have used Aetna's Caremark mail order pharmacy for years. Have never had any problems. If I needed to call for some reason, I
Always got prompt, courteous, English speaking service. Yesterday I discovered that those days seem to be gone. I spent several hours trying to cancel a prescription. It was substitute meds prescribed due to a backlog of the meds I always take. Twice I called the number on the back of my insurance card. Went through all the menu, got to a live person only to be told that I was not in touch with the right office.
Was asked how come I called that number! They would transfer my call. Twice, a transfer was a hang up. So I had to start over. Needless to say the THIRD time when I reached a live person and was asked how I was I gave an honest answer! She stayed with me through the long process that involved her talking to superiors, This is what happens when a company gets bought out. Customer Service is overseas, and very poor! CVS bought Aetna last year. I guess it was a good deal for shareholders.
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