(no subject)

[growler_south]

Sorting out Paul's health insurance claim, the insurer having lost the claim forms and refused to pay the surgeon, resulting in the surgeon threatening to reposess Paul's TV, kidneys or Celine Dion CD collection (whichever was closest in value to the bill, I guess). I like Paul's TV almost as much as Paul does, so it needed to be sorted.

The phone call went like this:
Insurer: "Can I just confirm your identity, Mr Heard?"
Me: "Actually I'm not Mr Heard, he's away and asked me to sort this out for him"
Insurer: "I'm sorry, but I cant help you, I can only discuss a policy with the policy holder"
Me: "Oh, ok, in that case I just remembered that I *am* Mr Heard. Sorry about that."
Insurer: "uhhh... ok, date of birth?"
Me :(gives paul's birthday)
Insurer: "Address?"
Me: (reads address off insurance correspondence)
Insurer: "Thanks for that Mr Heard, how can I help you today?"

Yay for low call-centre wages and the corresponding IQ of call-centre employees! Mind you, for $14/hour I wouldnt care either.

(Its all sorted, Paul. You can unlock that kidney-belt now.)

Comments

[pa747sp.livejournal.com]

I work in a call centre.

[growler-south.livejournal.com]

Yes but you're not a complete muppet like this guy was. Though I *did* have the 'security information' he was after so fair enough.

[pa747sp.livejournal.com]

To be honest, we have this problem. Whilst we are supposed to only ever speak to the passenger concerned, there is really no way of knowing who we are talking to. Reservations contain very little unique information, and that which is in there would most likely be known to relatives. And we often get people phoning up on behalf of passengers because they dont speak English.

We also get into trouble because someone will call and say 'I'm such-and-suchs mother'. I say, sorry, I can't discuss your daughter's booking with you, only her. Invariably the response is 'but you did last week' (when they most likely didn't disclose that they were the mother). To which I then have to say 'I can't discuss it with you, it is against the law'. Then a huge argument develops. And if the caller is smart, they just hang up and phone again and say that they are the daughter. Not a lot we can do really.

[barbarian-rat.livejournal.com]

I often call for Duke, but I never thought that anyone would accept I'm not Mr. Heard, ok I just remembered that I am Mr. Heard.
Makes ya think yer info is really, really safe with these folks...