Lack of Customer Service in the USA

[MikePA]

George,

You're right. When multiple procedures are performed during the same visit it can complicate things. Why?

Procedures 1, 2 and 3 when performed separately might cost $150. When performed at the same time they could be grouped into a DRG (Diagnosis-Related Group) and only pay $120.

Doctors who know how to play the system (not saying you or anyone in your practice does this.) will try and get more money by billing the procedures separately. This can result in a review. DRGs have been around since the early 80s and have been used to reduce health care costs. The patient receives the same care, but the company paying the premiums sees lowers costs and the doctor sees lower reimbursement.

Before anyone replies, "What's the big deal about $30?" Multiply by 10s of 1000s of doctors. Yes, this started with Medicare. Yes, doctors and hospitals look for ways to maximize reimbursement and insurers look for ways to minimize it.

I agree the system has problems, but socializing it does not work, it makes things worse. Plenty of countries around the world testify to this.

 

[gemini5362]

George,

You're right. When multiple procedures are performed during the same visit it can complicate things. Why?

Procedures 1, 2 and 3 when performed separately might cost $150. When performed at the same time they could be grouped into a DRG (Diagnosis-Related Group) and only pay $120.

Doctors who know how to play the system (not saying you or anyone in your practice does this.) will try and get more money by billing the procedures separately. This can result in a review. DRGs have been around since the early 80s and have been used to reduce health care costs. The patient receives the same care, but the company paying the premiums sees lowers costs and the doctor sees lower reimbursement.

Before anyone replies, "What's the big deal about $30?" Multiply by 10s of 1000s of doctors. Yes, this started with Medicare. Yes, doctors and hospitals look for ways to maximize reimbursement and insurers look for ways to minimize it.

I agree the system has problems, but socializing it does not work, it makes things worse. Plenty of countries around the world testify to this.

Actually Mike I have seen this done. I had to have a fatty tumor removed from my forehead. When I got the surgeons bill it showed 600.00 for surgery then it showed another 600.00 for surgery again. I called the doctors office and they told me that the initial incision and removing the tumor was one surgery and that closing the incision was another surgery. I called my insurance carrier about it and they said that was the way things were done.

 

[Bedlam]

Gemini,
Just wanted to add my sears story. I am reluctant to buy form sears, myself but my daughter ordered a cook stove and a refrigerator.
They gave her an estimated date of arrival at the local store.(30 miles away).
Anyways two days before this date they call and say the order is in and she says the stove and the refrigerator??. they reply "yes both" ready for pickup.
She tells then we would be there at 4 30 Pm the next days with the truck.
We arrive , and they bring out the the refrigerator, and the person say the stove didn't arrive.
The young guy was about to go up the ramp with the frig and I said hold it. we might not be getting anything.LOL
the sales person said it would be in two days. i explained that we had specifically asked if both were in . and they said yes.She sort of shrugged her shoulder and said well you have the frig for now.
I told her to get the manager, and a manager arrived, and I explained and said it would be one thing if they had checked, but I have time gas etc.
At this point I guess daughter took after me said what the heck.I cant keep cooking of the BBQ> LOL
So I started to take note of the manager name tag and said we shall see.
He backed down some and said lets go see what we have in stock. so she picked out a stove that was 120 dollars more,And I thanked him for understanding and making it 'right'
So off to the dock, they wheel the new stove out and it has a hard time reading the tag with the scanner.
we wait about another 20 minutes while they figure out just how to dot he paper work.But we get both in the truck and the manager comes out back out and says I'm sorry for the wait for it to Scan I said its OK.and then he hands us a coupon good for 10 percent off the next purchase.
SO BE SURE IF YOU DO TAKE DELIVERY TO PUSH THEM FOR AT LEAST THIS .
Unfortunately they and wal mart etc make you ''work'' for the compensation to make it right but that lea way is there.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.Overall seems like a simple request. they should have either said NP or NO CAN DO.

 

[gemini5362]

Thank you for your interest. I finally got my stove friday. I do want to point out that it was the local sears store manager that made it happen. He had them change the shipment date to his store so that it would not be a rural delivery and could get there earlier. Then he had two of his employees bring it out in their pickup. The national center would have not been able to deliver it to meet my schedule and I would have cancelled the order.

I did have a problem before I ordered a treadmill and payed to have it assembled. I got a phone call saying it was in ready for pickup. I went to pick it up and they told me that it was there but had not been assembled yet. I got hold of the manager and told him that I had brought a truck and trailer just to pick it up. I made him pay me for my fuel I had used in coming to the store.

Now that i have my stove I have to run a new gasline because we are moving the tank. That was a good excuse to rent a mini excavator today. Those are a lot of fun to play with. I have it tomorrow to play also

 

[toy]

Thank you for your interest. I finally got my stove friday. I do want to point out that it was the local sears store manager that made it happen. He had them change the shipment date to his store so that it would not be a rural delivery and could get there earlier. Then he had two of his employees bring it out in their pickup. The national center would have not been able to deliver it to meet my schedule and I would have cancelled the order.

I did have a problem before I ordered a treadmill and payed to have it assembled. I got a phone call saying it was in ready for pickup. I went to pick it up and they told me that it was there but had not been assembled yet. I got hold of the manager and told him that I had brought a truck and trailer just to pick it up. I made him pay me for my fuel I had used in coming to the store.

Now that i have my stove I have to run a new gasline because we are moving the tank. That was a good excuse to rent a mini excavator today. Those are a lot of fun to play with. I have it tomorrow to play also

I am glad that you got the stove delivered sorry about the turn that I took the conversation in. I am a union person and I don't appologize for that. We are now a serviced based economy and sometimes the service is lousy. I know that unions have fought for work place safety, fought against outsourcing work to other countries, fought for a fair wage for its members I encourage you to look at all the good that has been acomplished by unions for the betterment of man. In the early 1980's there was a shift in our country and unions became a dirty word but since this antiunion sentiment has rose and in control look at what has happened to our country. Go to lowes store and find a lincoln mig welder find where it is made[not the part that has that it is an American company]but where it is made. look at the label in the clothes you have on or in your closet look at the majority of the tools they haveand where they are made. We are a serviced based economy now just like was envisioned by their leader. A country that don't make any thing is a dying country. I know that there is some things still being made in the USA but our country is headed for trouble to label me as a socialist or that the Unions are socialism is plain wrong. The Boston Tea party was a union of men seeking a better deal was that socialism? Our country has been built by men strong men seeking a better deal, is our country a socialist country? When I said that the man died because he couldn't get his insurance company to ok a lung transplant got the ok the day he died I didn't say that I know a man that knowed a man that would be alledged what I said is I know a man[knowed him for over fourty years] went to church with him, he died waiting for ok for a lung transplant. One made the comment as though I lied about that, I'll assure you that I didn't lie. If the union got a raise or some other benefit from the struggle on the picket line and then the trucker that crossed the picket line got a raise do you think that man refused that raise because he didn't stand up for himself to get it and instead said send it to the union they struggled and got it ,none of them that I know did instead they stuck it in their pocket, but they were men without honor. Since these anti union people have been in control and the collective voice of the working men and women has been left out of the equation how do you think the country is going? There has been a concerted effort to drive down wages in America by high ranking officials, not just for the unskilled worker but also for the high skilled and highly educated workers in American and those in the high skilled industries with entry level skills in that area of expertese and it has been going on since the early 80's. I know that sounds paranoid but to prove what I am saying is true if you can find a copy of newsweek september 24, 007 on page 31 right hand side of the page beside the picture read that and think about it. If you are a college graduate majored in a highly sought out field with a huge student loan over you or maybe it is a son or daughter or nephew or neice that fits into this description and the leaders that is supposed to be representing you have this kind of goal in mind, if you hear your representative stand up and say that if you lose your job because of a trade deal that i have signed i'll give you an extra6 weeks or 6 months of unemployment that happened in the 80's. Another straight from the mouth of the leader[no spin] I know if i sign this trade deal people will loose their job but i'm going to sign it any way, if that is the kind of representation our leaders is giving me or my neighbours then I am not being represented. I have seen some say we no longer need unions they have outlived their usfulness I say if we ever needed them before we need them now. You think unions don't have power when the opec union countries says we are going to cut oil production what happens to your gas bill? Iam just asking you to think about what I have said study what is going on what is the trends of our nation today. When the poorest of us is allowed to have a hope when they can even dare to have a dream when they can look at a problem and say what if without being discounted then America is a better place.

 

[gemini5362]

wow toy.

I kind of got the impression your post was directed at me. I am assuming it was just a general post since I am probably one of the most active union people on this thread. I agree with your post 100 per cent. I do however see the other peoples attitudes. I have stated on here several times before that I am an arbitratration advocate for our union. I have seen management do things that were just flat wrong. When I first started in my job I was a victom of managements wrongdoing. I however see the other side of the coin. I have represented people that have been out for work so many times that they have run out of their 12 weeks of FMLA entitlement by may. I am not talking about someone with a serious illness that was out for 12 weeks recuperating or someone with a surgical problem. I am talking about someone that was out a week here back to work for a day or two and then another week. Or someone that has migraine headaches every other week before or after their scheduled day off. One of my favorites was the person whose doctor gave them FMLA paperwork that said they had to be off up to 15 days per moth. I am not knocking FMLA it is a very valuable law and helps a lot of people but there are people that abuse it. When someone for whatever reason does not show up for work the people that are there have to do their job. If they are out sick that is one thing put abusers are something else. There are also people who do things that I would fire them if I was in charge. I had a girl one night tell me to tell the supervisor that she was going home sick because they had the new beany babies in her favorite store and she had to go over there before they ran out. A little while later the supervisor asked me where she was that he could not find her and someone told him that she had been talking to me. I had told her I would not lie for her so I told the supervisor that she told me to tell him she was sick. He looked at me and laughed and asked me if that was all she said. I told him no but that was all I was going to say. We also have some contractual language about contracting out our work. Most of the time management does that incorrectly and we deserve to be paid for it. There are times where people file grievances to get paid for work management has contracted out. They did not want to do the work in the first place but because management forgot to ask them if they did they wanted paid for it. I dont agree with those type of grievances to me they are just being greedy. So even though I am a union official I can see both sides of the fence. Luckily I have noticed that when you get grievances out of the hands of local managementM and sometimes local union officials and it gets to a district level where you have two advocates talking then the sytems manages to work a lot better. I have canceled arbitrations because we were just wrong. Management has paid settlements because they were wrong. One of the most important things unions do is they have the ability to get major workplace decisions out of the hands of the two parties that have to face each other every day.

 

[Bedlam]

Usually when a doctor gives out that form I'm sure they don't just do it.
I heard one thing that was so ridiculous once a guy told me he watched as people get out of their cars in handicapped spaces and they didn't look 'sick' He just didn't understand that someone can have other disabilities and have to use the spot.
Heart ailments, knee troubles, etc etc.Disability comes in many different forms these days. And it is left up to the individual to decide if they want to use the space.Some do abuse it and I think most don't.
Id like to comment on the beanie baby day off. I fully understand that the company would rather she lie and say she was going home sick because she was sick.Some people either justified that either by not lie or to lie.
My union has it so that if I were to be 'sick' for any reason I need only write illness. Sort of the don't ask don't tell. But maybe they just realized that people will do it regardless.I believe once my boss questioned the slip and I declined further comment.Its not as if the care really.just asserting their authority.

 

[toy]

wow toy.

I kind of got the impression your post was directed at me. I am assuming it was just a general post since I am probably one of the most active union people on this thread. I agree with your post 100 per cent. I do however see the other peoples attitudes. I have stated on here several times before that I am an arbitratration advocate for our union. I have seen management do things that were just flat wrong. When I first started in my job I was a victom of managements wrongdoing. I however see the other side of the coin. I have represented people that have been out for work so many times that they have run out of their 12 weeks of FMLA entitlement by may. I am not talking about someone with a serious illness that was out for 12 weeks recuperating or someone with a surgical problem. I am talking about someone that was out a week here back to work for a day or two and then another week. Or someone that has migraine headaches every other week before or after their scheduled day off. One of my favorites was the person whose doctor gave them FMLA paperwork that said they had to be off up to 15 days per moth. I am not knocking FMLA it is a very valuable law and helps a lot of people but there are people that abuse it. When someone for whatever reason does not show up for work the people that are there have to do their job. If they are out sick that is one thing put abusers are something else. There are also people who do things that I would fire them if I was in charge. I had a girl one night tell me to tell the supervisor that she was going home sick because they had the new beany babies in her favorite store and she had to go over there before they ran out. A little while later the supervisor asked me where she was that he could not find her and someone told him that she had been talking to me. I had told her I would not lie for her so I told the supervisor that she told me to tell him she was sick. He looked at me and laughed and asked me if that was all she said. I told him no but that was all I was going to say. We also have some contractual language about contracting out our work. Most of the time management does that incorrectly and we deserve to be paid for it. There are times where people file grievances to get paid for work management has contracted out. They did not want to do the work in the first place but because management forgot to ask them if they did they wanted paid for it. I dont agree with those type of grievances to me they are just being greedy. So even though I am a union official I can see both sides of the fence. Luckily I have noticed that when you get grievances out of the hands of local managementM and sometimes local union officials and it gets to a district level where you have two advocates talking then the sytems manages to work a lot better. I have canceled arbitrations because we were just wrong. Management has paid settlements because they were wrong. One of the most important things unions do is they have the ability to get major workplace decisions out of the hands of the two parties that have to face each other every day.

No my post wasn't directed at you sorry that it sounded that way. I have heard people blame unions for all of the ill of today and if you say anything about what is actually going on they will call you a socialist make insinuations that you are lying and discount your words. I too see both sides of the issue and I don't want to stand for someone that is wrong, but there is something wrong going on today and its not the unions that are doing it. If people could realize that 500,000 thousand union members plus their families standing up against an issue will trump 500,000 $ of a lobyist that is in favor of it. Glad to hear that there is another union person on here.

 

[buyerjohn]

We reap what we sow...we all complain about customer service yet we contribute to the lack of it.

There are very few people who return phone calls, respond to emails, always show up to appointments and say thank you....and that's the customers.

How tiring to do you think it is for businesses and their employees to deal with rude and/or inconsiderate people day in and day out?

Next time you hit delete on an email asking for feedback on information you requested (and was sent to you promptly) or don't return a company's phone call to say you decided on a different product, then you only contribute to the demise.

We are all part of the problem.

 

[N80]

I don't agree with that. This thread was about customer service, not about rude customers. There is a big difference. I'm not saying that there aren't rude, nasty, mean, stupid, short tempered customers. There are, and plenty of them and I know because I'm in a 'service' industry. But they aren't the problem or even part of it.

Customer service is what you do in spite of difficult customers not what you do only for the easy ones. The world would surely be a happier place if we were all nice and could just get along.......but that's not going to happen.

Disney is probably the best example in customer service. They even offer courses to teach other organizations how to do customer service and a key part of that training is dealing with difficult customers which in many cases is all of them.

Don't get me wrong, when I encounter someone who is impossible to deal with, I'll let them go as a customer and I'll tell them. But I don't consider that bad customer service. Its any organizations right not to accept business if they don't want it or it isn't worth it to them.

And for the record, I'm not claiming to be perfect when it comes to customer service, nor is my office, we have good days and bad....but I do know that we try real hard and we retain 'customers' and we are attracting new ones at a much higher rate than demographics here have predicted.