azurelunatic: a modification of the Oxidizer hazard label reading 'Caution Flaming Asshole'  (flaming)
Azure Jane Lunatic (Azz) 🌺 ([personal profile] azurelunatic) wrote2016-09-28 12:02 am

Sorry I cannot hear you I'm kind of busy.

So my healthcare provider attempts to provide world-class service. They try.

... They are trying, yes.

Now, I'm one of those people whose ability to take incoming calls from unknown/untrusted parties is significantly variable, but never great. I'm generally completely unable to take calls before I've properly awakened. If something needs to be communicated with complete clarity and without error, telephone is the worst way to do it. Text is far preferable. That's without even counting in the PTSD... (two terrible phone jobs and one ex-friend having an extended breakdown culminating in serious self-harm. do not recommend.) My sleep schedule is terrible, and there's no guarantee that I'll be coherent before noon, even if I'm awake, without a different medication setup than the one I'm currently on.

They have a website where you can ostensibly manage various parts of the information that is distributed to all of the departments which interact with you. You would think that you'd be able to update your name, honorific, and telephone preferences there...

... and you would think wrong.

99% of the departments who interact with me start their relationship by ignoring the note that says NEVER CALL THIS PATIENT, and ignoring the note that says THIS PATIENT'S NAME IS [INITIALS], and calling me at 9am or shortly thereafter, with a cheerful "Hi [wallet first name, mispronounced]!"

So I put in a request that maybe there should be some place on their fucking website where I could manage preferences for things like DON'T FUCKING CALL ME, EVER.


At 4:50 pm on Monday, more or less, my phone rang. It was Member Services, who had some questions, like, who exactly was it who was calling me? EVERY DEPARTMENT EVER. But Member Services and Marketing didn't call me? MY DOCTORS, EVEN WITH THE BIG NOTE ABOUT NOT CALLING ME. EACH SEPARATE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. But not Member Services? Because this got sent to Member Services. LOOK I WAS JUST TRYING TO SEND A SUGGESTION ABOUT HOW YOU COULD IMPROVE THINGS, WHY THE FUCK COULDN'T YOU EMAIL ME. But email's not secure? YOUR DOCTORS HAVE THIS NIFTY THING WHERE THEY EMAIL OUT A NOTICE AND I LOG IN TO THE WEBSITE AND READ THE MESSAGE. IT WORKS JUST FINE. Oh. We don't have that. WELL MAYBE THEY SHOULD GIVE IT TO YOU.

Apparently eventually I answered all the questions.

... Except then Tuesday, right while I was waiting for an optometrist, THE PHONE RINGS. IT'S THEM AGAIN. WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME; THIS IS IN FACT A BAD TIME; PLEASE EMAIL IT, WHATEVER IT IS.

... And naturally, dealing with the phone call then? Made me actually incapable of dealing sensibly with the optometrist. WHICH IS WHY YOU MOTHERFUCKERS NEED TO STOP FUCKING CALLING ME.


... seriously. When someone has submitted a grievance about PEOPLE CALLING WHEN THE NOTE SAYS NOT TO CALL, who the *fuck* thinks "Oh, I don't understand this ... I should call them to clarify!"????????
vass: Warning sign of man in water with an octopus (Accidentally)

very fucking trying

[personal profile] vass 2016-09-28 09:29 am (UTC)(link)
*raaaaaaaaaaaaaage*

If email's too insecure, MAYBE THEY SHOULD SEND A FUCKING LETTER, DID THEY THINK OF THAT?

That is so stressful and infuriating. Boundaries, what are they.
ankaret: (Hair)

[personal profile] ankaret 2016-09-28 09:59 am (UTC)(link)
UGH WHY DO MEDICAL PEOPLE DO THIS IT IS THE WORST.
jack: (Default)

[personal profile] jack 2016-09-28 09:59 am (UTC)(link)
My first thought was, "how do large organisations interact with people who are actually completely deaf, and they can't just pretend to ignore the issues with phone communication". Of course, the answer is, "atrociously" :(

Maybe have an answerphone message that is five minutes of agonised screaming...
kaberett: Trans symbol with Swiss Army knife tools at other positions around the central circle. (Default)

[personal profile] kaberett 2016-09-28 11:10 am (UTC)(link)
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
lilysea: Serious (Oracle: wheelchair fighting)

[personal profile] lilysea 2016-09-28 11:27 am (UTC)(link)
Oh God. I am so sorry. :(

I'm not functional before noon, and I have to turn my phone on silent when I go to bed, because All Medical Receptionists Everywhere seem to want to phone me between 8am and 9am..
lilysea: Serious (Default)

[personal profile] lilysea 2016-09-28 11:30 am (UTC)(link)
I keep seeing a notice at the local shops etc looking for a volunteer to help an older woman who wants a cochlear implant field phone calls to set up appts etc.

This woman has literally ended up in the situation where she can't get a cochlear implant to improve her hearing, because her hearing is too bad to make appts with the hospital system to get the thing to improve her hearing...
alatefeline: Painting of a cat asleep on a book. (Default)

[personal profile] alatefeline 2016-09-28 01:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Well fuuuuuck.
shehasathree: (Default)

[personal profile] shehasathree 2016-09-28 01:24 pm (UTC)(link)
omfg, i LOATHE all the things you describe. which also happen to me more often than they should.
*all the empathy*
silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)

[personal profile] silveradept 2016-09-28 02:18 pm (UTC)(link)
There does not seem to be proper information sharing going on between departments. Also, I think it's safe to say that nobody actually reads suggestions before engaging their scripted actions, or they would know not to call. Which doesn't bode well for them actually implementing suggestions.
kareila: person holding a smiley balloon over his face (balloonface)

[personal profile] kareila 2016-09-28 03:14 pm (UTC)(link)
As far as enforcing boundaries goes, is muting the relevant numbers on your phone a possibility? That would let you see you have a missed call from them, but it wouldn't ring and demand your attention.

(This is my "trying to be helpful" face; if suggestion is not in fact helpful please forgive and ignore!)
silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)

[personal profile] silveradept 2016-09-28 03:39 pm (UTC)(link)
...there needs to be ... retraining, at several levels of the organization, then.
alexseanchai: Katsuki Yuuri wearing a blue jacket and his glasses and holding a poodle, in front of the asexual pride flag with a rainbow heart inset. (Default)

[personal profile] alexseanchai 2016-09-28 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
D:
teaotter: a girl in a pink coat that reads "anti social social club" (Default)

[personal profile] teaotter 2016-09-28 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
... they called because you complained about phone calls. That. I don't even have words for the levels of bullshit that is.
inoru_no_hoshi: The most ridiculous chandelier ever: shaped like a penis. Text: Sparklepeen. (Default)

[personal profile] inoru_no_hoshi 2016-09-28 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Aaaaargh. D:
inoru_no_hoshi: The most ridiculous chandelier ever: shaped like a penis. Text: Sparklepeen. (Default)

[personal profile] inoru_no_hoshi 2016-09-28 06:05 pm (UTC)(link)
That is at least an upside to having to deal with this!
kareila: (embarrassed)

[personal profile] kareila 2016-09-28 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that would have made me lose my temper too. Hoping the complaints are effective!

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