I GOT TO SAY NO!!! (Warning: Long)

[Wade]

In case you haven't read any of my previous posts, I work in a call center servicing existing automobile policies in numerous states, with the majority of my clients residing in Nevada. As those who have read my prior tales of woe will remember, this state is VERY strict on insurance requirements, and will suspend your registration at the drop of a hat. Usually this is just a misunderstanding on part of the DMV, and easily remedied. However, if a policy has actually lapsed, we are required by law to notify the DMV you are no longer carrying insurance with us, and God be with you 'cause you're gonna get fined $250 per vehicle if you can't prove to them you have active coverage.

It's very important to understand all this, as it's the center of our next epic:

Me: Thank you for calling so-and-so. This is Wade, how may I help you today?
SC: Yes, I want to cancel my policy, and was wondering if you are going to refund all the premium I have paid since October!

Ummm.... what?

Me: Well, Sir, I would be happy to assist. May I ask why you are requesting a refund of premium?
SC: Because my registration's been suspended since October, and you never notified me!

Time-out. By law, we are required to notify customers if their policies lapse, so I jump into the system. Lo and behold:

Me: Okay, I do see a valid lapse in October, and another one in February. Both occurrences resulted in letters being sent to you.
SC: Well, I NEVER GOT THEM!!!

Of course not. Nobody EVER receives anything by mail anymore, do they? As much as I LOVE electronic billing and payments, I find it VERY hard to believe 100 years of the U.S. Postal Service just became completely ineffective once Bank Of America initiated BillPay.

I digress....

Me: Well, Sir, I don't see any indication of returned mail -
SC: And I'm telling you I DID NOT GET THEM!!! YOU NEVER NOTIFIED ME!!! ELEVENTY!!!
Me: Sir, we did. Any effort to reach you in writing is acceptable under the Department of Insurance's guidelines.
SC: Why didn't they notify me my policy had lapsed when I went in to make the payment!?!
Me: For that, I would direct you to the branch's operations manager to discuss and review if any corrective action is required.
SC: I WASN'T NOTIFIED!!!
Me: We attempted to notify you in good faith, sir, and fulfilled our requirements to do so.
SC: So, why have I been paying for this policy since October if my registration has been suspended since then?
Me: Because you have utilized the services you have contracted us to provide for a fee to minimize your risk in the event of a loss. It has nothing to do with the registration status of a vehicle - we will still allow coverage in the event you file a claim, which is the service we have provided at your request.
SC: BUT I CAN'T DRIVE!!!! And "you people" are gonna keep billing me for insurance on a vehicle I can't legally operate?

What do you mean, "you people"?

Me: If you wish to cancel your policy, billing will be discontinued and there will be no further invoicing of premium.
SC: And if I don't cancel the policy?
Me: The policy will remain in effect until you instruct us to cancel or an additional lapse in coverage occurs due to nonpayment.

Nonpayment = royally bad. Not only do you get lapsed with the DMV, you go into collections.

SC: So, is (name of my company) liable if I drive this car?
Me: Absolutely not. The responsibility is one hundred percent yours if you choose to not abide by the rules and regulations of the DMV and put that vehicle back on the road with suspended registration.
SC: So, you'll cover me if I drive with suspended plates?

Obvious note: suspended plates NOT to be confused with suspended license.

Me: Of course. Coverage will be extended as usual and claims service extended should it be required as long as you continue to pay on the policy.

Silence. Silence. Okay, awkward silence....

SC: Cancel my policy!
Me: Alright, Sir. We'll just need to verify some information, and it takes a couple of minutes to process by phone -
SC: JUST CANCEL MY POLICY!!!
Me: And I will be happy to. We just need to verify some information. Can I please verify your zip code?

[click]

Looks like his poilcy will remain active.

[lupo pazzesco]

Looks like his poilcy will remain active.

At least until he calls back once again next month with the same schtick, except to add that he needs compensation because he demanded his policy be cancelled and no one did it!!!!!eleventy!!!! Obviously HE'S not at fault. </sarcasm>

Urk. this is why I can't do call center work. Bad enough some of the crap I put up with via phone calls to Textbook Hell. I salute you, my friend. I couldn't handle that kind of work.

[Wade]

Oh... my... GOD!!!!

Gather 'round, call center employees - you will love this!

HE CALLED BACK!!!!

How many people work for my employer? Several thousand? What are the chances he would get me, again? Yet, he did!

Me: Thank you for calling so-and-so. This is Wade, how may I help you?
SC: (a little mellower) Yeah, I wanna cancel my policy.
Me: Okay, if I could just get your policy number....



What are the chances of this happening? Yes, it's not unheard of, but for me to get the same SC I just called on the carpet not even two hours ago?



Me: Okay, and may I ask why you wish to cancel your policy today?
SC: Well, my registration's suspended since October, I wasn't advised of this, and I don't drive the vehicle, anymore.
Me: Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Have you discussed this with a (so-and-so) employee for resolution?
SC: Yeah, and I just got the dance-around, so let's just go ahead and cancel it.
Me: Sure, no problem. I just have to verify some info, and we'll be wrapped up in just a couple of minutes....

Heh-heh-heh....

[lupo pazzesco]

Well, color me psychic!

Halfway, at least. I figured he'd call back. but he seems so subdued now. Actually rather disappointing...ah well.

[JustaCashier]

They always come crawling back.....

Mike

[Bramblerose]

Of course not. Nobody EVER receives anything by mail anymore, do they? As much as I LOVE electronic billing and payments, I find it VERY hard to believe 100 years of the U.S. Postal Service just became completely ineffective once Bank Of America initiated BillPay.

Ummm, yeah. Actually, when we lived in Rolla, Mo, it was amazing how much incoming and outgoing mail was lost. Not just us, either.

Upshot is I pay bills on line or in person. I really no longer trust anything important to the USPS.

[malmalthekiller]

They always come crawling back.....

Mike

Indeed they do.

I work in a call center as well, but it's quite a small one, so it's not strange to get the same person twice. Or if it's a particularly crazy one, to keep yelling at each other that we have the same person they just had 5 minutes ago. Good times.

[Wade]

I understand your point, Bramblerose, but think of it this way: you're late on your power bill. Power gets shut off on Sunday. You pay on Friday to have power restored. So, technically, you've had a five day "lapse" in your power, right?

Same thing with these assholes. They get pissed at us (and oftentimes, me personally, as I'm the lucky ijot who answers the phone) when they don't pay their bills on time and we abide by the rules and regulations which bind us. It comes down to blatant irresponsibility - I didn't pay my bill, but I EVENTUALLY paid it, yet you reported a lapse!

Well, yeah.....

[PepperElf]

Me: Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Have you discussed this with a (so-and-so) employee for resolution?
SC: Yeah, and I just got the dance-around, so let's just go ahead and cancel it.

he didn't recognize your voice?
at least he didn't act like a jerk as much the second time through

[SG15Z]

Wow some people. And total win he got you again, and he didn't even notice you were the same person. Nice.

[Alpha Strike]

I work in a call center as well, but it's quite a small one, so it's not strange to get the same person twice. Or if it's a particularly crazy one, to keep yelling at each other that we have the same person they just had 5 minutes ago. Good times.

Obligatory "Me too!" post here: Our center has, at absolute peak times, between 15-20 folks answering the phone - and it's usually between 7-13. So if one of my co-workers has a particularly noteworthy call, most of hear about it before the SC even calls back. The best part is when the SC speaks to one of us, hangs up and calls someone else and then tries to lie about what the first phone agent said to them - it's so satisfying to be able to catch them in the act:

SC: "Agent X said (Altered answer) to me when I called!"
Me: "Really? Agent X sits right next to me and has never said anything like that... Are you SURE that's what you heard? Maybe he said (Real answer).... "
SC: "Uh oh uh well maybe that's what he said...."

The only annoying thing is I can't call people out when they try and slip a fast one past us - instead, I have to coach it in polite terms of "Maybe you misheard" or "Could you have possibly misspoken about this item?"

he didn't recognize your voice?

If you asked the average person about his/her call 5 minutes after the fact, they would be hard pressed to remember our names, voices, the greeting we used, and probably even the department they called. Most folks are able to remember the gender of the person they spoke to and the answer to their question - and they often don't even get this right!

I think most have people have had such bad experiences on the phone - or expect to have a bad experience - that they view phone staff as barriers to their goal (or at the very least interchangeable parts) and not real people, so it's normally not worth their effort to remember us.