My husband and I went in to the dermatologist together last week for routine checks. We’d recently changed insurance providers and didn’t have the new insurance cards to give to the check-in person at the desk when we arrived.
When we signed in, I informed the young woman that I didn’t have my card, though I could give her my name and social security number. (This isn’t the first time I’ve been without an insurance card at a medical establishment, so I knew she could make a quick call and get all the information she needed.)
She looked at me quizzically and asked, “You don’t have your card?” I told her again that we changed insurance on June 1 and were waiting for the cards to arrive.
“Oh…then you’ll have to wait to see the doctor until I talk to them,” she said, as she picked up the phone.
“I’ll have to wait longer because of this?” I responded.
Another medical assistant that was sitting at the next station answered, “We have to know what your insurance coverage is before we see you.”
For some reason, perhaps because we’ve been through some serious medical issues with close family members lately, the idea that I’d have to wait longer while the office staff check to see what my insurance covered didn’t land right with me. I felt annoyed. “I’ll pay the entire visit with a check if I need to,” I snapped. What can I say? It had been a bad couple of weeks and it felt strange to be told I would have to wait until they knew what my insurance coverage was before I could get seen by the doctor. I made a few more comments about how I was in a hurry and discussed my unhappiness with my husband.
The odd thing? Neither of the two women said another word. I was a customer. I was annoyed by what appeared to be an unfair policy – those who didn’t have insurance or who had new insurance had to wait longer than other patients – and was talking about it within earshot of other patients. Yet no one on the doctor’s staff addressed it.
Since I’m tuned in to customer service practices, I watched this with great interest. Why were they not engaging me to see if they could turn around my negative thinking? As I stood at the desk, waiting for the young woman to complete her call with my insurance provider, I tried to read her and her coworker’s body language. What were they thinking? Did they feel uncomfortable? Did they know that they could improve the situation?
I’m not sure that they did. To me, they both seemed like deer in the headlights, watching me to see what I would do next. I imagined them thinking, “Is she going to get really angry? How can I move her into a room – and out of our lobby – as quickly as possible?”
In reality, a brief explanation of the reasons behind the policy would most likely have sufficed. As I’ve thought about it, I’m willing to bet that they’re doing it to help the customer. Many patients – particularly those with new health insurance policies – may not know how much a visit is going to cost. And in today’s difficult economic times, the surprise of a large out-of-pocket expense could be extremely upsetting.
I wonder if either of the doctor’s staff members that were at the front desk that morning had ever been instructed to engage with the customer – even more so if there’s a misunderstanding or conflict. If you draw away and go silent, the misunderstanding or conflict won’t be resolved. If you discuss the matter that’s upsetting them, you’re more likely to end the interaction on a positive note.
What do you think? Do you pull away from a customer when they’re upset? How could you handle upset customers in a way that is more engaging?
Written by Lori Jo Vest on www.whosyourgladys.com/blog
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