OK, customer service is part of life, of business, of healthcare, of just about everything.  While some organizations make it a priority to deliver the best customer service experiences possible, others not so much. 

Then there is the occasional clinker – a rep who is just blatantly rude or offensive or shows, by attitude and tone of voice, that he/she really just doesn’t care.

We all deal with this and usually, just manage or get another rep for help. 

screenbean-phoneI had an experience with a diabetes device company’s customer service (CS) department this week that stunned me … actually took my breath away.  I won’t mention the company (for ease of this blog, I’ll call it M) but I’m on the Loop so you can figure it out.  I had bought my M pump used from someone who no longer wanted to use a pump.  It was out of warranty and was barely used and it works just fine. 

I then tried to buy supplies from M, through their order line.  I received a call that they can’t fill the order until the pump is registered … I was transferred to CS … so far, so good.

I gave the rep the pump serial number and he informed me that the pump was not registered.  Well, duh, that’s why I was talking to him.  I was polite and explained that I had gotten the pump used and just wanted to buy supplies.  That’s when the tirade started.  “Where did you get this? Did you steal the pump? Are you in the black market?”  He was getting worked up. 

I said that I thought his tone of voice was getting very accusatory.  He said, “Yes, it is!  You can’t just have any pump!  We have to know who has our pumps!” 

I offered to tell him the name of the lady who sold it to me but by then he was off and running.  He accused me of changing stories and not telling the truth.  (True, I had mentioned that I had been using supplies that someone gave me from her deceased T1 brother, so he thought I was stealing from dead people!)

I asked to speak to his supervisor.  It just got worse.  I was told that I cannot simply buy a used pump.  That pump needed to go through their donation program, that I had to return it and buy a new one.  I asked if I could simply buy supplies and he said no!

After 45 minutes dealing with M, I hung up.  My heart was pounding.  In my 52 years of living with T1, I had never been accused of stealing supplies or operating in the black market.  I donate supplies to Insulin for Life and my support group shares supplies that we are no longer using.  But NOT BLACK MARKET!

I got some great advice from T1s on the Looped group on Facebook and I did contact my rep who is trying to help me.  Or else I’ll just go through a medical supply company who actually doesn’t care from whom I got my pump.

MY QUESTION:  WHAT WOULD YOU DO?  I have the names of the rep and his supervisor. 

Would you:

  • Write a letter to the CEO of M?
  • Just blog about it?
  • Have a glass of wine?
  • Demand an apology?

Thanks for listening … can’t wait to hear what you think!!!

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