I've been planning on changing my primary care physician through Harvard Pilgrim for a while but never got around to it until the other day. If you're looking for some great story why I need to change doctors, I'm sorry to say there isn't one. But when I related this story to my wife, her response was basically one or two-word answers. Jokingly I said "sounds like you don't want to join me in this rant", and she replied "no, not really...and besides, you're just going to blog about it anyway." So as not to disappoint her...
I called the customer service line and go into the voice menus. I'm asked to enter my membership number. No problem. Then I confirm my birthday. No problem. I navigate to the "Select a new PCP" option. No problem. Then someone comes on the line to help...and promptly asks me for my membership number, birthday, and asks me how she can help me.
Maybe someone out there who's more familiar with phone systems than I am can explain this phenomenon, but what's the point of having to do eight million key strokes on my phone when I just have to explain everything again to a human operator? I guess I can understand if it's a way of weeding out crank calls from people who don't have membership numbers, but why isn't this information passed along to the person answering the phone somehow? Anyone?
Ask and you shall receive. My sister actually works for a company that creates said telephone programs. So, I emailed her to ask why this problem exists. Here's her response...
"Ah, yes. That’s one of the biggest pet peeves we have as a company that handles this technology. It’s also one of my personal peeves as well. I NEVER use the HPHC phone system. I do it all on-line. But anyway, that doesn’t explain why this happens.
HPHC needs to invest in what’s called CTI – Computer Telephony Integration - a pretty simple technology that allows the information you entered in the automated system to be handed off to the desktop computer of agent that you get to talk to when the automated system can’t help you. You would still need to verify yourself to the agent for security purposes, but you wouldn’t have to go through all of that info again. It’s one of the greatest inventions, I feel.
HPHC’s VRU sounds like it has been in place for years – before CTI was available and this whole data-passing thing was possible. If they don’t want to buy a CTI solution, what they should really do is change the application logic to only ask for your member ID if you are going to use an automated function that requires it. Otherwise, they get disgruntled customers.
I can speak for hours on this subject – and probably have at one point. I think I’ve said too much. You hit a sore spot. If you need more info, let me know…and I’ll be letting our sales force know that they need to sell these guys something better!!!"
:)
DAMN, Beth....
Nice! I want part of that commission... ;)