Deaf Girl Problems #3
~Originally posted at OpenDiary on 5.27.13~
This is not an amusing #deafgirlproblem today. This is a rant. You be warned.
I hate when I have to call any kind of customer service line, or call center. Hate it. My palms sweat, my heart races, I can barely talk, and this is before anyone even answers. There is a 50/50 chance that I am going to have to either hand the phone off to someone else, or call back later and hope to get someone with a lower pitch voice, no accent, and who understands that yes, I really do need to repeat numbers a million frickin' times cause they all sound alike. I never know if I messing something up, or hearing something wrong. Did I push the right number? Did the lady take me off of hold yet? Seriously, when I'm asked to hold I clench the phone to my face as hard as I can and strain my ears trying to pick up any sound; I have missed it and had them hang up before. Why can't companies understand that not everyone can use the phone? I know there are relay services, but I really don't want some stranger all up in my business as I fight with an insurance company over why they declined the claim for my yearly gyno exam!
I just feel like in this world of technology none of this should be an issue any more. Company's should not be able to pick and choose what form of communication they feel is required, I feel that email is a reasonable accommodation. One of the reason's that I will stick with my bank and insurance provider is that they allow me to contact them and conduct business via email. I never receive the crap response email that I get from so many companies "here's our hotline number, please feel free to call us and a customer service representative will be more than happy to help you." That reply ladies and gentlemen, is the email of customer service death. I always state in my initial email why I am not calling the hotline and how I need a response via email. You send me something back with that lovely sentence included and I know that your either; don't care, didn't read the email at all, or are a complete blithering idiot. I then take my business else where because I refuse to do business with a company that refuses to make that simple of an accommodation...and if they're just stupid I definitely am not dealing with them.