The urge to scream

Generally, I am sure that it is not appropriate to use this space to rant and rave. But, today, the only urge I have is to do just that.

Perhaps, someone out there has had a similar experience. And, if you have tried to actually reach a human being to handle an urgent matter relating to insurance or bills or whatever the urgent matter may be--you know exactly how I feel.

I am self employed and using COBRA for insurance. So, that I can continue to have that coverage I have made payments for 3 months to a company that can't seem to relay that information properly to AETNA--my health provider. They would cancel me if the payment did not arrive on time. But, they've never taken the steps to insure that I actually have the coverage. And, what really chaps me is that it is impossible to get a human being to help.

So, my question is really pretty simple? Why is that companies who are in the business of working with consumers make an already irate person go through a series of phone prompts to finally be connected with a human that could care less that you have called.

Press 1 if you speak English. Press 2 if you'd like to listen to our elevator music. Press 3 if you would like to rip your hair out. Press 4 if your blood pressure is starting to rise. Press 5 to start over.

It's no wonder we all need self-medicating.

Automation is great when it provides a real service. Automated phone systems with prompts a mile-long do nothing but prompt me to scream.

Service seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur.

Too bad the real urge isn't to provide great customer satisfaction.