Uncompassionate company tht supplies health care products

[zookeeperkaren]

Why do we always have to fight like murder to get a machine that works ... Had a month of hell with a new company.. old company went bankrupt.. was on resmed s-9 for three years till it quite blowing the right amount.. Took on a new company and after six months got a cpap machine.. that didnt work.. after calling and complaining.. and being told how did i know it wasnt working.. i called my insurance company.. they put in a complaint.. i called the company back and they were agravated and gave me another machine.. another pos machine.. called corprate today and said what is going on.. took second cpap machine back today and told them to ,,,,,well i wasnt going to pay for something that didnt work.. talk about a company knowing they screwed up and trying to back paddle to get it right before all hell broke loose .. was promised a new res med s9 tomarrow still in the box... looking forward to finally getting the air i desperately need.. so now i start thinking of all the people this company screws over.. i am sure they have heard all these complaints from other patients.. Aggrivated that a company would rent out resperonics that are garbage.. Central Florida suck.s

[chunkyfrog]

Sounds like Apria, or 99% of their competition.
--also most insurance companies.

[ZZzseekerREM]

Bad move to p!$$ off people that are already aggravated from not getting enough sleep- that's a recipe for disaster!

I had no trouble with my DME in getting the equipment I wanted- now after checking with insurance company after the fact it looks like I was overcharged by $500 or so. It looks like I will be getting it back, but dang- why does it have to be so hard! Like they say "it will all come out in the wash."

[jnk]

I have met many compassionate people over the years.

I have yet to "meet" one compassionate company.

Companies may be made up of humans, but that doesn't make companies human.

Companies are in business to remain in business. Companies may pay an employee to present the face of compassion to customers, but if one of those employees makes the mistake of actually becoming actively, personally compassionate, in connection with business operations, that employee risks being fired for putting personal emotion ahead of the interests of the company for which the employee works.

Perhaps that take of mine is cold and cynical. But it is based on experience and observation, nonetheless.

In the exceptional case of cpap.com, our hosts, the OWNERS, are willing to be reasonable and understanding and, yes, in my opinion, compassionate. But that only works because it is the OWNERS who are willing to be involved and to keep in touch with some customers directly when that authority is necessary on a case-by-case basis. But it would still be difficult for any company, large or small, to be able to hand to any of their employees, individually or collectively, that kind of authority to be insightfully compassionate in day-to-day operations, no matter how good or well-trained those employees are.

In my opinion.

And I have many.

-jeff

[ButtermilkBuoy]

Perhaps that take of mine is cold and cynical. But it is based on experience and observation, nonetheless.

I have no idea whether you are cynical, but you either have limited experience or you use a very biased filter to view your experiences.

May you have better luck in your next life.

[CowFish]

but you either have limited experience or you use a very biased filter to view your experiences.

The filter works. I know customers who have 150 positive interactions with our company in a year. If something goes wrong on #151, that is all they remember.

I am occasionally sent to any one of the smaller customers to show them our record with their account and how it is 99% positive. It is amazing how positively they react when you are there in person.

[ButtermilkBuoy]

I am occasionally sent to any one of the smaller customers to show them our record with their account and how it is 99% positive. It is amazing how positively they react when you are there in person.

Your bosses should start sending you to some of the larger customers.

[jnk]

The vast majority of companies I deal with treat me quite well.

I still don't consider any of the companies to love me, any more than I consider the corner ATM to love me, despite the money it gives me when I ask nicely in the proper way.

Business relationships are not about compassion, and compassionate relationships are not about business.

It's business.

Not personal.

Leave the gun.

Take the cannoli.

I love it when Rooster/Roster talks to himself. But hey, that's just me. I'm easily entertained.

[Susie Kay]

Business relationships are not about compassion, and compassionate relationships are not about business.

It's business.

Not personal.

That's an insult to all of us who pour our heart and soul into our work keeping our customers' needs fulfilled.

Is it a safe bet that your work for government or a government agency?

[Susie Kay]

Why do we always have to fight like murder to get a machine that works

Sorry you had to go through that. Maybe now that you have their attention, it won't be so difficult the next time around.

Does your insurance company allow the use of other DMEs that are convenient for you?

[jnk]

As a compassionate man, I refuse to charge money for what I do.

But if your approach to life is what you claim it is, then I wish you well with that and hope your job can buy you all the love you deserve and can afford.



How's that for a compassionless reply?

[Janknitz]

The biggest problem I see is that we don't get good "customer service" by DME's because we are not considered the "customer". The DME's customers are the insurance companies who pay for the bulk of the equipment and supplies and the doctors who give them referrals. As the "patients" we are merely the ends to the means of getting paid by the insurer. One more or less makes no difference at all, there are always more patients where we came from.

IF we are stupid and don't question anything, then we are easy enough to deal with and require little time and effort. The profit margins being slim, we are not worth their time and energy if we question things or take control of our own therapy.

Medicare has made this even worse by the competitive bidding process. Profit margins are even smaller, and only the large volume providers survived, so that we as individuals mean even less to their bottom line. So there is absolutely NO incentive to give us good service or care beyond the conscience of an individual employee we may be dealing with in any particular interaction.

I'm sure those DME's treat their employees like dirt, too, with enormous pressure on keeping costs low by giving as little service or quality equipment and supplies as the company possibly can get away with. There's little room for compassion in that business model.

[Hang Fire]

The DME's customers are the insurance companies who pay for the bulk of the equipment and supplies

This is true only if you consider Medicare/Medicaid to be insurance. Something around 80% of brick-and-mortar DME sales are paid for by Medicare/Medicaid. You know how it is with government bureaucracy - fill out the paperwork correctly, do what the regs say whether or not it makes sense and keep your DME license in order.

In that kind of environment, there is little emphasis on the patient.

[Janknitz]

Yes, absolutely, Medicare and Medicaid ARE insurance programs.