Knowing Your [Load of] Crap

I know "rants" can get tiresome, but this is somewhat related to yesterday's post, so I figured now was the time. Plus I'm inspired.

I called D.O.C. at the mall. The lady who answered said they took my insurance, they would deal with everything (I wouldn't have to mess with any reimbursment crap), and that they could make the glasses within 2 days maybe even sameday if very simple in-stock prescriptions. So Amy and I go to the optometrist at 5:30, get our prescriptions. Couple hours later we go to D.O.C. Right as we step in the entrance, I remember I forgot the prescriptions, so I ask the lady at what looks like the most customer-servicy desk.

She (I'll call her Lady) will NOT listen to me. Three times I said, "I have the prescription at home. I can call home and give you the numbers and then I can just bring in the actual sheets of paper when I pick up the glasses." Three times she uses variations of, "Well how can we make your glasses if we don't have the prescription?" What are customer service reps for if they can't think for themselves? I hate when you call places and they're answer is the equivalent of "I don't know" or "I can't help you." Yes, you CAN help me, but you have to switch your brain from robot mode to free thought.
Luckily, another woman overheard, kindly interrupted the other and said, "Actually, Lady, what we can do is take the order [etc. etc.] and have them fax the prescription tomorrow." Those aren't exact words. She asked if we could fax it tonight or have someone else do it, and I asked if I could just do it this morning.
This was relieving but doubly annoying. First, because Lady should have thought of this herself, and Second, because Lady should have asked someone else instead of pretending she knew what the heck she was talking about.

So we pick out some possible frames, and get another woman to price the whole package for us. She called the insurance company, who, fortunately again, had at least one competent customer service rep. The rep asked to talk to me so he could straighten out that all I did earlier was get an exam, not order glasses. Good thinking. Ask before assuming.

The pricing news is dropped on us. Apparently, "the best insurance" doesn't make up for lunatic pricing. And of course, for driving, we'll "want anti-glare." A $110 option from Dupont. You're kidding me. Listen, why don't I buy a $12 gallon of satin glaze and anti-glare my own glasses for the next century. Well, fortune smiles on us again, and before picking out more frames for more pricing, the woman helping us tells us that it should take roughly a week for the glasses to be processed by our insurance company's lab. And the whole point in hurrying was to get glasses before Disney World (woooo!). In other words, no glasses until at best, next week.

The truth comes out. Fortune was never on our side. I bet it was Lady who told us they could make the glasses there and within 2 days. Lady then appeared to melt through the floor while laughing and shrieking. A red fog lingered for just long enough for us walk out the door, empty handed, with absolutely no leverage to get back at these people for wasting our time.

Man, I hate customer service. In my last post, I mentioned a credit card that had a "no interest" promotion, but we were told it was "no payments and no interest." This eventually led to a hind-quartersload of interest upon interest. I called, sent letters, and each time I was basically ignored, or told to try the opposite method. One letter reply, in response to my request for partial refund, simply said, "Thank you for your request. Your account balance is..."

I seriously wonder if customer service reps are chosen simply for their patience and willingness to help rip people off. Do they go through training in which they are told to stall for several months until the customer quits? I spent so long trying to get a hold of this company to try to get any possible final refunds before paying it off, because I knew if I paid it off, I would never get anything back. By the way, it was Care Credit, through GE Money Bank. Never use Care Credit. Spread the news. Just find a no interest credit card. If we would have known this DIDN'T in fact, have the added benefit of "no payments," it never would have even been an option since the interest rate was absurd. One last important point. The person at fault for this credit card caper? The lady who answers the phone at the dentist's office.