by my own plan just to push "Zero" for every single option and do a few more zeros for good luck...Well I didn't work for me..with a NY/NJ testing lab and my own DC area insurance...same plan..but somehow it wasn't 'registered' in NY? DUH? It was for a 3-4 K bill regarding a cancer biopsy...sooo I spent the required 4-6 hours on phone calls on hold to get done what had to get done...meaning computer systems actually 'talking to' each other... I had to get an ACTUAL functional PERSON first...that took the longest? = j

Can I 'accent' the actual-functional-person part?

Someone told me to press 1 three times and a operator will answer in no time, i don't know if it works i always forget to try it.
might be something in it, i really don't know yet.

I've pressed 11111, 0000, 33333.....nothing works. Its always a call at dinnertime, too. Aside from that, the message repeats itself and you can't hang up. I've tried, waited 15-20 secs and picked up the phone..the danged message is still going on, and on, and on.....!!!
Aside from that, my messages say my name and date & time and ........with 'your health provider'!
Not even the name of my doc. It just says 'with your health provider at Johns Hopkins medicine' (there must be 2 dozen locations, at least, in Balto.) I have about 4 or 5 docs in the system.
(PCP, neuro, dermatology, orthopedic surgeon, PT/OT, etc)
Its a good thing I keep multiple calendars at work & home. I would forget which doc on which date and at which location.

Bob,

You are referring to a completely different situation.

What I was referring to is when I make a call to them, not when someone calls my house. I use the "operator" thing when I am trying to reach a live person.

Now I have had gazillions calls to my home from "John, from the Lending Mortgage, or John, from the Mortgage Network." I listen, then it says "press one to speak to a live operator"

So I press one, a live person comes on and I say "If someone from your company calls me one more time, I'm going to sue". "I don't have a mortgage". They always apololgize and connect me to someone who tells me "your number has been removed".

Want to know how many times "my number has been removed???"

I've counted. 15 so far.


No more. I just hang up when I hear "Hello, this is John from the Lending blah blah blah!!!!"

Hi Mel:

Don't you have your phone number on the national Don't Call list? Mine is on there and also on our state Don't Call list.

In MN, only charities and political parties can call when you are on the list. I don't know how it is in New York where you are. Sometimes a sales call will slip through anyway and I usually just hang up. I am not a rude person, but....enough is enough.

Shirley H.

This is going to sound awful, but whenever I encounter an automated system and I have the option of going to 'purchased additional services" or 'billing' or anything that might make the company money...I push that prompt or say their little secret words....then I usually get a human...sometimes I can't understand them tho...it is probably me.

That my trick too. Some times there is just no other way. If going to "Sales" doesn't work, and it hasn't worked to pretend not to have a touch-tone phone, you're sunk.

rose

Yeah Bob, its only hear say got no idea whether it works here or not,i only think of it after i have gone through the grueling process of being mucked around for far to much longer than it should be, but if you ring 000 over here you will get answered very quickly as its our emergency number for Police, Ambulance or Fire brigade.

I am absolutely on the National No Call List.

Doesn't make a hoot of difference does it??

Oh, John just called again, with his little robot voice, saying "Hello, this is John from the Mortgage Network".

If I ever meet John, he better watch out!!!!!!

lol

Melody

I think most apts should have a reminder call especially the ones set a few months previous. I do feel these docs make so much money to hire a 10 dollar an hour secretary would not be to hard. What bothers me more is that the docs hire people who have no idea what there doing. Its like I asked what an ssep was and no one could tell me at the office. Or when the staff says ignorant comments and I have heard it all. There are many wonderful docs and staff which help so much. It really lifts my spirits with a nice nurse or makes me feel more reassured with a staff who knows what there talking about but the ones who don't really stick out.