When we got home from our trip, I downloaded my credit card bills onto Quicken. I saw that we had two charges the same day from Barnes West County Hospital, each at $35.10. Before we left on vacation, I had called the hospital’s billing department and charged that amount. So, while the amount was correct, it was clear to me that they had double charged me.
Bright and early the next morning, I called the billing inquiries number for the hospital. I told the person there about the two charges on the same day for the same amount. She looked up the account and said that they only showed that they charged a single $35.10. I was asked what proof I had. I told her of the downloaded credit card statement, the two like amounts, the same date, ete. Could I fax that to her? What good would that do her since I told her all that was on the printout. I offered to give her the credit card transaction numbers, but she said that would do them no good. And try as she might looking through her records on the computer, she could not find that they had charged us twice. As far as she was concerned, it didn’t happen.
Somehow, she did not understand why I might be upset with a double charge that she could not find. When she started to tell me how their accounting system works and its complications, I pulled out the accounting card: “I taught accounting for 25 years and fully understand accounting systems. What I cannot understand is your losing the second $35.10 you charged to my credit card.” I offered to dispute the bill with VISA, but she didn’t want me to do that. At that point, I asked for a supervisor. However, the supervisor was on the phone. I left her a voicemail message regarding my problem.
The next day, the supervisor called me back. She said they had checked all their postings and that they could not find the second $35.10. Surely, she posited, this was an error at the credit card company and not at the hospital. Could I fax her my statement? No, since we don’t have a fax. Could she use the transaction numbers? No, they don’t have access to those at her end. So, I was told to call the credit card company who had obviously made a mistake.
Using my land line, I called the number on the back of my VISA card. When I explained the problem to the attendant who answered, she told me that she could not handle this and this would have to go to the resolution department. While I was being transferred, I called the hospital supervisor on my mobile phone. The resolution person came on the phone, a woman with absolutely no sense of humor or any customer service conversation training. I told her of my problem. She told me that the hospital made the mistake and she would charge back $35.10 against them and give me a credit. I told the supervisor who said that was fine.
So, I invested about 45 minutes in four conversations for a matter of $35.10 that could have been solved in five minutes in the first conversation. Next time, no Mr. Nice Guy. It’s right to the resolutions lady at VISA.
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