A price is not a price.
My son and I went to the doctors office for the 18-month visit the other day. We pay out of pocket when we are there because this office doesn't accept our insurance. But our insurance accepts that we go there and usually reimburses our expenses.
When we got to the check-out, the cashier recognized us and whispered: "are you still self-paid?"
When we got to the check-out, the cashier recognized us and whispered: "are you still self-paid?"
I couldn't hear her properly so I said: "I'm sorry ... What?"
She looked to the side briefly and repeated, still whispering: "are you still self-paid?"
"Yes," I heard myself whispering back, while leaning over the counter.
I got the feeling she wanted to cut a deal for us. She did some calculations, or at least that's what it looked like, and finally said: "OK mama, it's 200 dollars for the visit today."
I got the feeling she wanted to cut a deal for us. She did some calculations, or at least that's what it looked like, and finally said: "OK mama, it's 200 dollars for the visit today."
"200 dollars. Ok," I replied and pulled out my credit card.
"Will your insurance reimburse all of it?" She asked me promptly.
"Will your insurance reimburse all of it?" She asked me promptly.
"Yes, probably." I felt slightly guilty all of a sudden.
"Oh," she said. "I just cut your bill short with 50 dollars because I didn't think they would do that."
"Well ... thanks. It still helps me ...you know, it takes some time before I get the money back ..."
Whatever. I didn't ask for a discount. I didn't ask for anything. I just wanted to pay and leave. Preferably with a receipt. She said she would mail me the receipt because apparently the doctor didn't fill out his paperwork properly, but I said I'd rather have it in my hand when leaving, please. She sighted and walked away slowly to pick up the print out. Guess I'm a difficult client. I expect regular procedure and find it hard to play along with wiz-whaz.
We had a prescription to pick up so we stopped at out local pharmacy on the way home. It was ready for us when we got to the counter, $12 was due and I pulled out my money to pay. But then the cashier said "hold on a minute ..." while studying her screen.
She asked me: "Do you know why you're being charged an additional fee today ...?"
"Excuse me?" I said, confused. "You ask me why there is an additional fee ...? What kind of fee?"
She asked me wether I had signed up for the prescription program and was due to pay the annual fee.
"Uuh, what ..??" I said, feeling slightly stressed. People started queuing up behind me. I showed her my Walgreens discount card but she shook her head and said that was a different thing and then she went to get her manager.
The manager asked me: "do you want to sign up for the prescription program card and save money every time you picked up new prescriptions ...?"
I asked her for what fee and she said "20 dollars a year."
"That's a lot of money to pay to be able to save a few dollars each time" I replied, "Besides - we don't pick up prescriptions on a regular basis, so no thanks."
"OK no problem" she said. "But the final price is still going to be 32 dollars"
The confusion reached new limits and the queue behind me grew with another few customers. The ladies behind the counter had just showed me the price tag saying $12. Now they explained that this would have been the price if I had the discount card. Which I didn't want. So the price for me would be 32 dollars.
The confusion reached new limits and the queue behind me grew with another few customers. The ladies behind the counter had just showed me the price tag saying $12. Now they explained that this would have been the price if I had the discount card. Which I didn't want. So the price for me would be 32 dollars.
"So, let me get this straight, whether or not I want this discount card, I have to pay the extra 20 dollars. Is that correct??"
"Yes," they replied.
"Well, if I have to pay for it regardless, I guess I might as well sign up for the card then!"
But then the manager decided to cut through this mess with a final offer instead. She wrote something on the back of a paper and said
"you don't really need the card if you're not on permanent medication, so we'll cut the price for you and you just pay this amount" she pointed at her handwriting: $18.
"Yes," they replied.
"Well, if I have to pay for it regardless, I guess I might as well sign up for the card then!"
But then the manager decided to cut through this mess with a final offer instead. She wrote something on the back of a paper and said
"you don't really need the card if you're not on permanent medication, so we'll cut the price for you and you just pay this amount" she pointed at her handwriting: $18.
"Fine" I said, knowing that I actually ended up paying $6 more than the original price presented to me. Whatever. The insurance company will reimburse us. Hand over the goods and let me get out of here! Quite fascinating how complicated paying for one small prescription can be.
Shopping or doing anything that involves money has become quite a mindgame. Everything is created from an interest of making profit, but without consideration of the bigger picture. Every little detail is squeezed and flipped and turned to see if there's a drop of benefit that someone might have overlooked.
Department stores have their own credit cards only applicable for the particular stores, with promises of big savings. People save discounts coupons as a hobby, obsessed with the possibility of saving a few cents on selected items.
Wherever you shop, they ask for your email so that they can spam you with loads of "great offers" on a regular basis. Sales staff usually have no clue what they're selling, but they've received some training in pushing additional products on you regardless.
In the grocery store, the packers insist on helping you all the way to your car in hope of earning a few dollars of tip. Even though you can bring your cart to your car and you're not even required to bring it back.
In restaurants, table service is rationalized and different people have different responsibilities; one take your order, one bring out the food and a third one, the lowest in the hierarchy, brings the drinks. If you happen to ask the drink server about why your food order is taking so long, you disturb the flow and risk chaos and annoyed managers.
Whatever happened to the service? The service that you are expected to appreciate and reward with the tip? No wonder why the practice of adding tip automatically to your bill is increasingly popular. Whatever happened to customer first? Does anyone in the service business even consider what it feels like to be a customer? Customers are treated like they exist for the purpose of the service provider, not the other way around. If anyone were bold enough to draw the contours of the business model in action they would probably discover a beast!
Shopping or doing anything that involves money has become quite a mindgame. Everything is created from an interest of making profit, but without consideration of the bigger picture. Every little detail is squeezed and flipped and turned to see if there's a drop of benefit that someone might have overlooked.
Department stores have their own credit cards only applicable for the particular stores, with promises of big savings. People save discounts coupons as a hobby, obsessed with the possibility of saving a few cents on selected items.
Wherever you shop, they ask for your email so that they can spam you with loads of "great offers" on a regular basis. Sales staff usually have no clue what they're selling, but they've received some training in pushing additional products on you regardless.
In the grocery store, the packers insist on helping you all the way to your car in hope of earning a few dollars of tip. Even though you can bring your cart to your car and you're not even required to bring it back.
In restaurants, table service is rationalized and different people have different responsibilities; one take your order, one bring out the food and a third one, the lowest in the hierarchy, brings the drinks. If you happen to ask the drink server about why your food order is taking so long, you disturb the flow and risk chaos and annoyed managers.
Whatever happened to the service? The service that you are expected to appreciate and reward with the tip? No wonder why the practice of adding tip automatically to your bill is increasingly popular. Whatever happened to customer first? Does anyone in the service business even consider what it feels like to be a customer? Customers are treated like they exist for the purpose of the service provider, not the other way around. If anyone were bold enough to draw the contours of the business model in action they would probably discover a beast!
I really miss going somewhere where customer experience has a high priority. Where the business idea is based on making people want to return, making people want to recommend this place or product to their friends and give them high scores on social media. I'd love to visit a store where the sales personnel are proud of their skills and their product, where the procedure of capturing customers into complicated discount deals and product locks is banned. Do places like that exist for general people without secret accounts in Switzerland ...?
It's time to refresh what service is all about: making the customer feel important. That's it. Not confused, caught up, stalked, stressed and irritated. Just appreciated, no matter who you are.
If that's too much to ask, then how about just giving me what I came for, and show me the God Damn price.
It's time to refresh what service is all about: making the customer feel important. That's it. Not confused, caught up, stalked, stressed and irritated. Just appreciated, no matter who you are.
If that's too much to ask, then how about just giving me what I came for, and show me the God Damn price.
