Call Centre Monkeys # 1

I don't like call centres, but I doubt I'm alone there. The operators who live, work, breed and probably die in call centres have already abdicated any kind of independent thought and instead act like drones taking their every instruction from computers that they assume (and are probably correct in that assumption) are more intelligent than them. The bloke who had the idea for the film the Matrix where humans are reduced to the role of mere batteries, would have spent some time in a call centre.

Yesterday, we got a letter from our car insurance company nicely informing us that our car insurance was going to be cancelled seven days from the date of the letter, a mere three days after receipt. A quick call to clear up the confusion and the insurance is good to continue.

And then the hard bit ....

All I need is confirmation that the insurance won't indeed be cancelled, written assurance that I can use the car this weekend.

Nope. Can't do that.

Obviously, the call centre monkey can't write a simple note saying that policy number xyz123 won't be cancelled, can't put said note in an envelope and can't put said envelope into a post box / tray. He gave me his name, told me his operator id (so ?) and then told me the time (thanks !), which may have been different in Cardiff in his mind. Should I get into an accident over the weekend, I can quote his name, operator ID and time of call to confirm our confirmation.

Not being a sceptical type (yeah, right!), I don't trust insurance companies as far as I can, well, nothing. I don't trust them full stop.

If I go into Ladbrokes of a weekend, I know that if my horse comes up, they'll pay out.

If I buy an idiot tax ticket and three numbers come up, I know I'll get a tenner back.

If I pay for insurance and the event I've insured against happens, I know that any insurance company will lie, cheat, procrastinate, lie some more, bargain, be deliberately useless (by using call centres, obviously), lie again and try any means possible to avoid paying out.

They don't exist for the benefit of their paying customers, they exist purely for the benefit of their share-holders. While the same holds true for ALL listed companies, at least most will have the intelligence that offering some kind of customer service will increase the payouts to the investors.

Unfortunately, insurance companies don't fall into this category.

Stop bookmakers advertising on football shirts. No. Stop insurance companies ? Every time.