I'd like to introduce you to a hero-Elizabeth Acevedo. Elizabeth didn't pull anyone from a burning building or develop a vaccine for a serious disease. Elizabeth simply made a difference in the life of one person as she went about her daily duties as a customer service representative for Blue Cross DentalNet.
I've often written that business is simply one person interacting with another person-that complaints are opportunities for business either to shine or to fall apart. The ones that shine when such an opportunity arises usually solidify their client relationship. Those that don't usually lose the client.
I met Elizabeth on a day when I needed to have a crown recemented. A routine dental visit went downhill when I learned that my dentist had left without notifying me. The office couldn't find my five years of treatment records, so I had to fill out new forms. Finally another dentist saw me. He wanted me to make an appointment for a new patient workup and x-rays before he'd discuss my problem tooth. He wouldn't recement the crown and criticized the original work.
I called DentalNet to get another dentist-but he hesitated to see me because he thought I wanted a new crown, which wouldn't be covered because the original crown was less than five years old. After I called DentalNet again, he agreed to see me and recemented the crown. He was so attentive that I thought I'd found the right dentist and wrote to compliment him. Boy, was I wrong!
About 10 days later, the crown came off again, so I stopped by the dental office to make an appointment. I was already scheduled for full x-rays and evaluation as a new patient, but the crown was on a front tooth so I wanted to get it handled quickly. This time the receptionist gave me little attention, forcing me to repeat my name and problem several times. She asked another woman to work up a treatment plan so she could set an appointment. 'No,' was the reply, 'I'll do it later and call him back.' I felt slightly irritated-then the woman glanced at my file and said, 'This is that crown that isn't five years old. We don't want to get involved. Tell him to call DentalNet.'
They were already involved because they'd worked on the tooth, so I asked to see the dentist. That wasn't possible. I asked them to have the dentist call me. 'The doctor will not call you.' Enraged, I left and called DentalNet-and was disconnected while talking to a service rep. I called back and explained my problem to another service rep, who put me on hold for 15 minutes while she called the dentist's office. Finally she recommended that I find choose another provider in my area from a list that would be faxed to me. I asked for the claims service supervisor's name-she said she couldn't give it to me. When I asked who could, she said her supervisor could, but she wasn't there. The service rep transferred me to the supervisor's voice mail, and I asked the supervisor to call me the next morning.
Two days passed with no word from DentalNet. Spurred by facial pain, I wrote letters to DentalNet and the appropriate dental regulatory agencies. I also broadcast-faxed a request for a dentist to every provider in my area. No reply from them, either. I was angry, frustrated, and becoming very concerned as to how I was going to get this tooth fixed.
Enter Elizabeth Acevedo on her white horse. One of the dentists had called her and asked about my records. When she pulled up my computer file, she saw my last complaint and that I'd been faxed a provider list-but no resolution. She wondered whether one of their insureds was out there with a missing tooth and possible pain. She said it wasn't her case and asked what had happened.
She was appalled at my story. Although it was late afternoon, she wanted to pursue the matter with their dental review board and perhaps with the dentists involved. She asked if she could call me back in an hour, and sure enough she did. She didn't have a resolution yet-the dentists wouldn't work with her and she needed more time with the dental review board. She asked me to give her until morning. I was so elated to have a champion I told her that I was leaving everything in her more-than-capable hands.
The next morning Elizabeth called. She'd gotten me a direct referral to an endodontist, scheduled my appointment, and gotten a prescription for antibiotics in case my tooth was infected. When I called to thank her personally, she assured me that she'd call the day after my appointment to make sure everything went well and that she'd find me a new dentist. Elizabeth is my hero, and because of her efforts I'll stay with Blue Cross.
Why is Elizabeth a hero? It's simple but rare-her competence is amplified by her caring attitude toward people. If necessary, she ventures beyond the limits of her job and the rule book to protect her company's reputation and resolve problems. She never says she can't do something, she always says she'll try. She tells the client what she's doing to help and keeps her word to follow up.
Elizabeth could be the model for the perfect customer service representative for any business. I hope Blue Cross appreciates this unique employee, because she can climb a career ladder to whatever level she chooses. Elizabeth is that rare thing-a hero.
Are you developing and empowering heroes among your staff?