I work for the XXXX Insurance
Company, who is contracted by AARP to run 2 of it's major call centers.
It's health insurance call center and one of it's membership call
centers - are both outsourced by the AARP to the XXXXX
With the whole country in
turmoil about "Obamacare" and the "endorsement" of the plan by AARP our
call centers have been handling a lot of calls asking questions about
the health care bill, as well as people calling up canceling their
insurance and their membership with AARP. Now, don't get me wrong-
there have been people calling in enrolling in our insurance, but
numbers are far below expectations at this point.
The set up for the call
center, is that there are several teams, usually consisting of 12-15
members, and one manager per team. This manager tracks our call times,
our breaks, how long we pee and the quality of our calls. Really it
could be a worse place to work, and up until the past six months or so,
I have been perfectly content in my job. My boss and I usually get
along.
The teams usually meet up to
three times a week, one 45 minute meeting, one 20 minute meeting and one
15 minute meeting. The following exchange took place during one of our
weekly 45 minute meetings. I can tell you that I am missing some of the
discussion, but it was a perfectly reasonable progression up until I
ticked her off:
-The boss, preparing for the
meeting brings up several things on the computer in the conference room,
this includes: Her work email, pdf forms of the daily/weekly
announcements, and the
www.whitehouse.gov website.
-me- O Boss, we aren't going
to go through that website are we? I have to tell you I am pretty
torqued about this health care reform, and it won't be a good idea.
-boss- O no, we are just
gonna talk a little about the talking points that have been brought for
us to give to our members.
-me- ok...
*Meeting Starts*
-boss- Ok, so I know we have
been getting hammered on the health care reform calls. I want you to
know you all have been doing a great job handling the calls. Just
remember to keep referring the members to the membership office. O and
by the way, if you want to learn what's what about the health care bill,
you can go to this website *brings up white house website on the screen*
-me- I am sorry boss, but you
are wrong, that website has nothing but wrong information and political
propaganda.
-team member #1- how do you
know it's wrong?
-me- I read the bill.
-team member #2- you read all
1200 pages?
-me- yes.
- team member #2- you have a
lot of time on your hands... me I am not concerned, as this isn't going
to affect me much...
-me- really? you just
dropped your company insurance didn't you team member #2?
-TM#2- yea....
-me- you're gonna be taxed
2.5% of your earnings because you CHOOSE not to have health insurance...
-TM#2- I will get a HIP
plan... (side note- a HIP plan is a small indemnity plan that pays you
for days in the hospital)
-me- O no you won't cuz
that's not considered "creditable coverage" by the administration, you
will be put on the government plan or face fines. There's some really
scary stuff in this bill. You all should be very afraid if this bill
passes. If you ask me, AARP sold out it's members.
-boss- That's your opinion
-me- Yea, they are gonna cut
medicare benefits, and have mandatory end of life counseling. AARP did a
great job deciding this one..
-boss- You know what, *my
name*, I just wanted to show the team that this website was out here for
them to learn off of... (boss's voice is loud, almost yelling)
-me- Boss, please don't yell
at me.....
-boss- (continues) I didn't
want to get into a whole political discussion.... I will learn/read
about the bill on my own,
-me- great, that's what I
want you to do. become educated!
-boss- (continues- like I
never said anything, still yelling) I am not gonna follow you, not gonna
follow the newcasters, I am gonna make up my own mind! I don't need you
comin in here like some crazy person! Now, If we can please get back to
my DAMN meeting, that would be great.
*meeting continues on
different subjects*
Now, my opinion is that if
she didn't want to have a political discussion, she should not have
brought up a political website. She could have just brought up an AARP
website (which would have been related to work) and been done with it.
I am still contemplating on bringing this to her boss... I haven't done
anything just yet.
