What Happened to Customer Focus?

I have been trying to get my daughter back on my group health insurance plan. I have been dealing with problems related to her insurance for well over a month. I have dealt with her former employer and multiple insurance organizations and it has taken hours and hours of my time--on the phone listening to really bad music and talking to people who cannot make decisions.

This morning I was told by a person at my insurance company that they received my latest fax, notice I said "fax", on Wednesday, it was logged on Thursday, and that it would take 5 to 7 days to process and they would send me a letter, notice I said "letter", once they review it and make a decision. I asked if there was any way to find out if everything was in order and I was told that they have to work their work flow!

Amazingly I stayed calm this time. What a lesson in basic management. Besides being on the cutting edge of the 19th century, they have a total inward focus. You would think that they would be a little more concerned about satisfying customer needs--I have a daughter whom I am not sure is insured and that concerns me a great deal.

I have been talking to this company for some time, have had numerous conversations, and they previously told me that everything was in order. When I found out that everything was not OK, I was told that it was another department that said that--now I am getting upset just typing this post!

A company that has an internal focus and does not focus on customer needs will ultimately fail. Over time we find ways to meet our needs without having to deal with these companies.

We are drawn to those who are committed to serving and solving our problems. There is a person at another insurance organization that I also have been dealing with who has gone out of her way to assist me. Imagine how I feel about her compared with the person and company I dealt with this morning.

Customer focus and meeting customer needs is at the core of every successful organization.