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Original Feedback for ERS Medical East:

1

Spoke to someone who was just awful

This happened on 20th June 2023. I'm going to put my hands up and say that I ended up being very rude to the person I spoke to. I ended the call by telling her that she was a horrible person and I've never spoken to anyone in that way in my life before. To be fair, she may not be a horrible person at all but the way she spoke to me and over me in, what was an extremely stressful situation, was completely unacceptable. Her output was that of someone who was entirely lacking in empathy and kindness. My mum had left for a simple annual diabetic eye test that was scheduled for 1340. She is 85,disabled (completely wheelchair bound) and almost blind. When she wasn't back at 5pm, I called ERS for an update and was told that they had attempted to collect her as planned but she wasn't ready and the transport had been rebooked for 6pm. I called the hospital and a security guard told me that the clinic where mum was, was closed and empty. I called ERS again and asked what to do. After telling me in no uncertain terms that this wasn't ERS's responsibility, she did advise me to call the N&N again and ask for a manager. At no point did she acknowledge my distress or show any concern for my poor mum who was alone and probably didn't have any idea what was going on. Even if she had said she was sorry to hear what was happening to mum, just a basic human kindness, things wouldn't have deteriorated. Anyway, the N&N thankfully located my mum. I then called back at 1820 because we needed to know if mum had been picked up and we were told that she hadn't and was next to be picked up. We have to get two qualified carers here to put mum to bed. I needed a rough ETA so I could let her care team know what was happening but all she could do, yet again was tell me what she couldn't do, rather than try and suggest ways to help. There are no niceties, there is no warmth and there is no kindness. When I started to get distressed and tell her that she really hadn't been helpful, she actually moaned to me that she had been taking calls about my mum all day. I was in disbelief, but she repeated this with the kind of attitude that said she was fed up with us all (it is worth noting that I made my first call at 5pm. It was now 1820 so hardly all day) At this point I was angry and when I told her that she was quite obstructive and was being really rude, she told me that I was abusing her. What? and that she was talking to me like I was talking to her. I told her that even if that were the case (it wasn't) she was actually at work, whereas I was the customer and was under a great deal of stress. She just got more obstinate and more angry, talked over me and wouldn't let me speak even when I tried to diffuse the situation. I'll be honest, I was in a state of shock but also utter disbelief. That's when I told her she was a horrible person. I shouldn't have done that. No-one deserves that at work, or anywhere else to be fair. I was however at the end of it and still didn't know what to do about mum and her care needs. Even if she couldn't help, there are ways to empathise and present that information that leaves the person you are speaking to in certainty that if you could help, you would. She was just on the defensive and then the attack, the whole time. It was so combative. I asked for a manager but apparently there wasn't one available and I did actually suggest that no wonder she was so comfortable being so rude. I would be prepared to bet that she thinks she gets all the awful and awkward customers because she does not have the skill set needed to deal with customers, particularly those in crisis so that things don't escalate. Instead of being kind, courteous and trying to help, she just gets more and more rude . Literally everything is too much trouble for her, who has no skills in diffusing difficult situations at all. I genuinely feel she needs extensive support and lots of re-training. It can't be nice provoking situations like these every day at work and suffering the fallout. If she is unwilling or unable to change her attitude and approach then sadly, she really is in the wrong job. My mum is extremely vulnerable and she really couldn't care less, choosing instead to complain that she had been taking calls about her "all day." Confusing really as I honestly thought that was her job. Anyway, I am going to go and lie in a dark room to recover from the fact that I ended my call with her so meanly. I really wish I hadn't. I am honestly not like her and shouldn't have gone there. It was petty and yep, mean. I was just so very stressed out and upset. No excuse though. Not proud of that but very sure I would never speak to someone the way she spoke to me while at work. And I hope to never speak to someone like that again ever, whatever the circumstances. I hope someone who can help and support her reads this. And I hope they listen to the call back too. Apologies on my part when they do. It was a very sorry state of affairs all round really.