Christmas Eve Call............

[FinanceDude]

How about this for tasteless?

So, the phone rings on X-mas Eve at 1:30 in the afternoon. Here's the diatribe:

Me: Hello
Unknown woman: Is Susan there?
Me: Excuse me?
Unknown woman: Is Susan there?
Me: I'm her brother. What is this about, and WHY are you calling me on X-mas Eve?
Woman: This is Chase Bank calling. We received word that she passed away..........
Me: So, WHY did you ask for her?
Woman: When did she pass away?
Me: I don't have to answer that. You already know she's deceased, yet you call me on X-mas Eve, and ASK FOR HER?
Woman: It's X-mas Eve FOR ME TOO................
Me: Well, looks like you made a bad choice of employment, that's not my problem.......
Woman: Are you in charge of her affairs? Because we need to talk about her outstanding bill with Chase.
Me: Your estate area was notifed 3 months ago. Call my attorney if you have any questions.
Woman: I need to know when this bill is going to be settled.
Me: So Chase feels that calling and asking surviving family members about estate affairs is acceptable on X-mas Eve
Woman: We couldn't get ahold of you during the week..........now about her bill............
Me: This conversation is ending..........I hope it's being recorded so when I lodge my formal complaint with Chase about undue harrassment, that there's a record of what we talked about. Goodbye................

WOW..................

 

[brewer12345]

I'd lodge a complaint with your state's attorney general as well.

 

[savedapile]

apalling. You were more composed and kind than I would have been.

 

[Dawg52]

apalling. You were more composed and kind than I would have been.

Ditto. That really sucks. Good luck with your complaints!

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

That is pretty foul, FinanceDude.

Must be a great job that woman has at Chase. A real "feel good" position :.

 

[Donzo]

Truly sad - it's bad enough to lose a loved one - let alone being called in such an unexceptable way on a FAMILY holiday.
This is a great example of how "trickle" down management can damage a companies image. I can't imagine that the pres/CFO of a bank would condone such behavior?!
The first place that I would complain is to the bank brass.
Sorry for your loss FD.

 

[Meadbh]

FD, I'm sorry you were harassed.

I had to call a family on Christmas Day to tell them their loved one had died. They assumed I was a crank caller, hung up on me, and wouldn't return calls. I had to send the police to the home to deliver the bad news.

Meadbh, MD

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

A reverse (to Meadbh's story) and also sad tale: I had a patient who was expected to die imminently. The family went home for some well-deserved rest and over the course of the day the patient improved markedly and unexplainably.

I called to share the hopeful progress with his wife but as soon as she heard that I was the one calling she became hysterical and we could not communicate. I called back a few minutes later and the phone was answered by a visiting son. He immediately started to chastise me for being so "insensitive" in the way I "broke the news" to his mother. It took another 5 minutes for them to realize why I was actually calling.

<sigh>

 

[FinanceDude]

A reverse (to Meadbh's story) and also sad tale: I had a patient who was expected to die imminently. The family went home for some well-deserved rest and over the course of the day the patient improved markedly and unexplainably.

I called to share the hopeful progress with his wife but as soon as she heard that I was the one calling she became hysterical and we could not communicate. I called back a few minutes later and the phone was answered by a visiting son. He immediately started to chastise me for being so "insensitive" in the way I "broke the news" to his mother. It took another 5 minutes for them to realize why I was actually calling.
<sigh>

Yeah, you doctors have it rough.............

People do NOT deal well with death at all. My sister's oncologist was stunned at the calmness with which I took the news. He obviously was fond of her, and sad that he lost a patient and a friend. I shook his hand, and thanked him for finding a way to give Sue more time for her, and more time for us, her family. I thought he was going to cry. I don't think he gets much compassion normally, but what I said was heartfelt.........