What happened to customer service?

Once upon a time, when you had a problem or a question you could call and talk to a person and get your question answered. It's true! It really did happen!

Now you have to call at least 2 different companies 2 or 3 different times.

Our medical insurance is one of those with a checking account (CDHCP not Flex which means what we don't spend, we get to keep in the account.) I went to go fill 2 prescriptions on the 30th because this year we actually met our deductible and so wanted to get all the refills we could before we went back to paying full price.

Not a big deal, right?

Well, the only problem is that Hubby's employer decided to switch which bank the account was with.

Again, not a big deal.

Except, it occured to me the check I wrote on the 30th couldn't possibly go through before the 31st when the account closed. And when a check goes through and the account has been closed, it gets returned. And then people start getting cranky and charging fees etc.

So I called human resources at Hub's employer, the first person I talked to said she didn't know but surely there was something in place but I needed to call this number.

Called that number (we'll call it #2) and talked to a guy couldn't answer the question. He kept saying I need to call the bank but as long as it went through before April, insurance would cover it (that's not my question).

Called the chain pharmacy because that was something else person #1 recommended. They had no record of a bounced check, but I could wait 2 weeks and find out for sure.

Called the new bank, they said they had no record of this transaction so they had no ideas.

Called the old bank, knowing they wouldn't really speak to me because . . . it's pre-tax money and I am not allowed to talk to the bank about his pretax money -- some federal law thing. (I am also not supposed to write a check but we felt more comfortable with me signing his name to the check than me carrying around a signed check.)

So the old bank tells me, they can't speak of specifics but if there is a check out when the account is closed it goes back to the person who deposited the check marked as "returned- account closed."

So called the pharmacy again and they can't do anything until the check is returned to them. Once it is deposited, it's out of their hands.

Called #2 again and this one sounded kind of puzzled, like she hadn't thought of that. But told me the only people who could answer my question would be the people at the old bank who won't talk to me.

This is when Hubby walked in, saw me crying -- over an hour on the phone, no answers, and a bit of hormones -- and called old bank.

The person he spoke to, listened to what type of account it was/is and told him that the check would be automatically forwarded to the new bank.

No problem.

Why couldn't one of the 8 people I talked to have told me that?

I'm telling you, customer service has gone in the toilet.

Don't even get me started on cell phones.

12 more days that I have to carry a motorola piece of . . . junk.