Hi everyone. Here is the latest edition of “Cat Tales.” What a week it’s been for my mom. She says she feels like she is on a roller coaster. She got some good health news, but then a few days later she got bad news. It’s very stressful getting old for both of us so she let it out the other day by yelling at Ivan. Ivan isn’t real, but he thinks he is.
Ivan is the guy at her health insurance company that answers the phone. She has dealt with him in the past, and she doesn’t like him. He’s a robot thing and now according to my mom, Ivan has developed an attitude. She didn’t know he had a name until the other day. She kept calling him “the robot thing,” later the customer service agent set her straight. Her medical insurance is the one that has the backing of AARP so you would think that the insurance company would know better than to have a robot thing help old people. They do now.
It all started when she had to contact the company, and Ivan answered. Oh boy. That’s when I decided to hide but stayed close. I wanted to listen to her end of the conversation. I heard yelling and thought this ought to be good. Way to go Mom. It takes a lot for my mom to yell, but when she doesn’t feel well and can’t get a human to talk to, it’s stressful and can raise her blood pressure. I know this because I heard her tell the customer rep when she finally got a human on the phone. Plus, when she came out of her office later her face was bright red, and I may have seen steam coming out of her ears.
When my mom called the company, the robot thing asked how he could help her. She told him that she wanted to talk to a customer service person. He told her okay, but first, he needed some information from her. She gave him what he wanted. Then he told her that he had the same information a customer representative had, that he could understand complete sentences and give her any information she needed. I have the cat giggles right now remembering what my mom told him. “Okay, if you understand complete sentences “get me a customer service representative now!” My mom will only take so much foolishness when she doesn’t feel well.
The tone of his voice changed as he kept repeating that he could understand complete sentences. He was getting exasperated while my mom was getting louder telling him to get her a representative. She also told him she didn’t like him, just in case he really did understand complete sentences. Somewhere in all of that, he put her through to someone. I’m sure my mom was grinding her teeth, that’s what she does when upset. The representative answered and said something to my mom, but my mom couldn’t understand her. My mom asked her to repeat what she said. The woman repeated it and my mom still couldn’t understand what she was saying. My mom told her she wanted to talk to a supervisor, someone she could understand. She did get to speak to someone else, and my mom let loose. My mom was nice, but she wanted to ensure that the person on the other end was taking notes about how frustrating the experience was. This customer rep was extremely nice and polite. She was an older person, and she heard what my mom was telling her. She said she was the same way, and by the way, she said, the robot thing is named “Ivan.” “He has a name” my mom repeated. That’s correct, said the woman. She told my mom that there have been plenty of meetings about “Ivan” and foreign customer service reps that nobody can understand. She said the best thing a person can do is take the survey at the end of each call and let the company know our thoughts. My mom told her that she does stay on the phone waiting for the survey, but sometimes those surveys aren’t there. One time she didn’t hang up, you’re supposed to stay on the line, and the customer service rep came on and told her to hang up. She told him she was told to stay on the line and take a survey, and he said there was no survey and to hang up, not a good thing to say to my mom. Anyway, she told of that experience to the nice customer rep she was talking to, and the rep said she didn’t know what happened that time, but to never hang up at the end of the call because the surveys are supposed to be there. She was also told in the future to keep pushing “0” on the keypad to get a human. Mom told her she also does that, but Ivan insists on helping her. The last thing the customer rep told her is, that anytime she gets a foreign operator she can’t understand, to ask for an onshore operator. Good advice.
She did take the survey, she had a whole lot to say. So much in fact, that the time ran out and the voice came on thanking her for taking it. I’m really giggling now. My mom is Scottish and Irish and it’s times like these that her temper comes out and her freckles get redder. She didn’t get to say all she wanted to, but somehow I think they got the gist of it.
It’s been a few days now, and she hasn’t had to call Ivan again, and that’s a good thing. I feel sorry for anyone who has to deal with companies like that. It isn’t right. People need to fight back and make their voices heard. Like that nice customer service rep told my mom, the best way to do that is to take the surveys companies offer you. Our comments are listened to and if enough people complain and fight back, hopefully Ivan and others like him will be out of a job.
In other news, Spaghetti Betty has been busy sightseeing with her parents. She’s my new friend. If you read my last column, you’ll remember that she and her parents recently moved here from California. She told me that people have been asking If she has tried Clyde’s or West Pier Drive-In yet, and which one she prefers. She laughingly reminds them she’s a cat and only eats cat food, but diplomatically she answers that her dad loves West Pier Drive-In and her mom loves Clyde’s best. They take their food and go to Rotary Island Park where they can watch the boats and all the other exciting stuff that happens there.
She says she likes living here. She loves the water, trees, and nature. She thinks everyone is nice and friendly, and looks forward to sightseeing on the weekends with her parents. They have been to the Soo Locks Park, watched the boats a few times, and checked out the tourist shops on Portage Avenue. She can’t believe how pretty the water is and how big the lakes are. She said it reminds her of the ocean.
Spaghetti Betty is one of a kind. She always has a pawsitive cattitude and a smile on her face. She says “no silly” a lot when answering questions. She and her family are settling into our community. I’m hoping by the time winter comes, she’ll have time to hang out with me. There is nothing like having a friend to talk to and have fun with.
One last note. Remember that cats and dogs hate loud noises. Noise such as fireworks, loud music, and arguments can cause behavioral and health issues such as depression, loss of appetite, hair loss, and skittishness. Please limit your pet’s exposure to loud noises.
That’s all I have for this edition of “Cat Tales.” I hope you have enjoyed it. Don’t forget to like me on Facebook. You can also leave comments at the bottom of this article.
Until next time, Love Maverick
Today’s Quote: “Way down deep, we’re all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them.” – Jim Davis
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Maverick
My name is Maverick, and I am 11 years old, and this is my first column. My mom adopted me when she found me outside her home, underneath her car. Someone had shot me. When the doctor wanted to end my life, she told him if there was a chance that I would make it, then do everything possible for me. She wanted me to know there were good people in this world and know that I am loved. It took five months to nurse me back to health. I had congestive heart failure, too. At the end of the five months, I finally met my two brothers for the first time. Boy, did I love them and my new home. I am so glad my mom didn’t listen to that doctor. If you have any questions or want to comment, you can reach me at maverick@eupnews.com. I would love to hear from all furry and non-furry pets and their moms and dads.
I enjoyed this story very much, and look forward to many more!
Thank you, Micky, for commenting. It means a lot to me when someone says they like “Cat Tales.” I hope you keep reading.
Love Maverick