The Height Of Insensitivity!! - Page 2

BERNADETTE · 06-07-2008, 00:28

So it is human error???

WillowTheWhisp · 06-07-2008, 00:35

Without actually knowing when the mailshot went out in relation to when the notes were put on it's impossible to say. For instance a mail shot may have been timed to be processed at say 3pm. The person dealing with the deceased account may have been working on it at the same time. At 2:59 they keyed in the fact that the account holder was deceased, and then proceeded to do the next step. Finally adding the 'no mail' flag at 3:01, totally unaware that from another source a mail shot program had already picked out the name and address at 3pm and was sending the letter.

That wouldn't have happened if the mail were being sent out by a human because the human would see the word 'deceased' and know not to send a letter but a computer doesn't have a brain which can recognise things like that.

BERNADETTE · 06-07-2008, 00:40

This letter went out in March and the person died in December, surely in that time the computer should have been programmed correctly!!

blazey · 06-07-2008, 02:04

Computers do the work, you whinge about the lack of personal contact,
Foreigners do the work cheaply for the companies, you whinge about not being able to understan,
Qualified English people do the work, like in law, you complain about how much they get paid.

Bernadette, I am not trying to sound insensitive too, the above was not aimed at anyone, just a general statement, but didn't you have the opposite problem to your friend? She seems to have had it a bit easier, at least the acknowledged his death, didn't the company you were dealing with cause a bit of fuss over doing such a thing for you?

I'd rather deal with a short term insensitivity than stress caused by a long term one. I think (deceased) at the end of his name is quite straight forward compared to what you went through with Orange or whoever it was.

BERNADETTE · 06-07-2008, 02:14

There is no need for any of it, a person has died respect the bereaved!! As I have said it is inevitable that you will get post addressed to the deceased because no matter how organised you think you are you always forget to notify someone. What I do expect and think we all should is that banks or any other companies duly noted of the demise of a customer should ensure that their name is taken off the mail register!! Now the blame switches back to human error!!

blazey · 06-07-2008, 02:18

In my view, companies are in a bit of an awkward position in regards to deceased customers if something hasn't already been arranged before their death. You can't sensitively say to someones next of kin that you have to pay of all their debts, or continue up their payments til the end of the contract or whatever, and the people dealing with it aren't the ones who make the decisions, it's the little man at the bottom who probably struggles to pay his bills too, if not still living with their parents.

Business isn't designed to be compassionate is it, as much as we'd like it to be a bit more caring.

Loz · 06-07-2008, 02:32

I agree completely bernadette.
There is no excuse for an oversight like that,it makes a bad situation worse,it has happened to me and it is not nice at all.

WillowTheWhisp · 06-07-2008, 07:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

This letter went out in March and the person died in December, surely in that time the computer should have been programmed correctly!!

In that case, most definitely agree with you. It looks like human error in failing to put a stop on the account for outgoing mail.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blazey

In my view, companies are in a bit of an awkward position in regards to deceased customers if something hasn't already been arranged before their death. You can't sensitively say to someones next of kin that you have to pay of all their debts, or continue up their payments til the end of the contract or whatever, and the people dealing with it aren't the ones who make the decisions, it's the little man at the bottom who probably struggles to pay his bills too, if not still living with their parents.

Business isn't designed to be compassionate is it, as much as we'd like it to be a bit more caring.

This isn't about those sort of situations. I have been a widow and received mail addressed to me dealing with the affairs of my late husband. That is only to be expected and not at all insensitive. Of course I had to deal with subscriptions which had been taken out in his name, club memberships, insurance policies, his former employer and goodness knows how many other things none of which were at all insensitive or unacceptable. I've even had letters come through addressed to him long after his death from people who were unaware he had died. But a letter address TO him with the word 'deceased' in brackets? Several months after his death? Nope, not had one of those and now that Bernie has explained in more detail I agree that the woman she's referring to shouldn't have had one either.

lancsdave · 06-07-2008, 07:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

So it is human error???

99% likely. There will be a several flags on the account for reasons such as closed account, deceased etc. The operator should have set that flag and looks like they missed it. If they have been told to put deceased in brackets as well then the program that produces the mailshots should also have been set to look at the flag AND for the word deceased in the name field.

Inefficient more than insensitive I'm afraid.

andrewb · 06-07-2008, 07:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

But who has programmed the computer??? Surely there is a no mail option for times like this!!!

So the computer is doing what a human has told it???

You're right. The computer might have 'automated' the printing of the letter, but the content, 'deceased', would have to have been originally put in by a human. It must have been setup to send out a letter to the address, the computer does not just decide to do it out of the blue!

MargaretR · 06-07-2008, 08:21

A little wander-
Hey Andrew - have you not regretted wearing a RED tie in the photo which you use as an avatar?

Neil · 06-07-2008, 08:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by [email protected]

A little wander-
Hey Andrew - have you not regretted wearing a RED tie in the photo which you use as an avatar?

I am sure that could be sorted with a bit of photoshop intervention

derekgas · 06-07-2008, 08:40

We obviously come across this and other changes regularly, people passing, moving house, seperating etc, when we are informed, whoever takes the call will change the details on the service accounts, simply remove the customer name means if mail is sent it is then nameless, remove the Mr or the Mrs from the name bar, etc, it is done at the time of the call or receipt of notification, if it wasnt, it could be missed.