The Lesser of Two Evils?

Out of all the things I learned this summer working as a receptionist, this lesson was the most important; there is no such thing as a good insurance company.

No matter how you look at it, insurance companies all have the same credo; delay giving people money as long as possible.

An example of this is in my car, as you may know, I got in yet another car accident while driving home from Summerland in August. My sister, nephews and I were hit by some idiot running a red. Now the police report clearly says that the accident was 100% the other guys fault, there is no way my insurance could not pay me unless they're suggesting I don't go when the light turns green, and yet, they're delaying as long as possible.

For the past two months, my car has been held by the insurance while they "evaluate whether it's salvageable or not." Come on, two months for a mechanic to look at it? Mine can do that in a day.

And of course they'll pay for a rental car while they hold ours, but of course they don't cover the insurance on the rental, so we wind up paying anyway. Don't you just love insurance? Doesn't it make you feel so secure?

I thought the evil was only part of the insurance industry, but sadly, it's everywhere in the big business world. About the same time of the accident, I lost my cell phone. Now my phone was inherited from my sister, and still under her name, so in order to replace it, I need to be the rightful owner.

First Bell told me they wouldn't even talk to me until I had a credit card. I have many frustrating adventures with my bank, finally get one, and go back to Bell. Not even mentioning the credit card, they say they need Janine's approval, so they tell me to have her call, she lives in Finland, so they say a fax will be fine. The fax will take 24 hours to process.

The day after she's faxed it in, I call Bell, and this person tells me it will take 4-5 days. I'm annoyed, but wait the 5 days.

I call that day, and what's their story this time? We don't have the fax, your sister has to call us.

By this point, I'm really mad, I've never been a cranky customer before, but I was pissed. I get transferred to a supervisor, and he tries a new story; " Give it till Wednesday, it may not have been processed yet."

Eventually, I cheat. I pretend to be Janine, change my account, hand the phone to myself and get around their whole system in 20 minutes. Isn't the business world fun?