53-year-old Virginia woman Angela Hawkins has filed suit against Verizon, claiming the company's awful customer service contributed to her heart attack. According to the Virginian Pilot, the woman called Verizon to complain about a $60 credit she didn't receive. Instead of helping her with her problem, the lawsuit claims, Verizon support reps threatened to arrest the woman, claiming she'd threatened to kill everyone in the support center:
quote:Instead, according to a lawsuit, the rep and her supervisor treated Hawkins rudely and threatened to have her arrested. She claims the supervisor wrongly accused her of threatening to kill everyone in the call center and caused her to have a heart attack. "I was just blindsided," Hawkins said. "What a horrible thing to accuse someone of."
The woman is seeking $2.35 million for "negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress." Since many support calls are recorded, this could prove to be a very short legal exercise.
People who call support lines say all sorts of nasty evil shit and then get offended the second someone isn't sweet as pie in return. People treat them like shit because they aren't supposed to say anything back so they can take their other frustrations from their sad lives on people who can't fight back.
If the tape shows she threatened them, which I'd bet money on, I hope they sue her for attorney's fee's
Re: If tape shows she threatened death, too bad for her
My former neighbor in Iowa was a telemarketer, I'll tell you HIGH STRESS JOB from the stories he's told me.
They hear everything from why are you calling me to people slamming the phone against the wall which makes a painful clunk in their headsets. He said he hated getting people on cell phones because they'd fade in and out and get static. He said the only worse job in the call center profession is debt collector. They take the worst of the worst of abuse from the people on the other end.
My former neighbor in Iowa was a telemarketer, I'll tell you HIGH STRESS JOB from the stories he's told me.
They hear everything from why are you calling me to people slamming the phone against the wall which makes a painful clunk in their headsets. He said he hated getting people on cell phones because they'd fade in and out and get static. He said the only worse job in the call center profession is debt collector. They take the worst of the worst of abuse from the people on the other end.
Sorry for going off-topic, but the only telemarketers I actually feel sorry for are the ones who play by the rules. Given that I am on National DNC registry, those who still call me will get some nasty and/or obnoxious surprises. Don't even get me started on the ones who claim to be from IRS, Microsoft Tech Support, etc.
Re: If tape shows she threatened death, too bad for her
I got a robocall yesterday when I was at a mental health appointment saying I won a trip to the Bahamas and the caller ID said Wireless Caller Boston MA (Caller ID spoofing), I was pissed as hell. I'm sure the therapist wasn't too happy either although he doesn't mind if I take calls during sessions but you only get 50 minutes for sessions and I'd like to make the most of them.
Given my prior history of hospitalization and residential treatment I want the most benefit from mental health treatment so don't interrupt my treatment with your damn robocalls, but I still need the ability to take calls (such as dealing with grandma or such).
Maybe the woman in the story was mentally ill. I hope Verizon subpoenas her mental health records. If mental illness is properly treated they are more rational like suing for the $60 credit in small claims court instead of threatening their employees. When I was not properly treated for autism, I did not have self control and was hostile and aggressive. With treatment I am rational and function at near normal capacity with self control.
Re: If tape shows she threatened death, too bad for her
There is an extreme amount of stigma for anyone suffering from a mental illness. Verizon should NOT be granted any subpoenas and I'm disgusted you think thats a rational thing for them to do.
I'm dealing with many mental health issues and it would not end well if anyone released my records.
Why do you even think they need the records? All calls are recorded, so if shes lying, theres proof. If they really did this, then most likely it will be a fight to get that recording if it wasn't already deleted.
Re: If tape shows she threatened death, too bad for her
I go to mental health treatment myself but I think if she wants money then whoever controls the checkbook should be able to scrutinize everything including medical/mental health records to validate the claim. It's done everyday by insurance companies and government agencies. I myself get money for autism and Social Security needed access to my medical records to validate the claim. Many people are denied. Then there are those who game the system like those who claim inoperable back injuries/pain, park in the handicapped at Home Depot, and load that water heater while working under the table in construction.
I am working with vocational rehabilitation to try to go back to work, those wheels turn very slowly. I would like to work, but if the job doesn't carry decent health insurance, then I lose my mental health treatment and that $1,500 a month antipsychotic. People with disabilities/mental illness would love to work, they just need the level of coverage through Medicaid programs that they'll lose with wages.
Re: If tape shows she threatened death, too bad for her
I'm on disability and I'm allowed to work, if I were able to. I'm not sure if you're on something different, as I get medicare instead of medicaid, but I'm allowed to work if I make it to a point where I can, up to a certain amount of income per month. If I make over the limit for a certain amount of time, then I would lose benefits but could possibly keep the medicare, and have the right to go back on disability if I can't continue working without having to go through the whole process again.
You don't seem to get my point though. When you go on the government services, use insurance, etc, you have an agreement with them and understand they will get that information.
Verizon, however, is a private company. This isn't deciding if you're disabled etc, this is a civil lawsuit. A mental condition isn't even mentioned, just "negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.", which doesn't mean she has seen a psych about it, but rather that it caused her excess stress, etc. You don't need a mental condition to try and get a payday.
Just because someone files a frivolous lawsuit against you doesn't suddenly give you any right to their medical records. I doubt verizon's lawyers would even need them, they have the recording.
Re: If tape shows she threatened death, too bad for her
I actually get Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) and I'm allowed to work but if my income goes any higher than I lose Medicaid coverage and then I get stuck with the Medicare coinsurance and the doughnut hole on prescription drugs.
What I'm saying though on accessing her mental health records is its called discovery which is part of the litigation process. Discovery is where the court orders each side to turn each other's facts to each other's attorneys so they can validate their claims.
Going to court is not a pretty sight. I've been through it myself. Especially when you're 14 years old and committed to residential treatment and get a judge that already has her mind made up before hearing the facts. And you have a useless court appointed attorney.
What I'm saying though on accessing her mental health records is its called discovery which is part of the litigation process. Discovery is where the court orders each side to turn each other's facts to each other's attorneys so they can validate their claims.
This. If you sue someone claiming they injured your back, the defense is entitled to your medical records to verify the injury even exists. In this case she is claiming they caused emotional distress, which triggered a heart attack, for which the company wants to see the medical record of a diagnosis.
Re: If tape shows she threatened death, too bad for her
Shes claiming she injured her heart, so that would mean she needs records for her physical health. You don't need to see a shrink to be or claim stress.
On a side note, what could even be in any of her medical records to prove what caused it? I can't see a doctor putting that in her chart, just 'stress'. Does she even have a chance without a recording?
completely disagree, mental health history should NOT be considered. They have the recorded call, that's all that's needed. We don't need to know anything other than what's said on the call. It's the behavior of the two people on the phone that's in question nothing more.
Pulling in mental health history only serves to discredit people due to stigma. I'm very suprpized that anyone who has a mental illness would think mental health records are fair game.
I understand what it's like being on call. I accept it as part of my job. But even then, I screen calls by number. If they aren't in my contact list, they go to voicemail. I'll deal with it after important meeting, etc.
What in the world did we do to get so ruled by our technology?
Re: If tape shows she threatened death, too bad for her
Exactly, Nobody is going to die if you miss a call from an unknown number. If something happened and you're getting a call then 1) someone obviously is already handling it and can wait an hour and 2) if it was a true emergency they would most likely call repeatedly.
People who call support lines say all sorts of nasty evil shit and then get offended the second someone isn't sweet as pie in return. People treat them like shit because they aren't supposed to say anything back so they can take their other frustrations from their sad lives on people who can't fight back.
If the tape shows she threatened them, which I'd bet money on, I hope they sue her for attorney's fee's.
I think this day and age anyone working in a call center environment has to be prepared to be verbally abused over the phone or find a job doing something else if they are not up to the task. However, customer has no right to threaten the rep on the other end with death or bodily harm. If she did in fact threaten to kill someone, Verizon employees should not have even threatened to arrest her, they should have called the cops and let them deal with her. One of my friends works for a call center for a cable company and they record all the calls. One customer who made death threats against them did get a visit from their local cops.
Of course, phone recording laws vary state by state, but if it is legal in that state to record the calls, Verizon should have.
Of course, phone recording laws vary state by state, but if it is legal in that state to record the calls, Verizon should have.
As long as they play the "This call may be recorded for quality assurance purposed" message, that counts as notifying you, if you're in a two party state.
...and your little dog too! As much as people like to strike back against rudeness and incompetence this probably won't work. Proof will be hard to come by to support her claim.
They still refuse to credit my account for the iPhone I DID return although it was a warranty replacement and there is no mention in the EDGE contract that prohibits the return of warranty replacements obtained from the device manufacturer in lieu of the original device. So instead of suing them for emotional distress and claiming all this frivolous crap looking for a payday, I'd just sue them for a refund of the credit that is rightfully mine in small claims court.
This is obviously someone looking for a payday. I personally support tort reform.
When I was Telecommunications Manager for an ISP we had situations like the above. Particularly when an incompetent CSR gave a customer incorrect instructions which rendered their computer inoperative. Some customers stopped by the call center to kill the CSR.
I used to work the fios/dsl/pots ,almost every other call from a legacy customer had to do with 411 calls being placed by mistake and service issues,that's why verizon was trying to switch them all over to fios if for the phone if nothing else,no wonder verizon is getting out of it,all senior citizens who have no interest in TV or int
Ok no healthy person just has a heart attack because of an argument. She had to already have had a mitigating health situation. That reduces the liability of Verizon a great deal.