Perhaps it’s because I saw Ralph Nader speak recently at an event, but earlier I was driven to send the following message through the Carefirst/BlueCross/BlueShield member website:

This is some friendly feedback regarding your free health education program that was pitched to me today over the phone.

The only reason I even answered this call today (as I was heading to a meeting) was because it was the same number (443-430-7201) that had called me no less than SIX times in the past two weeks, without ever leaving a message. I had assumed it was just a wrong number before and this time I just HAD to know who this person was that was not deterred by a voicemail greeting from someone they didn’t recognize.

Lo and behold, it was a Carefirst Representative trying to get me to enroll in an education program.

I have absolutely no problem with Carefirst contacting me about new programs and offers that I might be interested in, particularly free ones. I have been a customer of yours for sometime and I am generally happy with my coverage (although there’s something to be said about the overall cost of health insurance in this country, but that’s a discussion for another time).

What annoys me is that your people don’t have the common courtesy to LEAVE A MESSAGE when I don’t answer. I do not make a habit of answering calls on my cell phone from numbers I don’t recognize. In fact, I don’t know any smart person who does that. It’s simply not a good idea. It could be ANYONE on the other end of the line. And if it’s a wrong number, which it usually is, my voicemail is usually sufficient in letting them know they need to check the number. Why would I answer it?

Once I realized who had been calling me without leaving messages, it was very unlikely that I would care much about the program and have the patience to hear the representative out. Which is a shame, because perhaps it’s a worthwhile program.

If you have a service that I might be interested in, then leave me a message explaining with the details and I will return the call if I choose to. Or simply email me.  Please don’t make it a policy to only speak to me personally. That suggests that you’re not interested in letting me make an informed decision. Rather, it suggests that you’re only interested in giving me the hard sell. Which seems ridiculous, considering this service is supposedly free of charge.

Given the level of debate going on in this country regarding health care and the amount of money insurers are making on the backs of hard-working Americans, it would be wise for Carefirst to avoid practices that give the impression you’re no different than any other telemarketer who gets a hold of people’s numbers. I’m just saying…if it were me, I’d be treading real lightly when it comes to practices that could potentially annoy my customers.

I expect this behavior from cold-calling pitchmen…not from an organization that already receives a large chunk of my paycheck every month. Please review your policies. Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Yours,

- the Dude