January 16, 2012 (Monday)
I went home directly after my dayshift because I was a little under the weather. I have been coughing and sneezing the whole day and I felt pretty tired.
And so I prepared my dinner. I took off my shirt, heat the pan and cooking oil and fried the ‘embutido’ which my mom bought for me in Manila before I went back to KL.
Maybe I was really tired. Maybe I was in a hurry. Maybe I was freaking hungry. Or maybe just plain stupidity. Since the ‘embutido’ was frozen and I was lazy to get a knife and cut it, I used the ladle and tried to cut the ‘embutido’ in half. The rest was history. I just realized that the cooking oil splashed on my body and burned around 1/8 of it.
I posted this on Facebook and was overwhelmed with the number of responses and advise that I received from my fans, err, friends.
Thank you to my mommy, Sharits, Fei Wong, Rick Simon, Geri, Kuya Ely, Mami Kengkay, KH Yong, Eden, Tito Felix, Sid and Sir Beda who called me all the way from Manila to give me advice.
Since I did not have any aloe vera, Sir Beda told me NOT to apply toothpaste on the burned area. He instructed me to wash my body and put lotion as a temporary cure. Of course I believed him. He would not be a Registered Nurse for nothing.
January 17, 2012 (Tuesday)
The next day, the pain still has not subsided and I did not have any ointment or medicine to cure the burn. I decided to go to the nearest Panel Clinic from my place. And boy, it was when my living nightmare started!
- KLINIK SENTRAL in SRI PETALING, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
This was not my first time to go to this clinic. I have been here a few times before and I knew that I should present my Medical Card first before they even entertain me. The place was a bit rundown but I had no choice at the moment. Besides getting ointment for my burn, I also planned to consult the doctor because I was already feeling feverish due to my colds and as I have mentioned, I have been coughing and sneezing the whole day.
Receptionist A who could not speak to me in English asked me to write down my name on their list. When I started to ask her questions, she called Receptionist B who spoke basic English. I seated patiently in their waiting area until I realized that nobody’s attending to me anymore. So I got up and went to them.
Receptionist B told me that she could not verify my name in the system. I calmly told her that I have been in their clinic before and asked her to check again. Instead of checking, she told me to pay the treatment and reimburse from the insurance provider. I dunno if she just wanted to cut our conversation short or if she was just not in the mood to assist me because she has been telling me to pay first.
Being in the call center industry for many years, I know the importance of Listening. I also know that customers may not always be right, but they have the right to be treated right. First, Receptionist B did not even try to listen to me. Second, she did not treat me right.
I also mentioned to Receptionist B that I got burned with cooking oil and I needed immediate treatment. Instead of listening, she told me the three words that I dreaded to hear: ‘pay-and-file.’ I asked if she can verify this again but she was hesitant to do an extra mile. I asked if I can call my HR to verify this but it was as if I was talking to a blank wall. It was during this time when I lost it. I raised my voice and got everybody’s attention. I went outside and called my friend in the office, Edson (Terima Kasih! I really owe you one!)
I asked Edson to conference the call to our so-called ‘HR Services for your HR needs.’
I spoke with one lady from the department and told her what happened. She immediately told me to call the outpatient number at the back of my Medical Card. I asked again, ‘”So, it means you can’t help me?” She said bluntly, “No, you have to call the outpatient number at the back of the card.”
Edson called the hotline and I spoke with Subash, who was indeed very helpful. I explained to him what happened and he advised me that there should not be any problem with the card because it is valid in the system. I even went inside the clinic again and passed the mobile phone to Receptionist B. She has been talking to Subash and verifying my name through their system for around 30 minutes. When she came back, she told me in-a-matter-of-fact-way, “You have to pay first and reimburse from the insurance.”
Look, just to set things straight, I could actually pay the consultation because I still had fifty bucks in my wallet that time. But even if I could, I WOULD NOT. I have used this card time and again and I would like to prove a point that my name should be in their system and they should be able to assist me. Besides, when this unfortunate-cannot-verify-your-name-in-the-system-and-you-have-to-pay-first-and-submit-claims-to-the-insurance happened to me before, I was only able to reimburse around 50% of the total cost.
I stormed out of the clinic and went to KLINIK MEGA which was around 5 minutes away from the ill-fated clinic. Surprisingly, the staff in the clinic was able to verify the card and advised me that I could consult their doctor – in less than 10 minutes! After I was given medication for my burned skin and my fever, I decided to pass by KLNIK SENTRAL again and tell them that my Medical Card is valid.
Receptionists A and B were chit-chatting when I reached the clinic. The lady doctor was also with them. I approached them and told them that I was able to use the Medical Card. I also added that I went back to their clinic in order to prevent similar things from happening in the future. Receptionist B was rolling her eyes as if she was the prettiest thing on earth (and she is not!). Receptionist A said something while I was talking to them which made me jump. She told me, “Okay, bye!”
This made me very very furious. I asked why she said that to me when all I wanted was an explanation to clear things out. I told them that I will file a complaint about this incident. This was when the lady doctor went out of the room and spoke with me. I told her that that they should teach their staffs the proper customer service. I showed her my burned skin which surprised her. She conversed with the receptionists in Malay and explained to me that Receptionist B thought I had heart burn and not burned skin. I was thinking, if Receptionist B understood me right and I ONLY had heart burn, she would actually treat me that way?
The lady doctor even tried to console me and told me to go inside so that she could apply ointment on the burned skin but I refused. I told her that the damage has been done. She tried her luck again and told me that the ointment is good and it is for free; she will not charge me anything. I firmly said no and went home.
KLINIK SENTRAL in Sri Petaling Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia sucks big time! They don’t give a freakin’ care about the patient’s condition. The rundown place is a disappointment, the receptionists don’t give a damn about the clients, the way they treat their patients is a nightmare. If I was dying the moment I went there, I would have died already without anybody lifting a finger!
I have called MiCares (the assistance company of AIA, our Medical Card) and will file a complaint because of how the staffs in the clinic treated me. They should have known me better. I will NEVER go down without a fight especially when I know that I am right.
coolwaterworks
Jan 21, 2012 @ 05:46:34
It is frustrating when things like this happen… Yes, I really think you should file a complaint…
Welcome back to the blogosphere… And I hope you have now fully recovered…
flamindevil
Jan 21, 2012 @ 07:14:49
salamat tokayo! I’ve just sent a written complain to our Medical Card provider. Happy New Year!
lanz
Jan 21, 2012 @ 07:05:25
ayun naman daw pala eh… akala heart burn! Lelz.
flamindevil
Jan 21, 2012 @ 07:13:34
haha…sobrang frustrating. asar!
Visual Velocity
Jan 21, 2012 @ 08:43:09
Ouch! Kamusta na? I hope you’re feeling better. Yung embotido kasi. Sinisi yung embotido, heheh
flamindevil
Jan 21, 2012 @ 08:44:41
ok naman, thanks for asking. yeah, kasalanan ni embutido. si embutido ang may kasalanan! haha 🙂
Hoobert the Awesome
Jan 21, 2012 @ 10:04:59
HELLO PARENG RYE! *kaway kayay* Welcome back. Sbeen a while pero napa-smile naman ako ‘cos nandun pa rin name ko sa blog roll mo.
Nakakainis yung ganun no? Parang wala silang pakialam sa mga clients nila. Tsk. Tsk. You did the right thing. Kung ako yun, siguro ganun din ang gagawin ko. Basta alam kong nasa tama ako, kiber.
E nakain mo din naman yung embutido?
flamindevil
Jan 21, 2012 @ 10:16:29
syemps naman hindi kita aalisin sa blogroll ko. hehe. teka, magandang tanong yan. uu, nakain ko naman yung embutido habang sumasakit ang katawan ko sa tilamsik ng cooking oil. LOL. nag send na ko ng email, nag-aantay pa ko ng reply nila. teka, daan ako sa blog mo. now na 🙂
Ely
Jan 21, 2012 @ 11:32:17
you’ve made the right decision to file a complaint. Hope AIA will take action on this.
Btw, penge naman ng embutido!! 😛
flamindevil
Jan 21, 2012 @ 11:45:19
inubos ko na nga habang umiiyak at humihikbi dahil sa sobrang galit ko sa mantika! lels
BON
Jan 21, 2012 @ 14:39:33
bat kase hindi ka pa rin marunong mag Malay?! tagal tagal mo na dyan|!? haha nanisi eh no, parang ako marunong mag arabic hindi rin naman lols!
dapat tanggalin na sila sa accredited clinic ng company nyo bilang parusa! it’s their lost! tinaggihan ang artista!?! hahah taragis!
flamindevil
Jan 21, 2012 @ 14:41:21
may point ka dyan. sa sobrang busy ng sked ko, napili ko ang clinic nila para bisitahin tapos ganyan? toinks. haha. musta na? happy new year!
Simpleng Inhinyeros
Jan 22, 2012 @ 06:51:52
nakakalungkot pero atleast may bago ka nang hospital na pwedeng mapuntahanbe
flamindevil
Jan 22, 2012 @ 07:22:58
yeah. that’s a nice way to look at it. salamat sa pagdaan 🙂
Bino
Jan 22, 2012 @ 08:39:15
at dahil dyan, iwasan na ang clinic na yan 😀
flamindevil
Jan 22, 2012 @ 09:14:14
tomoh! try ko ngang dumaan sa bahay mo ngayon kuya bino
emilayskie
Jan 22, 2012 @ 09:56:05
Naku.. Yan ang mga pinaka-hindi ko talaga gustong klase ng serbisyo. Nakakainis talaga yang ganyang mga health services na walang service. Halos kapareho pala yan ng ilang health services natin sa Philippines. Malayong-malayo yung serbisyo nila rito sa New Zealand. Yun talaga yung unang reason bakit ako nag-stay dito ngayon.
flamindevil
Jan 22, 2012 @ 10:49:35
yeah, I’ve read your blog. good to hear that you’re already in NZ. btw, Gong Xi Fa Cai! 🙂
bw
Jan 22, 2012 @ 13:14:58
that was very unfair.. good for you as you stood your ground. We need expose these lazy and inefficient staff who do more harm than good to society 😦
hope you’re feeling better now.
Elyong
Jan 23, 2012 @ 06:50:00
You really are flamin’!! I felt like i was shouting reading your blog… wow, i was angry too.
You should calm down first before you write your complaint 🙂
I miss your blog… okey and you too… hahaha
otep
Jan 25, 2012 @ 05:00:07
ay akala ko pa naman simpleng paso lang ng mantika.. adik ka kasi napaa tweet ka pa.. seryoso na pala yun..
o sya late na mag-alala na pero mag-aalala na rin ako ngayon lels.
dahil dyan may tsismis ako. DM na! hahaha les.
Welcome Back! 🙂
timangkey
Feb 02, 2012 @ 10:12:31
Kainis nga mga ganyang employees. And to think, it is a CLINIC! utloy mo lang yung complaint mo. nasa tama ka. 🙂
jeniffer
Feb 12, 2012 @ 09:42:16
That incident was really disappointing. I was in the medical field and to think that we should be approachable and nice to our patients. CSR has no different in medical field. We are also dealing with different client almost everyday of our life. Those 2 receptionist must know how to deal with their customers especially if the situation needs an urgent attention. I sometimes think that this is because of communication barrier like we are foreign in their country and they have English language in proficiency. Unable to communicate and understand both language is subject to failure of customer and service management. We are also having same problem because I’m here in arab country. They are very poor in communication so I just have to adjust and talk to them in their language as long as I can. The discrimination adding to the situation is also something we must be aware. Who told you that discrimination was not part of the dealing process in foreign country. It’s almost everywhere. I hope your 1st degree burn is healing now, I supposed, since this comment is a bit of late… I hope everything will be fine…
yhen
Jun 07, 2012 @ 19:01:56
buhay pa pala blog mo haha… ala kc kong magawa kaya ngblog hop nalang uli.. namiss ko lang 😀 update na uli dali…
emilayskie
Nov 14, 2012 @ 01:24:13
Huy anong petsa na? Haha.. Bisitahin mo na yung blog mo. 😀
P
Jul 30, 2013 @ 04:50:11
wao, i just read this today… as im just about thinking to go to this panel due to AIA medical card also. erm…. haha… its embarassing, now should i go to have a try? haha…
Anyway, im malaysian and I hope and blessing you alright to be an OFW here…
Michelle
Jan 29, 2015 @ 04:24:30
Hi, I live in Sri Petaling and despite you giving your complaint it 2012, pretty much nothing has changed and the clinic is still there to rip-off people. Despite there being many other clinics in the area, there is only Klinik Sentral and Klinik Mega that will accept the green AIA card. 😦