Homing pigeons FTW \o/

[oriundus]

Ten days ago I bought a new car, called my insurance company - the RAC (kind of like AAA in the States) - and got cover.  We're military living overseas so we needed the insurance documents to register the car on base and to be able to do little minor things, like, you know, GET GAS.

Soooo - two days later and there are no documents in the mail - there's a nationwide postal strike and all mail is delayed.  I called the RAC, explained the situation, and asked if they could possible e-mail me a cover note.  They said - no, really, they did -

"Sorry, we don't have e-mail access."

WTF?  This is one of the biggest motoring organisations in the UK and they DON'T HAVE E-MAIL???

I was so taken aback, I mumbled something and hung up.  Then I got on the RAC website AND their Facebook page - hmm, SOMEONE there is in the 21st century! - and sent them a message.  A couple of days later I got a message from "Lindsey", saying that the marketing department runs the facebook page, but maybe the insurance department really doesn't have e-mail!  And my insurance is in their hands... *shudders*  

I'd received my documents in the mail by then, so I was just trying to get an answer for the heck of it.  I asked Lindsey if e-mail was really so uncommon, and that it would kinda help if the insurance dept could be hooked up to modern technology! Today, I got  yet another message from her - saying I should send her my contact details, or call customer service for more information.  It's just funny at this point.

So I replied:
It's a bit late - the original query was 10 days ago, and I got my insurance certificate two days after my original phone call. My comment to the RAC was merely to point out that e-mail is a modern way of communicating, it's not exactly cutting-edge science, and that most companies do actually have e-mail access. I asked RAC Insurance if they could e-mail a cover note to me and they said they do not have e-mail access. I actually feel a bit sorry for them, cut off from the world apart from a phone line and a book of postage stamps. Anyway, I consider the matter to be closed. Maybe I can send the RAC a homing pigeon next time I need something quickly? I can enclose a bag of bird seed...

Have a good day!  

Wonder if she'll reply?

Comments

[tiffosis.livejournal.com]

thought i'd share my pov on this, or should i say, my company's pov. i work for an insurance company. we do use email for general incoming inquiries, ie: for feedback, complaints, etc.

but when it comes down to working with customers on their individual policies and/or claims, email is not used.

let's say i was the person handling your claim. i give you my email for communication. then say i either am out, or leave the company. but you're still using my email address to communicate an important concern, and that box is not monitered in my absense (whereas my voice mail would be, as well as any calls coming in via a call center would be documented and handled accordingly). so now you're important concern is not addressed in the specificed timeline in which both the company, as well as the state insurance regulators, has set up, and your upset no one has responded to you and now that matter is escalated.

that's the main concern of using email. there's also firewall issues.

BUT, with that said, there's no reason why they could not have faxed those documents to you, if that was option to you.

okay, that was wordy, and probably more than you wanted to know. =)