International Journal of Business and Economics Volume 16, No. 2 September, 2017

Medical Insurance Mayhem: One Woman’s Struggle for Information

Rachael Bish

University of Waikato, New Zealand

Abstract

A customer makes an appointment to see her local General Practitioner (GP) regarding the likelihood of a hereditary illness. As part of this process, the customer is required to return the following day for a blood test and then on a third occasion for a scan. After not hearing back from anyone regarding the results of the blood test, the customer is spoken to rudely by a nurse when she attempts to find out the results days later. The customer was advised by the clinic that carried out the scan that the full cost will be covered by her health insurance policy, only to find out after the scan took place that it is not. How should the clinic have handled this situation in terms of the information provided to the customer? How will this experience with the medical staff affect the relationship the customer has with her local health provider?

Keywords：customer service experience, negative word of mouth, customer relationship management, the importance of first impressions, negative experience, brand equity.

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