Is Paid Customer Service The New Normal?
Is paying for customer service the new normal? We’ve observed that numerous companies, including major airlines, large corporations, and even government agencies, have removed phone numbers for customer service. Even when customers are able to access customer service, there may be a cost involved. Even the healthcare industry is seeing a trend towards billing for even the smallest interactions with healthcare providers, such as emailing responses to questions. An article discusses how some doctors now charge for emailing responses to patient inquiries. For instance, the Cleveland Clinic has started billing patients $15-$20 for some email correspondence with their doctors, which is becoming the norm, according to a study. Some institutions charge a copayment of $3 up to $35 or $100 for email conversations.
The big question is whether this practice makes it harder for people on limited budgets to receive quality healthcare. For some people with different kinds of insurance, the minimum charge for each email exchange could be $33-$50. On the other hand, if doctors spend their entire day responding to emails, how will this work as a business model?
In many industries, companies are reducing the depth of their customer service by offering it for free via email, phone, or online. This is because providing customer service consumes too much time for the actual service providers, the licensed plumbers, electricians, or doctors. Companies are switching to a paid model as an alternative to providing no answer at all or having customers speak to a receptionist who can’t provide helpful answers. Some people prefer paid conversations as they want more than what they can read on a website, and some companies still offer a salesperson who can answer questions but mainly to sell products.
In the medical field, paid conversations are becoming more common, with some people even being billed for email threads seeking treatment for psoriasis, eczema, and other items. Some people see the value in it as it saves time and effort compared to going to a doctor’s office. However, for others, it’s a budgetary issue. Whether it’s right or wrong, it is a trade-off, but it is the trend even in high-level professions like medicine.