Red Cross Will NOT Stop Calling--VENT!

[cabanafrau]

Are nurses making these phone calls?

The nurses at the blood drives. It's been a long time since I've dealt with one who wasn't both abrupt and rude, a very long time.

 

[Conkozan]

And they get good money for it, too. I remember the hospital I worked at paid about $90 for a unit of blood, and that was 25 yrs ago.

You are not paying for the blood, you are paying for the testing. HIV, Hepatitis, blood type, etc. all use reagents that cost money. Medical Technologists perform these tests, so you are paying for their knowledge and expertise.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

OMG I just saw a segment on the news about how Red Cross is in need of donations. Apparently this time of year is a slow time for blood donations.

The holidays are historically a slow time for donations. But people still need blood.

I'd be pretty surprised if there weren't Red Cross blood drives in your area (or any area of the country, for that matter).

We don't have the Red Cross in our area, we have a different blood bank. And they are also in need of donations during the holidays.

You are not paying for the blood, you are paying for the testing. HIV, Hepatitis, blood type, etc. all use reagents that cost money. Medical Technologists perform these tests, so you are paying for their knowledge and expertise.

Basically everyone that touches that donation needs to be paid. From the phlebotomist (they generally aren't nurses) that take your blood, to the nurse that uses that donation for a patient is paid for their time and expertise.

 

[gotomu212]

There is a (slim) risk with doing that. If you donate blood and their testing reveals a health issue, they will have no way to notify you.

They mail you an official letter. They do not call you to tell you there’s a health issue.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The nurses at the blood drives. It's been a long time since I've dealt with one who wasn't both abrupt and rude, a very long time.

Ah.

It sounds like the Red Cross has some work to do to improve their services and community relations.

I haven't had to deal much with the Red Cross, but I did have to deal with an organ bank after the death of a relative and I was shocked at how rude the contact person was and how badgered I felt in the process.

 

[Dancind]

DH used to get the same thing. He has a rare blood type and used to go regularly. Then they kept him waiting too long a couple of times, and a couple of techs beat up his veins, so he stopped. Will have to ask him how he got the calls to stop. I would guess blocking the numbers on his iPhone.

 

[cabanafrau]

The holidays are historically a slow time for donations. But people still need blood.

We don't have the Red Cross in our area, we have a different blood bank. And they are also in need of donations during the holidays.

Basically everyone that touches that donation needs to be paid. From the phlebotomist (they generally aren't nurses) that take your blood, to the nurse that uses that donation for a patient is paid for their time and expertise.

Here the Red Cross is the most common organization to hold blood drives/where people go to donate blood. Based on their titles as listed on their nametags, the personnel handling the registration information AND the personnel taking the blood are indeed nurses, not phlebotomists. Blood draws at medical labs or in the hospitals are performed by phlebotomists, not nurses. But those are medical testing purposes, not donations.

Our church hosts blood drives several times a year. I know many people from our church who gave up on donating because the nurses were so nasty. When my daughters were in HS they and their friends were involved in helping out or organizing blood drives as part of their service hours. The nurses seemed pathologically incapable of being civil with either the kids volunteering, the adults volunteering or the clients attempting to donate. I don't know what the problem is, but clearly there must be one because it's not one or two, but all of them from what I've experienced and what I've heard from countless people I know.

Personally I suspect that whatever the root cause is behind every single one of the nurses being downright unpleasant has likely resulted in ever declining results of donations, leading to more and more harassing phone calls. I've often wondered why it's never been the subject of an investigative report on our local news.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Our donation centers definitely don't use nurses. Nor do the donation buses.

In fact I've never seen an actual nurse taking blood for a donation.

It would be great to have someone that knows more than how to insert a needle into an arm.

I've run a number of blood drives. If we end up with someone that isn't nice to our donors, I call the center and tell them to not have that person return.

 

[kdonnel]

True, but it seems the people are not doing their job if they have said they will take OP off the call list and they don't. And then they apparently hang up on OP rather than have a normal conversation advising of their policy. If they can't even do their job correctly and don't have basic customer service skills, then I would have no qualms being upset with the frontline employee and requesting an escalation.

I doubt that the person calling even has the ability to actually remove anyone from a call list. In a best base scenario they have a way to pass that request on to someone else who may not be doing their job.

Asking for escalation is entirely different then angrily taking out aggression on the front line employee who should have every right to hangup on those who are not behaving in a respectful manner.

Respect is a two way street.

 

[mummabear]

I doubt that the person calling even has the ability to actually remove anyone from a call list. In a best base scenario they have a way to pass that request on to someone else who may not be doing their job.

Asking for escalation is entirely different then angrily taking out aggression on the front line employee who should have every right to hangup on those who are not behaving in a respectful manner.

Respect is a two way street.

Here is the thing you dint owe them anything.
They are calling to harass, end of story, their whole.job is to badger people, they should expect some.push back as a result.

As far as the person fo atong, no good deed goes unpunished

 

[Pink Partridge]

.... who should have every right to hangup on those who are not behaving in a respectful manner.

Respect is a two way street.

Behaving in a respectful manner? If you call me 5+ times a day, I will never respect you.

At the very least, leave a message. Don't call again and again and again and hang up. Day after day after day. I will never respect someone who chooses a job that involves harassment.

They are not a professional company if they hang up when told to stop harassing. They deserve nothing but disrespect.

 

[Pink Partridge]

What are they trying to get you to do? Donate again? Don't you have to wait at least 6 weeks between donations?

They want me to make an appointment to donate again. And when you say no, they call again and again. It's crazy.

I do not have a rare blood type.

They just don't take no for an answer.

 

[Pink Partridge]

Asking for escalation is entirely different then angrily taking out aggression on the front line employee who should have every right to hangup on those who are not behaving in a respectful manner.

Respect is a two way street.

Actually, can I have your cell phone number? I want to call you while you are at work, making dinner, having family time, on the other line with an ill parent, etc. I then want to hang up and never leave a message. I want to do this day after day. And I want to do it while changing my phone number every time, so that you can never block me.

I then want to explain to you that respect is a two way street. I want to talk to you about your behavior and how I expect to be treated when I harass you.

 

[kimblebee]

I doubt that the person calling even has the ability to actually remove anyone from a call list. In a best base scenario they have a way to pass that request on to someone else who may not be doing their job.

Asking for escalation is entirely different then angrily taking out aggression on the front line employee who should have every right to hangup on those who are not behaving in a respectful manner.

Respect is a two way street.

Don’t you know? Being rude to people who are just doing their job is a sport on these boards. Some even suggest getting a whistle and blasting it in some innocent persons ear.

Everyone should be required to do a similar job for six months. Some attitudes would change very quickly.

 

[Pink Partridge]

Don’t you know? Being rude to people who are just doing their job is a sport on these boards. Some even suggest getting a whistle and blasting it in some innocent persons ear.

How was I rude? I told someone to stop harassing me.

If your job involves harassment, it is time to quit.

I don't respect any human being that chooses a job that involves calling me and hanging up multiple times a day.

 

[kimblebee]

How was I rude? I told someone to stop harassing me.

If your job involves harassment, it is time to quit.

I don't respect any human being that chooses a job that involves calling me and hanging up multiple times a day.

I wasn’t singling you out.


I’d rather have someone call me a few times a day than have them beg me for change every time I saw them on the streets.

 

[kdonnel]

Actually, can I have your cell phone number? I want to call you while you are at work, making dinner, having family time, on the other line with an ill parent, etc. I then want to hang up and never leave a message. I want to do this day after day. And I want to do it while changing my phone number every time, so that you can never block me.

I then want to explain to you that respect is a two way street. I want to talk to you about your behavior and how I expect to be treated when I harass you.

I don't answer my cell phone unless it is a number in my contacts.

If it is something I need to deal with, they will leave a message.

If not I have not really been bothered.

I get about 10 calls a day that are either labeled as Scam Likely or start with 770-778 (this first 6 digits of my cell). I don't answer any of them and am not really bothered by the calls.

 

[kdonnel]

If your job involves harassment, it is time to quit.

I don't respect any human being that chooses a job that involves calling me and hanging up multiple times a day.

The same can be said for many jobs.

Anyone working in the tobacco industry is responsible for killing hundreds of thousands a year.

Anyone working in the firearm industry is responsible for killing.

Anyone working in the beer/wine/liquor industry is responsible for ruining lives and killing.

Do you lack respect for those human beings as well?

 

[Pink Partridge]

I don't answer my cell phone unless it is a number in my contacts.

If it is something I need to deal with, they will leave a message.

If not I have not really been bothered.

I get about 10 calls a day that are either labeled as Scam Likely or start with 770-778 (this first 6 digits of my cell). I don't answer any of them and am not really bothered by the calls.

You have a much higher tolerance for harassment than I do. It really bothers me when a company that I have donated to harasses me.

The ringing, beeping in, and constant disruptions by someone that you have helped is highly aggravating. And when told to stop, they hang up on your face and call again.

This highly regarded non-profit. I expect more from them.

 

[Pink Partridge]

The same can be said for many jobs.

Anyone working in the tobacco industry is responsible for killing hundreds of thousands a year.

Anyone working in the firearm industry is responsible for killing.

Anyone working in the beer/wine/liquor industry is responsible for ruining lives and killing.

Do you lack respect for those human beings as well?

Not a fan of cigarette smoke, but do what you want in your own home. Lung cancer? Go for it!

People enjoy guns for hunting and sport. Fine by me.

I love a glass of wine. Yum!

Just don't harass me. And when I finally pick up the phone and tell you not to harass me, don't hang up on me.