In Defense of Al Martinez

Al Martinez’s recent column about his experience with a phone call to CIGNA brought some sharp responses from readers (Jan. 7), and this faithful fan must rush to his defense.

Zelda Harber said Al should have asked for the CIGNA employee’s name and to speak to the supervisor; Dr. Leslie Novikoff said he should have been calling the benefits coordinator or the insurance representative, not one of the CIGNA clinics. I differ with both of these people as much as they differed with Al.

In my years of working, both as underling and as a supervisor, I found it was much better for the employee who did not understand a question or could not answer it to refer the whole matter to the supervisor immediately. By the time a caller has asked for the employee’s name and to speak to the supervisor, he or she is usually so upset or downright angry that the whole matter is blown out of proportion.

As for asking for the benefits coordinator in the first place, how was he supposed to know that if nobody told him? I have had no personal experience with CIGNA and don’t wish to criticize anyone connected with it, but it seemed to me the answers he got were not very satisfactory. Of course, if they had been, there wouldn’t have been any column material in the incident!

ANNE OLMSTEAD

La Crescenta