FAX vs ON HOLD

Caregiver alchemy was mentioned a couple posts ago to “create” time.

 

It may seem outdated today, but years ago as a caregiver I still drew on cave walls while being put on hold. Minutes became hours and so on. One day I calculated it was actually “weeks” that I was spending ‘on hold’ when totaled together.

 

I acquired the necessary software and hardware to make my PC a fax machine. I started to fax my calls to doctors, labs, pharmacies, medical supply companies, etc. Because of my abnormal caregiver hours I prepared my communication overnight on the PC and faxed it out. My faxes were sitting in office fax trays when they opened in the morning, and I slept in. <grin>

 

To my surprise almost 100% responded most favorably. This method improved their lives also. In many cases I had answers before offices even traditionally opened for business.

 

‘Business’ reacts to a fax differently than to a phone call.

 

Additionally with the faxes I was essentially able to communicate to multiple offices at the same time, rather than have to choose which office to be ‘on hold’ with first. Another plus was a ‘paper trail’, critical with many insurance and government processes.

 

Email for whatever reason has never caught on. I think because one has to choose to open it. Fax drops into an office and someone HAS to deal with it. 

 

To be sure it did not eliminate ‘on hold’ however it so dramatically reduced it that it’s become a non factor. Most important it created time beyond my expectations, not just hours, but weeks of my life. 

 

As far as alchemy it didn’t exactly turn metal into gold, but for a caregiver creating time is better than gold.