Medical Emergency Protocols

Medical Emergency Protocols

When a customer calls in and needs assistance with their Service Request and discloses that they have a Medical Condition or High-Risk Situation, we must ensure that the proper steps are taken to assist them.

If at any point in the claim process after the service has been initiated, the customer discloses a Medical Condition or High-Risk Situation, update the Service Request Severity to Medical Emergency, set expectations referencing the Suggested Script.

If a Customer or Service Professional escalates a complaint that can pose a risk to their wellbeing or to Cinch, including situations where they do not feel safe, there have been verbal threats or harassment, the police have been contacted, or a lawsuit has been threatened or initiated related to potential abuse, see Potential Risk to Customer or Service Professional.

Click HERE for the Telesales and Retention Medical Transfer Process.

Identifying Medical Emergencies and High-Risk Situations

Listen to the customer carefully to identify keywords and phrases that determine if these protocols should be implemented. Gather all pertinent information and related facts, including a review of the customer record/service request status to determine what action is necessary to move the request forward. Add detailed comments regarding the situation. 

Keywords and Phrases

While this list is not all-inclusive, it provides examples of what you should be listening for to determine if a Medical Condition or High-Risk Situation exists:


Keywords/Phrases

Medical Conditions
  1. Asthma
  1. Cancer
  1. Diabetes
  1. Heat Stroke
  1. Heart Disease/Heart Condition
  1. High Blood Pressure
  1. High-Risk Pregnancy

High-Risk Situations
  1. Elderly person in the home
  1. Infant or newborn in the home
  1. Medications requiring refrigeration when refrigerator is not working
  1. Breastfeeding mothers with milk requiring refrigeration when refrigerator is not working

Probing Questions and Correct Severity


HVAC

Emergency and Conditions
  1. Customer mentions one of the Medical Conditions or High-Risk Situations
  1. Air Conditioning – External temperatures are above 85 degrees
  1. Heating – External temperatures are below 40

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. Is there more than 1 HVAC unit in the home?
    1. Yes: See next question
    2. No: Set Severity to Medical Emergency
  1. If Yes, can the person be safely moved to the area where there is heat/air conditioning?
    1. Yes: Set Severity to Standard
    2. No: Set Severity to Medical Emergency

Refrigerator

Emergency and Conditions
  1. They have a medical condition that requires medication to be refrigerated
  1. They have an infant, toddler, or small child in the home (Do not ask the customer the age of their child)

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. Does the customer have more than 1 Refrigerator?
    1. Yes: Set Severity to Standard
    2. No: Set Severity to Medical Emergency

Water Heater

Emergency and Conditions
  1. Customer mentions one of the Medical Conditions or High-Risk Situations

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. Does the customer have more than 1 Water Heater in the home?
    1. Yes: Set Severity to Standard
    2. No: Set Severity to Medical Emergency

Toilet

Emergency and Conditions
  1. Customer mentions one of the Medical Conditions or High-Risk Situations
  1. If the toilet is not accessible due to disabled or elderly
  1. No working toilet

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. Are all toilets in the home affected?
    1. Yes: Set Severity to Medical Emergency
    2. No: Set Severity to Standard
  1. If customer with medical condition is in the home and there is more than 1 toilet, can they use a different toilet?
    1. Yes: Set Severity to Standard
    2. No: Set Severity to Medical Emergency

Garage Door Opener

Emergency and Conditions
  1. Customer mentions that there is a member of the household in a wheelchair or disabled

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. No probing required, set Severity to Medical Emergency

Electrical (Receptables, Wiring, Outlets, Main Panel)

Emergency and Conditions
  1. Customer mentions issue that affects an area of the home occupied by a member of the household with a medical condition or high-risk requiring electricity (oxygen, home dialysis)

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. No probing required, set Severity to Medical Emergency

Clothes Washer/Clothes Dryer

Emergency and Conditions
  1. Customer mentions a person in the home is elderly or bed-ridden

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. No probing required, set Severity to Medical Emergency

Failures of the items below are not usually considered to be a Medical Condition or High-Risk Situation, however, certain conditions may qualify for an exception. Check with your Supervisor to determine if the severity should be set to Medical Emergency.

Supervisors: Click here to review guidelines for probing and choosing the correct severity for exception items/situations for supervisors.

Dishwasher

Emergency and Conditions
  1. Customer mentions one of the Medical Conditions or High-Risk Situations

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. Review with a Supervisor
  1. If Supervisor approves to update to a Medical Emergency, a note should be entered in the Service Request with the name of the approving Supervisor

Range

Emergency and Conditions
  1. Customer mentions one of the Medical Conditions or High-Risk Situations

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. Review with a Supervisor
  1. If Supervisor approves to update to a Medical Emergency, a note should be entered in the Service Request with the name of the approving Supervisor

Jetted Bathtub

Emergency and Conditions
  1. Customer mentions one of the Medical Conditions or High-Risk Situations

Probing Questions and Severity
  1. Review with a Supervisor
  1. If Supervisor approves to update to a Medical Emergency, a note should be entered in the Service Request with the name of the approving Supervisor

Process

  1. Follow the Warranty Service Request process to create a Service Request.
  2. Update the Severity to Medical Emergency.
  3. Locate a Service Professional following the Service Provider Assignment Guidelines​ for Medical Emergencies.
    1. When speaking with the SP, advise that we have a customer with a critical need and ask if they are able to service the customer within the next 48 hours.
      1. Use your best judgement as to whether the customer can wait 48 hours or not.
      2. Determine if there are available slots during regular business hours.
        1. DO NOT automatically advise that we will pay overtime.
        2. Our priority is to schedule during regular business hours and at regular rates whenever possible.
  4. Advise the customer that they will receive a call from our Case Management team who will personally assist them with resolving their issue. Click here for suggested script for setting customer expectations.
  5. Enter detailed Comments in the Service Request.
  6. Save the Service Request.
    1. This will automatically trigger an exception to the Case Management team.
When a customer calls in to follow-up on an existing Service Request and it's discovered that the condition has already been flagged as a Medical Emergency or High-Risk Situation, be sure to follow the Medical Emergency: Existing Service Job process.



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