When Life Depends on Medical Technology

Two days ago I contacted the Global offices for Medtronic because I could not find anyone here in the UK to speak to on a Friday evening. Admittedly it wasn't that serious. the clip that attaches the insulin pump to my clothing had snapped off, but other then stuffing the pump in my under garments (ie, very uncomfortable!), I was a little concerned how I was going to manage my daily life! I had a serious presentation to make and a horse riding event to attend. I had become so dependent on utilizing the clip, that I was feeling vulnerable.

This was their response to the letter I sent. I am impressed! My faith is restored. With a little effort and finding someone inside the corporation who is compassionate and savvy - I was treated with respect. This is a rare find in the market today! My pump clip arrived as promised. Now I know if there is really a serious problem, I feel better about Medtronic, their culture and their commitment to patient support.
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Their Letter:

> Dear Elizabeth Snouffer,
>
> Thank you for contacting us. I am in receipt of your email regarding your belt clip. Due to the time difference, I am not able to follow up with our U.K. office at the present moment, however, I wanted to address your issue as soon as possible.
>
> First, I would like to apologize for the level of customer service you experienced in not being able to reach our U.K. office, as well as the service you received when you contacted our U.S. 24 Hour Help Line. Clearly this is unacceptable. Please know these issues will be addressed.
>
> We genuinely hope you will accept our apology for the inconvenience and the way in which you were treated. I am sending you a complimentary replacement pump clip to the address on your email.
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> Thank you once again for your email and sharing this issue with us. We hope to learn from this and improve our customer service. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the 24 Hour Help Line at 818-576-5555.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Denise Grant-Perez
> Medtronic Diabetes Senior Clinical Technician
> 24 Hour HelpLine
> International/Research
> 24 Hour Product HelpLine

Like I said, I am very impressed!