JimSpoor
12-18-2002, 12:28
I recently heard an OnStar commercial that just made me boil. Supposedly these commercials are made from "actual, taped conversations".
This female motorist activates her OnStar to get help because she just got stung by a bee and doesn't know what to do. She states to the call taker that she is not familiar with the area, has been stung by a bee and is very allergic. The call taker informs her that the nearest hospital is 14 MILES away and involves many turns, but he will stay with her until she makes it.
This is not the message the public should be getting. Even though allergic reaction and anaphylaxis are not the same, as a trained call taker you must assume the worst unless information dictates otherwise. I believe a far better course of action would have been to instruct the motorist to park as soon as safely possible, dispatch EMS, and stay on the line.
Of course we all learn from the actions of others but this is not an incident that should be presented as a good example of what to do right.
This female motorist activates her OnStar to get help because she just got stung by a bee and doesn't know what to do. She states to the call taker that she is not familiar with the area, has been stung by a bee and is very allergic. The call taker informs her that the nearest hospital is 14 MILES away and involves many turns, but he will stay with her until she makes it.
This is not the message the public should be getting. Even though allergic reaction and anaphylaxis are not the same, as a trained call taker you must assume the worst unless information dictates otherwise. I believe a far better course of action would have been to instruct the motorist to park as soon as safely possible, dispatch EMS, and stay on the line.
Of course we all learn from the actions of others but this is not an incident that should be presented as a good example of what to do right.