Re: Hanger

Re: Hanger

Gary Bertelsen

7/20/2000

It appears that this is bash Hanger week on the list server.

I am also a Hanger client by virtue of their purchase of Novacare. Prior
to becoming part of Novacare the facility was independent. I have been a
client for over 10 years. Through all the changes I have received
superior service and have and continue to refer other amputees to the
facility. I keep in touch with my referrals and they have received the
same superior service I have.

I have met and visited with lots of amputees who have received less then
superior service and not all of them are clients at large company
facilities. My conclusion is that quality service is based more on the
staff inside the facility then the name on the building.

It also seems popular in America to criticize success. To claim unfair
competition. I have worked for big and small companies in my career in
financial services and I can tell you that neither has the inside track on
quality service. Both big and small can provide superior service - if
they want to. If a company is willing to lower it's quality to boost
profit it must hope the customer wants that quality. I have met few
amputees looking for lower quality. I doubt Hanger has a goal of
producing low quality prosthetics. The company has not survived since
1861 by providing an inferior product.


-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Merideth, Patient [SMTP: <Email Address Redacted> ]
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2000 11:48 AM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: Re: Hanger

I am patient. My O&P office has been recently (7 months) taken over by
Hanger.
The service has declined considerably. I have had an order for extra
depth,
shoes, out of a catalog, that has taken over 4 months and I still do not
have
them. When I last called about them, they could not locate my order. this
kind
of stuff does not requirelicensure, just organization and common sense.
 This
office 0has gone downhill since the takeover. Appointments are confused.
 I
will not go on. Yes, it's not just ablut being large. It's about being
good.
And this Hanger office is not good.




<Email Address Redacted> on 07/20/2000 08:17:47 AM

Please respond to <Email Address Redacted>



 To: <Email Address Redacted>

 cc: (bcc: Jim Merideth/AHM/AM/HONDA)



 Subject: Re: Hanger






> Yes it means that Hangers activities are not in the best interest of our
> profession! Just as Walmart has put thousands of small companies out of
> business it limits competition. It lowers standards of care and
eventually
> will cause higher cost to the consumer.
------------------------------------------------------------Uninformed and
grossly negative comments like this really bug me. I am the manager of a
Hanger facility in Northern California, and my company supports me to give
the best service we are capable of. I have many Doctors, Physical as well
as
Occupational Therapists, and best of all, clients that have gone out of
their
way to use us. Are standards and abilities the same throughout every Hanger
facility? Are they the same from any O & P office? No, of course not, but
we
try, and we share information w/ one another and try to bring the staff up
a
notch when we can help one another. I can only speak for myself with
certainty when I say that the information I have is not limited to Hanger
facilities, but many of the O & P offices with in a reasonable distance. I
have NEVER turned away any O & P professional who has called for
assistance.
This is why I joined this list! To learn and share and grow as an
Orthotist.
 Are you going to tell me that you don't use any of the really big
companies
out there like Barnes & Noble, Mobil Gas, Nordstroms, Macys, J.C. Penny,
Sears, McDonalds, Round Table Pizza, Apple, Microsoft, Compact Computer,
Starbucks? The list is endless. Obviously you do, and I don't think they
have
made your life that much worse! Like it or not this is the way the world
seems to be going, and the O & P profession is following.
 Please get off your high horse and lets get back to helping the people who
need us.