June 26, 2006

QUICK THINKING ON QUEENSLAND'S SUNSHINE COAST POTENTIALLY SAVES LIFE OF WOMAN IN S.A.

AN INSURANCE call centre operator on the Sunshine Coast may have saved the life of a South Australian woman last week. After hearing a strange scream, followed by what sounded like a home invasion, the quick thinking call centre employee called the police, which in turn, may have saved the interstate customer.

A Budget Direct customer from Magill in South Australia was only 5 minutes into a call with her insurer when she felt a little 'off balance.'

"I was talking to Michael and next thing I know there were two police officers at my back door." she said.

Experienced call centre operator Michael Fogden from Queensland's Sunshine Coast, knew there was something wrong by the sounds over the phone, so he held on to see if his customer was okay. "I just heard a cry of fear and knew there was something wrong," Michael said.

After calling the police Michael replaced the phone call to a supervisor who again with police they should attend the residence to make sure the customer was okay. After finding the woman on the floor the police then readied for an ambulance, which was on the scene within 15 minutes.

The woman was told she had suffered a major seizure, which she can confirm she had never suffered in the past. She rang Michael to thank him and say that his actions may have saved her life. "I am just so thankful, his actions were so exceptional," she said.

Michael has been employed with Budget Direct for four years and has a lot of experience in speaking with customers. "I've never experienced anything like this before but I believe some of the safety training I have been put through by Budget Direct helped me to recognise I needed to take further action," he said.

Currently holding a position of Workplace Health and Safety Officer, Michael was glad he knew the procedures.

"No one likes to call their insurance company to make an insurance claim, although for the customer it was simple one of the luckiest calls she could ever make," Michael concluded.