I am the Ralph Nader for parents
So I sent DH to Target a few days ago for a new thermometer. The one we have takes about a minute to read, and needless to say, our almost-2 yr old isn't too happy with that thing under his arm for so long, particularly when he's not feeling great which happens to be the only time we try to take his temperature.
DH comes home toting a Vicks thermometer that proclaimed "Professional Accuracy". (I guess the thermometer with semi-professional accuracy isn't such a hot seller.) More importantly, it also boasted an "8-second reading*". I was satisfied until I noticed the asterisk and should have known something was amiss.
I opened up this thing and tried it under my own tongue. After 22-seconds, I was proclaimed not feverish. Great, but what about 8 seconds? I tried it again, with the same result. So I called the customer service and an oh-so-helpful Paul tells me that although the thermometer is "accurate" after 8 seconds which is the "quick-read temperature", but the "peak" temperature isn't read until up to 60-seconds. Peak? Does my kid get more feverish the longer this instrument is under his arm? I explained that when I take his temperature, it's because I want to know if he has a fever, which translates to: I want an accurate number reflecting how hot his little body is. If I call our pediatrician and say his "quick read temperature" is 100.9 but his "peak" temperature is 104.9, I have a feeling she'll be glad I kept the thermometer working the extra 52 seconds.
But this whole thing makes no sense to me. I was really frustrating the customer non-service guy Paul because he explained it around 5 times and was clearly perturbed that I was belaboring the small issue of timing and that I couldn't understand the difference between "accurate" and "peak". He told me, "You get a temperature after 8-seconds, but you'll get the peak temperature after 60 seconds." My reply: "I just want to know his temperature in an accurate fashoin, preferrably after 8 seconds as reflected by your packaging." "Oh, you will have an accurate temperature, but it'll be the quick-read temperature and it's recommended you leave it in until 60 seconds has passed," he replied. "That makes no sense at all! Your package says 8 seconds, and yet disclaims that it should actually take longer!" I said in a very calm voice, as you can imagine. "In 8 seconds you'll have an ACCURATE temperature but not the PEAK temperature. The PEAK temperature comes after 60 seconds," he exclaimed, emphasis his. Sensing his irritation, I asked for his manager. He put me on hold, then came back to say every last manager was busy or at a meeting or somesuch other excuse. So he put me and my shocked self into a voice mail system, never to be heard from again. So voila, people, I've really stood up for the Parents of Fevered Children.
OK, it was a $9.99 item, but it's the principle of it. I don't really think it's too much to want a quick and accurate temperature, especially since I can get a not-quick and accurate temperature from the thermometer I got free from the hospital when I had Boy #1.
Or maybe it's not the principle of the thing and I just have too much time on my hands.
DH comes home toting a Vicks thermometer that proclaimed "Professional Accuracy". (I guess the thermometer with semi-professional accuracy isn't such a hot seller.) More importantly, it also boasted an "8-second reading*". I was satisfied until I noticed the asterisk and should have known something was amiss.
I opened up this thing and tried it under my own tongue. After 22-seconds, I was proclaimed not feverish. Great, but what about 8 seconds? I tried it again, with the same result. So I called the customer service and an oh-so-helpful Paul tells me that although the thermometer is "accurate" after 8 seconds which is the "quick-read temperature", but the "peak" temperature isn't read until up to 60-seconds. Peak? Does my kid get more feverish the longer this instrument is under his arm? I explained that when I take his temperature, it's because I want to know if he has a fever, which translates to: I want an accurate number reflecting how hot his little body is. If I call our pediatrician and say his "quick read temperature" is 100.9 but his "peak" temperature is 104.9, I have a feeling she'll be glad I kept the thermometer working the extra 52 seconds.
But this whole thing makes no sense to me. I was really frustrating the customer non-service guy Paul because he explained it around 5 times and was clearly perturbed that I was belaboring the small issue of timing and that I couldn't understand the difference between "accurate" and "peak". He told me, "You get a temperature after 8-seconds, but you'll get the peak temperature after 60 seconds." My reply: "I just want to know his temperature in an accurate fashoin, preferrably after 8 seconds as reflected by your packaging." "Oh, you will have an accurate temperature, but it'll be the quick-read temperature and it's recommended you leave it in until 60 seconds has passed," he replied. "That makes no sense at all! Your package says 8 seconds, and yet disclaims that it should actually take longer!" I said in a very calm voice, as you can imagine. "In 8 seconds you'll have an ACCURATE temperature but not the PEAK temperature. The PEAK temperature comes after 60 seconds," he exclaimed, emphasis his. Sensing his irritation, I asked for his manager. He put me on hold, then came back to say every last manager was busy or at a meeting or somesuch other excuse. So he put me and my shocked self into a voice mail system, never to be heard from again. So voila, people, I've really stood up for the Parents of Fevered Children.
OK, it was a $9.99 item, but it's the principle of it. I don't really think it's too much to want a quick and accurate temperature, especially since I can get a not-quick and accurate temperature from the thermometer I got free from the hospital when I had Boy #1.
Or maybe it's not the principle of the thing and I just have too much time on my hands.
posted by Left Coast Sister at 2:20 PM
6 Comments:
hear hear! it can drive you crazy...and in a funny coincidence, just today I heard an ad on the radio for a thermometer that you just zip across the forehead and it gives you the temperature. Uh, I'm not sure if it was accurate or peak, but it was fast anyway! Sold in fine stores everywhere.
Yes, I agree with the other comment....I have one Temperal artery thermometer and it is VERY accurate and is about 3 seconds to swipe across a forehead ending on the temple....get it....amazon.com for 50 dollars.
Oh please, you do not have too much time on your hands-- you're a mom! Which is why you needed the 8 second thermometer in the first place!! Personally I give up on thermometers, I don't see how you can get an accurate temp on a kid under 5. Unless you have one of Marya's of course.. So we do hot and not too hot here.
I am with amy...hot and not so hot...sometimes we also do sweaty-not hot, and sweaty-hot. It is very accurate at both the quick and peak times. Can I say also...what a LOAD!!! You get a temperature @ 8 seconds...so that means that it turns on and they dial the digital numbers around??? that is one fancy tool...I am going to see if you posted the brand, and then darn them..I WILL NOT BUY IT! POWER TO THE PEOPLE! Thanks for the heads up!
I love that LCS, the real SS, is such a hoot and totally brightens my day. Hearing this story over the phone about made me get into that laugh-until-you-cry stage; reading it now, it's still funny. I love imagining the conversation LCS had with the phone guy.
We use the forehead swipers at our hosp as well. But the question is do you want to shell out 50$ for something you use 4 times a year if that. I suppose it depends on how much your time is worth.
Post a Comment
<< Home