Medical Receptionist RANT

[1207JRVL]

Oh wow, it's amazing, isn't it? Letting you stand there for 5 minutes is outrageous! My mom is an office manager of a large dental practice and if she or any of the front desk staff ignored a patient, the dentists would go ballistic! In the States I would definitely speak up to anyone who is rude to me but I am hesitant to do so here as I don't want to be thought of as a "pushy American".

I think we put up with a lot of bad service in this country and are afraid to say anything. I know in the private sector, where I am being treated for a condition not related to diabetes, the service is much better.

 

[Susan1974]

Definitely speak up! It's their job to be polite and helpful and good manners don't cost anything!

I went to my Diabetic Clinic a couple of years ago which shares the reception area with a cancer clinic. I was supposed to be at the Diabetic Centre but didn't realise it was in a different part of the hospital. I told the receptionist that I had an appointment at 3.00 pm. He said "no you don't" I explained that I did but he just kept repeating himself and shouting it in my face. Eventually he told me that there was no diabetic clinic in the afternoon. I was so embarrassed by the way he spoke to me I just left the reception area and headed toward the exit. I passed a nurse who had heard everything and she explained I probably wanted the Diabetic Centre and gave me directions. When I got there my blood pressure was high and my heart was racing so I told the nurse what had happened. She was really angry and told me to complain. So on my way out I made a detour back to the clinic and fronted the receptionist about how rude and nasty he'd been. I told him that I had been polite to him and that it wasn't my fault if he was having a bad day. He had no right to take his temper out on me. I told him I wasn't there because I wanted to be or wanted to make his life hard. I was there because I was ill and needed treatment. I told him that he worked in a cancer clinic where the patients are extremely ill and his behaviour and attitude weren't acceptable. One of the nurses then asked me to make a formal complaint because he spoke to them in the same manner but they couldn't do anything. So I did and he hasn't been back since. Hopefully he's stuck in an office somewhere out of the way!

If you can't be pleasant and empathetic then you're in the wrong job! Plain and simple!

Never take their **** because you are worth more than that!