I will never understand why doctors hire the rudest people in the world to serve as receptionists at their offices.
I have been in pain for several weeks. It’s steadily getting worse, and having had enough, I decided to find an orthopedic doctor. I called my insurance, (a total pain in and of itself), and got a list of several doctors that would cover me.
The first office I called seemed nice enough, but then I was told I would be “transferred over to our booking specialist” where I was connected to a bored, deadpan woman who acted as if I were a massive inconvenience.
The words she used were not particularly rude. Had there been a transcript of the conversation, there was nothing offensive said, but there was a chip on her shoulder a mile wide. She was curt, her voice was monochromatic, and she acted as if my call were the biggest inconvenience in the universe. As if she were the queen, and making appointments was so far beneath her.
In addiction to her attitude, whenever I would ask a question there were long gaps where I had to say “are you still there?” Then she would say, quite curly “I’m looking at the schedule” as if that should have been completely obvious. When finally she did have a date for an appointment, it was a week out.
Now, I understand it isn’t her fault, but she made absolutely no apology for it, and said nothing to let me know she was either sorry I was in pain or that I had to wait to get that pain taken care of. I asked her if there was a waiting list I could get on, and she said “No. Our policy is that you have to call back and see if there is an availability.”
I have a feeling this “policy” is her get out of work free card. It would require her to actually call people and do something other than post to Instagram during working hours.
By that time I was fed up with her attitude. She was clearly telling me she didn’t care about me or my pain, and let me know I was a massive inconvenience to her positing on FaceBook and eating her lunch before I had the audacity to call the office.
I fought the urge to hang up and post a scathing review on Google, and took the appointment, but then called the next doctor on the list covered by my insurance, and was faced with another similar experience. Bored, rude but not rude service with a person clearly not thrilled I called.
Fortunately for me, the third doctor on my list had a nice receptionist. No, they didn’t have any appointments right away either, but they DID direct me to an after hours clinic that could take an x-ray, diagnose my issue and accept my insurance. She was also kind, polite, and above all helpful. The others did absolutely nothing to help me or direct me in any way.
Anyway, I’m completely fed up with receptionist who seem to think they are above being kind. When people are not feeling well they need sympathy, and not to feel as if they are a massive inconvenience. A little human kindness goes a long way.
Pieces of Me 