This post is going to be a little more negative than I like to be, because it deals with one of my greatest pet peeves –
Poor Communication and Customer Service, especially in the health industry
We’ve all had he experience where we go to the doctor and wait two hours for a five-minute appointment and I think most of us agree that if that happens repeatedly it’s time to find a new doctor. I get it that it happens sometimes, due to an emergency with a patient or whatnot. But, when scheduling issues happen repeatedly, it’s a case of poor communication within the office/ scheduling, and just bad customer service.
I’ve had a couple of issues lately where this has come up, and has just really irked me.
1. The NP that initially started treating my low thyroid disappeared. Just up and closed and forwarded her phones to another (unrelated) Doctor’s office. With little choice as my Armor was running out I made an appointment with said doctor. I arrived and waited over two hours to see the doctor. An hour in I went to the window and let them know I had another appointment that evening and would I be getting in to see the doctor anytime soon. From their response it was clear that I would not. Finally, after asking why I was there and realizing that all I really needed was a refill, they got me in a room. I saw the doc for like 30 seconds (I didn’t have time for more than that), got my refill and was late to my next appointment.
Three months later I returned for the same purpose, thinking surely that wait wasn’t the norm. Evidently, it is. I finally saw the doctor, and after talking with her I really liked her. She sent me for more blood work and told me to call the next week for results. I called and her office told me they couldn’t give results over the phone I’d have to make an appointment and come in. Um. What?! The negative thinking side of me would think that there must be some bad results in my blood work that she has to discuss with me, except that response was given to me without them even having really taken my name.
2. I found a physical therapist that does PT for Pelvic Wall issues. They were referred to me by a friend who used them with much success, so even though they are a 45 min drive from my house, I was happy to go and hopeful they’d be able to help me with my pelvic pain issues. The first few visits went well, despite there seeming to be no improvement. However, almost every visit was preceded by a call asking me if I’d mind moving my appointment. The 4th or 5th time this happened my appointment was scheduled at 1pm and they called at 8:20 asking if I could come in at 10am. (They woke me up). I let her know that was just too early, and she replied with “well, could you get here by 10:30?”. WTF?! I was feeling cornered and I *could* get there by 10:30 so I said yes and went.
The problem began when I arrived. The PTa called me back and the first words out of her mouth were “We don’t have much time, you know your appointment was at 10…”
“No. Actually, my appointment was at 1. I was called and asked if I could come at 10 and I said ‘No’, and then she asked if I could come at 10:30 and here I am.”
“Oh, well I don’t know about that, all I know is what’s on my sheet and it says 10.”
WTF! Hold the Phone! I was pissed.
1. I went out of my way
2. I’m being treated like I did something wrong – I guess no good deed goes unpunished.
I let her know that I didn’t care what was on her sheet that I’d gone out of my way and it wasn’t the first time. That I’d been called just about every appointment and asked to move my time (a time they gave me!).
By the end of the appointment she apologized (sort of) about the miscommunication. I let her know that I didn’t appreciate being blamed for something that was not my fault.
That might have been the end of it, except that after telling hubby about it he said I should contact the PT (her name is on the door after all). So, I emailed her and explained what had happened.
Her response:
I will tell the staff to never move you again. The only time we call pt’s is when the schedule opens up and it will allow us to spend more one on one time with a patient. It is not to get someone else. You are always welcome to say no. We will continue to do this because there is no reason for a therapist to sit there for an hour when they have a crazy schedule at another hour. I am sorry that Lou did not know you were coming late. We do the best we can being a tiny clinic and we try to focus on one on one care.
WTF all over again. I replied that evidently she had missed my point that I was not late, that I had gone out of my way to come in early and I didn’t appreciate being treated like I’d done something wrong.
Obviously, I knew I could say no (and I had said no other times they’d called and even during that call). The idea that they only move me to spend more one on one time was utter bullshit, as well, given that I spent half of every appointment in a room alone hooked up to a tens unit. She didn’t reply to that and when I returned to the clinic for my next appointment nothing was said. It was as if it had never happened. That just annoyed me more. But, they never called to move my appointment again.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I’d love your thoughts on how I could better handle these situations. How do you handle them?
Customer Service: ‘No Problem’ May BE Your Problem
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