Dodging nasty doctor's receptionists

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
By going online to order medicines. I hadn't done that until my husband fixed me up to order my prescriptions online. He knew the local receptionist always upsets me though I keep quiet, but she really does. She's terse on the phone, always finds a reason to be obstructive then glowers at me when I go in to get my repeat medication. She virtually throws the pack at me.
I've actually been very low though she's unaware. She can't know the depths of depression I reach, having pain and worrying over health. People don't realise the effect they have on others. There another lady who works there who is very nice and helpful.

So I am glad today to have been able to get my tablets straight from the pharmacy.
 

Rose65 said:
I wish I had the courage to do that. Yet I would still hate to take her livelihood away.
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I was young .. early 20's - so was the receptionist. After getting an allergy shot from her, she drew a circle around it, in pen, and said that it should never be given anywhere else on the arm. She was extremely obnoxious about it - so, next time I saw the doctor, I told him about it. She was young, and had a lot to learn about bedside manner.
 
In the UK, we have a real problem.

Each appointment is measured in ten minute slots. Not only that, but if you have two ailments you want to talk about, you ideally need two appointments. It's a consequence of their Key Performance Indicators (KPI)'s, set by the government.

I want to be generous, so I'll suggest the pressure the receptionists are under are extreme. Emergencies, people frustrated the whole time.....
 
Pinky said:
I complained personally to my doctor about his rude receptionist. Next visit - she was gone.
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Personally, I am loath to complain about someone else in a work environment. People are not just black and white or on & off. We never really know what is going on with others. There may be very good reasons someone behaves as he/she does. So, I choose to be tolerant. I am not spending my day with a difficult person nor my life so I can take it for the moment, is my feeling. I would hate to have someone fired from a job when that person may be dealing with an errant or abusive family situation. There's more to people than meets the eye. I am sure you would want everyone to extend that consideration to you. I know I would.

I once worked with a supervisor who one day gleefully celebrated getting the building security guard fired because he constantly delayed him at the gate from arriving to the office on time because he carefully checked entrants. The man was only doing his job. Not everyone can make everyone happy all the time.
 
Wes said:
Personally, I am loath to complain about someone else in a work environment. People are not just black and white or on & off. We never really know what is going on with others. There may be very good reasons someone behaves as he/she does. So, I choose to be tolerant. I am not spending my day with a difficult person nor my life so I can take it for the moment, is my feeling. I would hate to have someone fired from a job when that person may be dealing with an errant or abusive family situation. There's more to people than meets the eye. I am sure you would want everyone to extend that consideration to you. I know I would.
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Maybe so, but if it was constant over a period of time, then I'd say it's the person, not some unknown circumstance. In any case, they're supposed to be nice to customers/patients. It's part of their jobs.
 
Pappy said:
A while back, I’d had it with my heart doctor receptionist. Literally pi—ed me off with her attitude. I actually walked out and never looked back. My new doctor, at the VA, is a real sweetheart and caring.
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Your post confuses me. Please clarify it. You were angry at the receptionist at the first doctor so you never went back. Now you have a doctor you like. What are you talking about; the difference between two doctors or the receptionist at the first doctor's office? You went to a new doctor because the receptionist at the first doctor you did not like? You are lucky to have so many doctors to choose from. I've never chosen a doctor based on how much I liked his/her receptionist.
 
Devi said:
Maybe so, but if it was constant over a period of time, then I'd say it's the person, not some unknown circumstance. In any case, they're supposed to be nice to customers/patients. It's part of their jobs.
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"If" But that issue was not mentioned in the post. Only you are assuming it was. Let's stick to the facts of what is said, not all the ifs, thens, and buts that we wish the situation to contain. I know I too often do this. But, I eventually learn that the assumptions I make and then the conclusions I draw have really no relevance. This is why threads so often go wildly off track.
 
Wes said:
"If" But that issue was not mentioned in the post. Only you are assuming it was. Let's stick to the facts of what is said, not all the ifs, thens, and buts that we wish the situation to contain. I know I too often do this. But, I eventually learn that the assumptions I make and then the conclusions I draw have really no relevance. This is why threads so often go wildly off track.
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Incorrect. I think you should re-read the OP's post:

"She's terse on the phone, always finds a reason to be obstructive then glowers at me when I go in to get my repeat medication. She virtually throws the pack at me."​
​
I was not assuming anything, nor making anything up. Geez.
 
VaughanJB said:
In the UK, we have a real problem.

Each appointment is measured in ten minute slots.
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In the 90s, VaughanJB, I lived in Balham, London, my Doctor,
occasionally send me to the Balham Clinic, for a blood test.

The Balham Clinic, had 4 or 6 Doctors on duty daily, each had
their own receptionist and they were all in line, side by side,
they faced the seats in the waiting area, where the patients of
each Doctor sat in front of that receptionist, the few times that
I visited the clinic, there was always one block of seats empty,
after a few times of seeing this, I approached the receptionist and
asked why she had no patients waiting, she said that her Doctor,
didn't do appointments, his patients could just walk in and he
never had a queue.

This was the system long, long ago, maybe appointments should
be scrapped.

Mike.
 
Wes said:
"If" But that issue was not mentioned in the post. Only you are assuming it was. Let's stick to the facts of what is said, not all the ifs, thens, and buts that we wish the situation to contain. I know I too often do this. But, I eventually learn that the assumptions I make and then the conclusions I draw have really no relevance. This is why threads so often go wildly off track.
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Thanks Wes. I’ll try to do better for you next time. It makes sense to me but I can understand if you don’t. That’s okay. So far, you’re the only one complaining.
 
The receptionist where I went to see the Vet was rather rude with me. I have no idea what her problem could have been. My resolve was to go to another Veterinarian. I didn't say anything about her to anybody. I just feel I need more respect as a customer who had paid through the nose many times there.
 
My husband had a primary care doctor that was no great shakes, but good enough. However, his receptionist was awful. I had to deal with her for insurance and she was consistently nasty. She was so unhelpful. Every interaction was negative. Eventually I found us another primary care doctor.
 
There is no reason for a receptionist being rude/nasty. I have been a receptionist for over 50 years in educational institutions. I was stressed out at times - family member passed away, husband laid off, family relationship troubles, overworked at work, etc. I never acted nasty to anyone unless the person was nasty to me. And how I dealt with that was with super sickening sweetness to the point of being sarcastic.
 
Pappy said:
Thanks Wes. I’ll try to do better for you next time. It makes sense to me but I can understand if you don’t. That’s okay. So far, you’re the only one complaining.
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I am not complaining. I am only making an observation about behavior that I often display myself. We are altogether, here. Learning never stops for me. Thanks for your come back.
 
Lewkat said:
My cardiologist of over 30yrs hired a new receptionist and due to her attitude, I left seeing this good man. I don't know if he read my scathing report or not, but now I must find another heart man.
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Ruthanne said:
The receptionist where I went to see the Vet was rather rude with me. I have no idea what her problem could have been. My resolve was to go to another Veterinarian. I didn't say anything about her to anybody. I just feel I need more respect as a customer who had paid through the nose many times there.
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I feel the same way. I won't put up with annoying staff that disrespects me. Complaining about the nasty receptionist in a physician's office doesn't do much good. What has helped is finding another physician with a nice, polite, competent staff. I have a new dentist, and her entire staff is absolutely awesome.
 
I work in a medical centre (am not the receptionist)

Yes of course receptionists should be polite and most are.

Remember it works both ways though - most customers/patients are polite too but there are often ones who are not and are rude and demanding when they are told No ,regardless of how polite the No was.

and receptionists do have to tell people No - if there are no appointments that day, for example, there are no appointments - it isnt the receptionist's fault. Nor if the doctor is running late or whatever.
It is often a thankless task being on the front desk.
 
January said:
I work in a medical centre (am not the receptionist)

Yes of course receptionists should be polite and most are.

Remember it works both ways though - most customers/patients are polite too but there are often ones who are not and are rude and demanding when they are told No ,regardless of how polite the No was.

and receptionists do have to tell people No - if there are no appointments that day, for example, there are no appointments - it isnt the receptionist's fault. Nor if the doctor is running late or whatever.
It is often a thankless task being on the front desk.
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I am as nice and polite to that woman as I can be, but she still acts like I am ultra annoying to her, that things would be so much easier without pesky patients bothering her.
I would love to tell her what I really think of her and she would deserve it. I swallow my anger but one day someone else won't.
 
birdy said:
My husband had a primary care doctor that was no great shakes, but good enough. However, his receptionist was awful. I had to deal with her for insurance and she was consistently nasty. She was so unhelpful. Every interaction was negative. Eventually I found us another primary care doctor.
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That's exactly how I feel but it would be major upheaval to go elsewhere.
 
Now that I think about it, we had a dentist whose receptionist was snarky to my husband, so we went to another dentist.

And, now that I think about it, he (the first dentist) was recommended to us by my husband's sisters ... but they are also no longer going to him. I haven't asked why.
 

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