I walk into my appointment downtown at a fairly busy clinic and I’m greeted with, “Hey girl!” and “Hi Jenny!” They smile, because they know I’m going to make them smile. The whole appointment process is smooth and they’re smiling and I’m laughing and it wouldn’t even be clinical except for my feet being slung up into stirrups.
Contrast that with talking to my surgeon’s office. They’re clipped, sound unhappy and overworked, and almost refuse to smile. It worries me because these are the people in charge of some serious shiz in bodyland. From calling for results and being told they don’t have them to calling back and being told I need an appointment they can’t give them out over the phone it’s an office of insanely UNhelpful people, the surgeon included.
Why is it that one office (far busier and catering to a far lower socioeconomic group) is so easy to smile and laugh and enjoy themselves, while the other office is tight lipped and practically angry that they are being bothered from doing…what?
It has always confused me.
When I find offices I like I cling to them with every last breath. I will drive on the expressway to the city in the worst rush-hour traffic on the Dan Ryan to get to my lady-doctor every time. Sure, there’s a lady-doctor closer, but it’s just not a friendly office.
I wish people were less closed and more able to smile. It’s sad there are so many people in a people industry (nurses) and customer service that cannot be bothered to give even the barest of polite responses. It’s just too much effort.
And that is a true tragedy. Because they either do not care about the suffering or worry of others, or are numb to it. Neither of which are good ways to live a life WORTH living.
So, I’m thinking this is a vicious cycle at work here: Crappy additude, un-heplfulness, which results in punitive legal actions. Which leads to more grumpy un-helpful staff, and the whole rig-maroll excellerates itself into legal death. Ladies, we must NEVER forget that these doctors and nurses are our employees!! If you don’t get along, fire them. If their actions are the LEAST little bit suspicious-RUN!! I know what I’m talking about since I was stuck in a hospital on an emergency basis and got a c-section without anisthetic. Unbelievable? Yeah, I agree. So did the doctor who evidently “kacked” himself a few years later when the whole thing went to court, just to avoid the litigation, I’m assuming. Use your judgement, run if you can. If you can not, call in the troops, which is what I should have done. Silly me, in the United States I thought that this could never happen. In the long run, you have to look after yourself and be an informed consumer/employer. They are only high payed outsourced body professionals.
I do want to fire them. I’m trying to find another surgeon to work with. But I’m going to go in for my next appointment to at least get the results of my CT scan to see how severe the issue is.
I think a lot of doctors, hospitals, etc. forget that they are in fact in the customer service industry. We have a right (somewhat…depending on insurance) to CHOOSE which doctors we see. Just like we choose where to shop. Your gynosaur probably is one of the few doctors that realizes it and she probably does things with her staff that allow them to actually enjoy working for her.
Good luck with your results!
My gynosaur (I’m using that forever now. So funny!) is at a teaching hospital so there’s always a resident and an intern diving into my depths. The younger ones are always easy to make laugh. it’s my evil plan.