im starting to hate our patients (long, kinda ranty)

[AKATHEPOOF]

Hey, im newish and this will be my first official post, so let me explain my job a bit. I schedule for an eye clinic. That’s all I do. I sit in a room for eight hours and take calls to schedule eye exams. Which means I talk to about 150-200 people every day. Sadly, a large majority are really sucky. Here’s a few that are just grinding me really bad today.

-The patients that call in and need an appointment on XX day by Dr. X. When told that the doctor isn’t in, ask “well that what am I supposed to do then?” uhhhhh, choose a different day or a different doctor. Their not in. I can’t do anything about that.

-Anyone who no-shows their appointment and then has to be seen NOW!!!!!! I understand that sometimes you’re going to forget, or something comes up. And I’m happy to check for cancellations and try and work you in. But when you start off making demands when you’re the one that messed up, I stop helping right there.

-The parent that calls in to make an appointment for their adult child. And when we get to specific days and times, they tell me “oh, you know what? I’m gonna have to call back ‘cause I don’t know their schedule.” Why are you even calling? Why isn’t your kid calling?

-Anyone that calls in and expects to make an appointment with out giving me their information. I don’t even need a social. Some people just get so offended when I ask for their name and date of birth.

-People that call in and dont know what they want. seriously. they just hem and haw for a few minutes and then finally sputter out what they want. Hang up, get your shit together, then call back.

[myswtghst]

While my job is nothing like yours, aside from being on the phones, I can sympathize with your last complaint. I sometimes wonder if some of my techs like to call in just so I can listen to them think out loud until they solve their own problem. Granted, that's an easy call for me. It's even more fun when they want a case or request opened, but don't have ANY information available and I have to beg/plead/pry/search for it.

Also, welcome!

[KnitShoni]

Just tell them if they have vision insurance and they don't give you their info, then when the billing people call me to verify coverage (I work for a visin insurance company), it'll be assumed they don't have it. We need that info, too.

[Pedersen]

I sometimes wonder if some of my techs like to call in just so I can listen to them think out loud until they solve their own problem.

Just to note, you'd be amazed at how often that's what is needed. Somehow, it seems like talking about the problem takes you to the solution. I used to work with one guy that I would sometimes ask him to let me talk at him. We'd walk down the hall, I'd talk, he'd do whatever he felt like doing, and I'd have figured out the problem within 50 feet that I'd spent the whole morning on.

The brain is funny that way

[draftermatt]

I bet a good number of the parents calling for their adult children, is the children won't go otherwise.

My uncle used to refuse to go to the dentist. So my grandmother would make him an appointment every year for when he was around at Christmas so she could force him to go.