The other day I drove at a desperate, but legal, pace to get my wife to her medical specialist on time. We made it and she went inside to see him whilst I relaxed in the car, in a half hour parking spot, confident that she would only be a few minutes.
After 1-1/2 hours including her 15 minute appointment (and my two changes of parking spot) my wife reappeared to tell me she had been so long because the specialist was running late.
Now I understand that because medical people do have all sorts of emergencies it can often mean they run late. And, of course, being medical people they never apologise for their lateness.
But as the twig is bent so the tree grows and, because the specialist never apologises, the receptionist doesn’t see any reason to do so either. It becomes the culture or “the way we do things around here”.
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It’s never seems to occur to any of these receptionists that they could, just as a simple courtesy, let the patient know, either by phone in advance or when they arrive that the specialist is running late. In our case it meant that we could’ve gone and had a cup of coffee instead of mutually wasting an hour.
I suppose there are many excuses they could give including the perennial “it’s not our job” but it does ignore the golden rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.
The lesson for us is to always put ourselves in the shoes of our client, customer or patient and ask ourselves “What would they like?”
And then just do it!
It’s amazing how small courtesies like this reap huge rewards both for the instigator and the recipient.
Someday, one day, the roles may be reversed!
Hello Winston
welcome back – or have you just found me on an old list?
Your approach is timeless, and I must say Congratulations for that.
At this end, I now focus on Personal Finance, particularly supporting anyone who is striving to make some money from a hobby. Or, as the Americans say, a side hustle.
“hobby2income is teaches Personal Finance and making money from a hobby or side hustle. Of interest to students, stay-at-home mums, overlooked executives, anyone with car loan or mortgage, early retirees, seniors. hobby2income@gmail.com“
No Bernard, I’ve never left you or at least didn’t go looking for you but ples3ed to know you’re alert, active and achieving (sorry about the alliteration!). I’ll google that g mail address of yours and see what splendid information it reveals.