I had an appointment with an optometrist the other day. I was trying a long established bloke in our shopping centre rather than going to the people that seem to be taking over the place with lots of slick spectacle centres.
I wandered in a week or so before and made an appointment for the following week.
The day before the appointment was scheduled I received an SMS reminder about it. I always reckon they are salutary instructions not to be late!
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I turned up a few minutes before the appointed time and the receptionist told me the person I needed to see was running late. She suggested that I might like to go for a walk around the shopping centre, which I had no need or intention to do.
From a simultaneous discussion I realised I was second in the queue to be seen at my appointment time. In other words, they were running quite a bit late. It would need to be a fairly long walk around the shopping centre!
It was then that I decided to cancel my appointment and go look to find somebody who would at least try to make a great first impression and be on time. Alternatively they could’ve sent me a message telling me they were running late.
My question is simple. Why remind me of appointments that really can’t be kept?
Unfortunately, most receptionists of supposed “healthcare professionals” seem to think that you ought to feel privileged just to be given an opportunity to see their boss. My request for a heads up if the doctor/optometrist/dentist et cetera is running late by a quick SMS text has always fallen on deaf ears.
I now try and book the first appointment of the day on the basis that they should not be running late if I am first up.
Otherwise, happy New Year and keep up the good work.
Cheers
Richard Hobson
Thanks and happy new year to you too Richard!
Now that’s a technique I must try… booking the first appointment of the day although it always seems that they have already gone and I’m offered the left over blanks in the diary. Still, I must admit that I do get some of my best thinking done whilst sitting there waiting to be seen (good use of suddenly available quiet time!).