Community Chat

[MomCat]

Wow.  I'm not seeing the problem here.  I assume everyone is subject to having a rough day, so I am not easily offended like you are.  I'm usually the one who is ending a business transaction with some friendly remarks, no matter which end I'm on.  I sure don't wait for someone else to do it. 

[itiswhatitis]

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@Kalli wrote:

We took our pets to our original vet for almost 20 years.  One day I was waiting in a line to buy dog food and right as it was my turn to finally approach with my purchase, a man walked in, went right up to the receptionist, told her he was in a hurry and needed something and she allowed him to cut in front of me, buy his item and be on his way before she waited on me.

I don't care to be treated that way, so I switched vets.  I am so happy with my new vet.  Her personality and demeanor around my pets is loving and kind.  And her receptionists are very nice.  Her business is in the next town so it takes longer to get there but I'm ok with that.

If I'm going to spend a ton, and I've spent quite a bit due to having health issues with my purebred sheltie, I'm going to go where folks are knowledgeable AND polite.    

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I would have complained in THIS instance too.  Don't know if I would have left the practice, but I would make my displeasure known to the chick who did this.  Yep.  This is soooo not like what the OP describes in her case though.

[Kalli]

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@itiswhatitis wrote:

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@Kalli wrote:

We took our pets to our original vet for almost 20 years.  One day I was waiting in a line to buy dog food and right as it was my turn to finally approach with my purchase, a man walked in, went right up to the receptionist, told her he was in a hurry and needed something and she allowed him to cut in front of me, buy his item and be on his way before she waited on me.

I don't care to be treated that way, so I switched vets.  I am so happy with my new vet.  Her personality and demeanor around my pets is loving and kind.  And her receptionists are very nice.  Her business is in the next town so it takes longer to get there but I'm ok with that.

If I'm going to spend a ton, and I've spent quite a bit due to having health issues with my purebred sheltie, I'm going to go where folks are knowledgeable AND polite.    

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I would have complained in THIS instance too.  Don't know if I would have left the practice, but I would make my displeasure known to the chick who did this.  Yep.  This is soooo not like what the OP describes in her case though.

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Yeah, I know it sounds drastic but that's what I did.  It's funny .... many times things just roll off my back.  But there are some instances that I just can't ignore.  This was one of them.  I think because I have to bend over backwards in my job to be fair, polite and agreeable.  I want that treatment, too!    

Anyway, it turned out to be a very positive change.  

[JaneMarple]

I can't believe some of the reactions to the O P's thread. Yes we do have different perceptions of scenarios but why not take her at face value?

Last year one of my sister's was going to her Oncologist's visit which is connected to the hospital. When she went to check in, she stood on line behind other patients. Because it's not a big area, everyone could hear the woman behind the check in desk. I was there as well but sitting off to the side, what I kept hearing was how patients were going to pay etc. like she was taking orders at Mcdonald's. No one wanted to be there, there were patients with and without wigs, wearing masks,  in wheel chairs, some limping and others extremely sad and fretful. No compassion whatsoever from the woman behind the desk. 

This upset my sister so badly that she wrote an email to the office which had several doctors and other medical staff. The office manager of the Oncologist's doctor's group called her the next day and thanked her for notifying them. They had passed her letter around the office but not before blotting out her name. To make a long story short, changes were made at the office immediately and now the cancer patients don't have to discuss their personal information out in the open. I don't know what happened to the check in person.

[itiswhatitis]

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@JaneMarple wrote:

I can't believe some of the reactions to the O P's thread. Yes we do have different perceptions of scenarios but why not take her at face value?

Last year one of my sister's was going to her Oncologist's visit which is connected to the hospital. When she went to check in, she stood on line behind other patients. Because it's not a big area, everyone could hear the woman behind the check in desk. I was there as well but sitting off to the side, what I kept hearing was how patients were going to pay etc. like she was taking orders at Mcdonald's. No one wanted to be there, there were patients with and without wigs, wearing masks,  in wheel chairs, some limping and others extremely sad and fretful. No compassion whatsoever from the woman behind the desk. 

This upset my sister so badly that she wrote an email to the office which had several doctors and other medical staff. The office manager of the Oncologist's doctor's group called her the next day and thanked her for notifying them. They had passed her letter around the office but not before blotting out her name. To make a long story short, changes were made at the office immediately and now the cancer patients don't have to discuss their personal information out in the open. I don't know what happened to the check in person.

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@JaneMarple, I can understand this kind of scenario.  This is not the same.  In your case unfortunately, it was the way the office was set up.  That has nothing to do wih the staff person doing the job.  Each and every individual should have been offered a seat and should have been able to go into a private cubicle to conduct business.  They are, after all human beings.  I'd bet the person discussing payment with the clients didn't set up how the office or area runs.  She was doing a job.

Additionally, this is nothing like someone not saying a word to you.  There is no justification I can see to interfere with someone's work because you found the person less than pleasurable to deal with.  

[RazorSharp]

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@JaneMarple wrote:

I can't believe some of the reactions to the O P's thread. Yes we do have different perceptions of scenarios but why not take her at face value?

Last year one of my sister's was going to her Oncologist's visit which is connected to the hospital. When she went to check in, she stood on line behind other patients. Because it's not a big area, everyone could hear the woman behind the check in desk. I was there as well but sitting off to the side, what I kept hearing was how patients were going to pay etc. like she was taking orders at Mcdonald's. No one wanted to be there, there were patients with and without wigs, wearing masks,  in wheel chairs, some limping and others extremely sad and fretful. No compassion whatsoever from the woman behind the desk. 

This upset my sister so badly that she wrote an email to the office which had several doctors and other medical staff. The office manager of the Oncologist's doctor's group called her the next day and thanked her for notifying them. They had passed her letter around the office but not before blotting out her name. To make a long story short, changes were made at the office immediately and now the cancer patients don't have to discuss their personal information out in the open. I don't know what happened to the check in person.

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Comparing the OP and her quick, efficient checkout to suffering cancer patients waiting in long lines to discuss personal information out loud for all to hear is very offensive.  There's a difference between the effort to get a hospital to make changes to ensure greater dignity to cancer patients versus a cat's owner getting irritable and trying to get someone fired, because she didn't get a smile and a warm fuzzy when paying her bill.  I would probably be a little more sensitive and considerate before invoking cancer to analogize circumstances which are as incongruous as these.

[JaneMarple]

@itiswhatitis,

I agree with how this particular office was set up. It's just one long counter in this office without a cubicle and the woman checking in the patients did not have a friendly attitude at all. There were patients that were without any type of insurance and there was literally a back and forth about money with one patient. It was my wish that she could have had better empathy with dealing with vulnerable people.

I understand that now when patients check in it is only checking in, all other information is discussed back in the business office. I checked since writing my other post, the woman was spoken to because my sister wasn't the only patient to complain.

[BlingQueen022]

Can't make a judgement at all because you can't get the other side of the story from the girl behind the desk. 

[Carmie]

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@itiswhatitis wrote:

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@JaneMarple wrote:

I can't believe some of the reactions to the O P's thread. Yes we do have different perceptions of scenarios but why not take her at face value?

Last year one of my sister's was going to her Oncologist's visit which is connected to the hospital. When she went to check in, she stood on line behind other patients. Because it's not a big area, everyone could hear the woman behind the check in desk. I was there as well but sitting off to the side, what I kept hearing was how patients were going to pay etc. like she was taking orders at Mcdonald's. No one wanted to be there, there were patients with and without wigs, wearing masks,  in wheel chairs, some limping and others extremely sad and fretful. No compassion whatsoever from the woman behind the desk. 

This upset my sister so badly that she wrote an email to the office which had several doctors and other medical staff. The office manager of the Oncologist's doctor's group called her the next day and thanked her for notifying them. They had passed her letter around the office but not before blotting out her name. To make a long story short, changes were made at the office immediately and now the cancer patients don't have to discuss their personal information out in the open. I don't know what happened to the check in person.

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@JaneMarple, I can understand this kind of scenario.  This is not the same.  In your case unfortunately, it was the way the office was set up.  That has nothing to do wih the staff person doing the job.  Each and every individual should have been offered a seat and should have been able to go into a private cubicle to conduct business.  They are, after all human beings.  I'd bet the person discussing payment with the clients didn't set up how the office or area runs.  She was doing a job.

Additionally, this is nothing like someone not saying a word to you.  There is no justification I can see to interfere with someone's work because you found the person less than pleasurable to deal with.  

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@JaneMarple, the office stopped the practice of having patient's personal info being heard by other people because it violates federal HIPAA law.  It is VERY important that doctor's offices keep patient information confidential.

Your sister did the office a favor by bring this severe violation of the law to their attention.

 Lately, people  have complained because they are called by their first name in the waiting room.... Mary, instead of Mrs. Smith or even Mary Smith. This is done for confidentially reasons.

[itiswhatitis]

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@Carmie wrote:

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@itiswhatitis wrote:

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@JaneMarple wrote:

I can't believe some of the reactions to the O P's thread. Yes we do have different perceptions of scenarios but why not take her at face value?

Last year one of my sister's was going to her Oncologist's visit which is connected to the hospital. When she went to check in, she stood on line behind other patients. Because it's not a big area, everyone could hear the woman behind the check in desk. I was there as well but sitting off to the side, what I kept hearing was how patients were going to pay etc. like she was taking orders at Mcdonald's. No one wanted to be there, there were patients with and without wigs, wearing masks,  in wheel chairs, some limping and others extremely sad and fretful. No compassion whatsoever from the woman behind the desk. 

This upset my sister so badly that she wrote an email to the office which had several doctors and other medical staff. The office manager of the Oncologist's doctor's group called her the next day and thanked her for notifying them. They had passed her letter around the office but not before blotting out her name. To make a long story short, changes were made at the office immediately and now the cancer patients don't have to discuss their personal information out in the open. I don't know what happened to the check in person.

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@JaneMarple, I can understand this kind of scenario.  This is not the same.  In your case unfortunately, it was the way the office was set up.  That has nothing to do wih the staff person doing the job.  Each and every individual should have been offered a seat and should have been able to go into a private cubicle to conduct business.  They are, after all human beings.  I'd bet the person discussing payment with the clients didn't set up how the office or area runs.  She was doing a job.

Additionally, this is nothing like someone not saying a word to you.  There is no justification I can see to interfere with someone's work because you found the person less than pleasurable to deal with.  

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@JaneMarple, the office stopped the practice of having patient's personal info being heard by other people because it violates federal HIPAA law.  It is VERY important that doctor's offices keep patient information confidential.

Your sister did the office a favor by bring this severe violation of the law to their attention.

 Lately, people  have complained because they are called by their first name in the waiting room.... Mary, instead of Mrs. Smith or even Mary Smith. This is done for confidentially reasons.

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What office stopped doing this?  The one you work for or manage?  @Carmie, there are still many practices large and small who do not do what they're supposed to do.