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Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,397
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy

Poor office management.  I'd casually mention it to the dentist on my next visit.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,898
Registered: ‎05-15-2014

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy

When I was working my office would always try to take the next patient if the previous one was late.  However, you have to realize sometimes there are several hygienists and other doctors that may be working in different operatories.  Therefore they are all running on different schedules since only a certain amount of time is allowed for each type of procedure.  Not everything always goes as planned and the doctor's have set backs for umpteen reasons, believe me I've lived them all......we had a polite sign in our waiting area that simply stated.  "Please understand that we may run late at times and we will give you the same careful attention as soon as possible".

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,460
Registered: ‎07-10-2011

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy

 


@ECBG wrote:

@petepetey 

 

We never know if the person before us is having the same procedure or not, but I would have talked to the office manager before I left.  You can still call tomorrow and ask their policy.

 

 


@ECBG  I agree with you. The person could have been there for a cleaning or someother procedure.

 

I remember once at my Dr´s office a patient got upset because another patient who came after her was called before her. The worker explained to her that there was more than one Dr at that practice and they weren´t even seeing the same Dr.  She was a little embarassed.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,739
Registered: ‎06-06-2019

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy


@petepetey wrote:

Person ahead of me at the dentist today arrived 20 minutes late..so of course 

I had to wait and my appointment was late.

 

Not only did I wait it was in my cold car. They don't allow people in the waiting room these days.

 

My daughter had an appt. at the same time as me and got right in. Then she had to sit in the car and wait for me to be done.

 

Why should the person who arrives on time for a scheduled appointment have to be the one to suffer?

 

Just a vent. If this happens too often I will find a new dentist. 


So not right.  I am sure I would have complained to the desk person and let them know if it were to happebn again, I would walk out and find a new dentist.  I think the late person should have been made to wait.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,170
Registered: ‎05-30-2012

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy

A few days after I have a dental appointment I receive a survey. If that applies then voice your complaint. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,654
Registered: ‎06-10-2015

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy

No need to complain now.  You should have voiced your disapproval right then and there.  They should have taken you in the late patients place.  Not very thoughtful of them.

In fact I would call their office and tell them that you had to wait, etc.

 

BTW, why did you not turn your car on and turn the heat on?  No reason to set in a cold car.  Could you have gone to a coffee shop/restaurant and waited?

 

 

BE THE PERSON YOUR DOG THINKS YOU ARE! (unknown)
Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,517
Registered: ‎06-17-2015

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy

@petepetey  

 

How do you know that patient was 20 minutes late???

 

Or are you assuming that since the person arrived after you and was seen before you that the person arrived late.

 

There could be any reason why a person arriving after you was seen before you.

 

And even if they took you on time and made that other person wait, there would still have been another patient after that who was not taken in on time.

 

It doesn't matter why that person was seen before you; the issue is that everyone after that was pushed down on the schedule, not just you.

 

 

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh
Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,283
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy


@Jordan2 wrote:

@petepetey the dentist's office made a mistake, they should have taken you first if she or he was more than 5 minutes late. This can throw off the dentist's schedule, unless he was running late already. Your time is valuable.


Unfortunately the medical profession doesn't think so.

Contributor
Posts: 70
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy

I was a dental hygienist for 40 years. If my patient was that late, half the appt. time, we would offer to reschedule. If you are late, you have no respect for my time or my next patient. They need to have a plan for late patients and stick to it. 

Super Contributor
Posts: 303
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: When the person ahead of you arrives late to their appointment.....WHy

Why do I know the person before me was late?---I asked the hygenist. 

She told me the truth. I appreciate truthfulness in a person. 

 

The person ahead was just getting the routine appt. like me. If you are getting

specialized treatment you are in a different room with the dentist or special asst.

 

Yes, everyone behind me was being held up too.

 

That is what irks me about people who run late all the time. 

 

I once dated someone like that and it left scares inside me. I once worked with someone like that too, late almost every day by 10 or more minutes. I then had to do the work of 2 until they got their stuff together enough to show up to work.