Waiting at the Doctor's office

[Tyme2fish]

I work 3rd shift. Had an appointment with a Doctor at 8:30 AM. Showed up at 8:00 AM. Waited in the "big" room till 8:45. No problem yet.<br />I was then escorted into the "little" room at 8:50. OK , that's only 20 minutes late from appointment time.<br />Stayed in the "little" room till 9:50 AM and walked out.<br />Told a nurse that I was going home and I hoped they get their act together. This was a first time visit to a specialist referred by my regular Doctor.<br />It's my opinion that waiting for over an hour is a slap in the face to the patient. No reason ever given to me of why the delay. My time is just as valuable as theirs. <br />I'll be waiting to see if the want a co-pay from me. That should be another good story.

 

[ndemge]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

is a specialist office, it is very common that they got pulled away for emergency surgery somewhere and left..... BUT, they need to TELL YOU!<br /><br />I compeltely agree with ya.<br /><br />My wife used to work in an ENT office, would happen all the time that they would get a call that someone had an accident, needed their face re-built and they would have to leave, but they would tell he people waiting and give them their options.

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

The Doc was outside the closed door to my "little" room. I could hear him talking to whomever, making plans for the weekend etc. Footsteps would come and go but my door never opened. Said the heck with it and left.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

T2F, I feel your pain. You should send the physician an invoice for your time that you spent waiting past your scheduled appointment time and see what he says. I told a specialist on our first meeting I was going to send him an invoice for the 3 hours I spent waiting on him past the scheduled appointment time if he didn't give me credit towards my bill. He claimed I didn't do anything for him to pay me for....I told him the he hadn't done anything for me to pay him for either for the 3 hours I waited and that if I'm to pay him for his time he'll pay me for mine. He did say I had a valid point, apologized and didnt charge me for my visit. He told me to always make my appointments with him for first thing in the mornings and I wouldnt have that problem anymore. That was 4 years ago, I see him every year and haven't had a problem since.

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

EF: It WAS the first appointment in the morning. That was another reason I was ticked off.<br />One hour and twenty minutes late with no excuse or notice. No way Jose!! By the way, I gave them an extra 30 minutes before my usual WTF is the reason for them not seeing me explosion hit me.<br />I am a very patient patient but this was too much.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

Same thing happened to me, I went out and asked what the heck is the deal.<br /><br />Doc was in the room within 10 minutes.<br /><br />I hate the "little room". Why even bring you in there.<br /><br />I will use a new solution next time this happens. I will give them my cell phone number, they can call me and I will be in the office within 5 minutes. Walking around the complex beats staring at the walls for one hour.<br /><br />Ken

 

[Ron G]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

I feel ya been ther twice this week and still no dont know what the #### is relly wrong.

 

[KRS]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

doctors are very production minded (if they like to make money), it's all about the numbers. they squeeze as many appts in as possible to get that $200 office visit fee.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

I had "the conversation" with my doc on our first visit. Taught him a little Business 101 about telling people they are not as important as you are if you make them wait for an appointment. Explained that I did not like to wait for no apparent reason, and an appointment was an appointment. If he was running behind, I expected a call, a more than 15 minutes wait would produce a bill from me or a walk out from me, etc. The common courtesy thing. He has been great ever since and i never have to wait more than 15 minutes beyond my scheduled time before he actually sees me (not just taken to the "little room."<br /><br />If more patients would have less patience and have "the talk" with doc about their manners, things might change in the industry and they would learn to schedule realistically.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

Use to happen to me on a regular basis, until I confronted the Doc. I now call 30 min before my "scheduled" app. to see how far behind they are running, when the magic number is less than 30 min. I head in. Not the best solution but it works.

 

[SwampNut]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

I walked out of a dentist's office for that reason once, then they billed me for a "missed appointment." So I billed them for my time, which was more. It was an interesting conversation first with the office manager, then doctor, then collection guy.

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

Send them a bill for your waiting time, then allow them to credit it to your account if it would be easier to make the payment.

 

[heycods]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

My heart Dr. is allways late, Usually an emergency surgery , but he is a swell guy. I have never got in earlier than 1 hr late the longest was 7 hrs. Once I showed up for my appointment and the office didnt tell me that it had ben changed. when we found out that the Dr. wasnt even there and it was thier mistake, they called him at home and he came in just to see me. I tollerate this behavior from him because he is the best and he Is busy. Other Dr.s Ill walk out after an hr if I know they are in the building and just over booked.

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

My wifes OB doctor was late for the birth of child #2.<br /><br />He sprinted in just in time to watch the last 10 seconds. But in that hospital the nurses do 99% of the delivery, the doctor is usually there for the final inning to play catcher.<br /><br />In his defense though child #1 came in aboutr 28 hours of horror. Child #2 came in about 45 minutes of ouch. Child #3 came in about 20 minutes of OMG! Doc never left for that one.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

When did a doctor’s time become any more valuable than YOUR time!?!?! His service may be worth more, but NOT his time. You are right, the doc doesn’t have his stuff together. No, it is not acceptable to wait more than minutes for the doc. If he overbooks, he needs to pay the price, same as an airline that sells too many seats, same as a restaurant that seats more people than their wait staff can handle; being busy isn’t an excuse for poor service, it’s an indication of poor management.<br /><br />Fwiw, in Germany a guy successfully sued his doctor for making him wait. Claimed the doc is a business and has an obligation to run the business with the same efficiency as any other business, thus allowing the customer (patient) a reasonable expectation of service. The court agreed.

 

[magster65]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

At the GP or any specialist I always ask them to leave the examination room door open because I'm chlostraphobic (not really). Once they walk by and see you, they'll be right in. Try it.

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

Originally posted by magster65:<br /> At the GP or any specialist I always ask them to leave the examination room door open because I'm chlostraphobic (not really). Once they walk by and see you, they'll be right in. Try it.

I did think about telling them that I can't stand a closed door ever since my POW days in Vietnam. Bad idea on my part as I was in the Army during Vietnam but was never shipped overseas. My hat's off to all that served over in Nam and to our current Military men and women in service.

 

[SwampNut]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

Tell him that the torturers in 'Nam always made you wait, and that after half an hour anyone coming in the door reminds you of "Charlie" coming in to stick bamboo under your nails. You just don't know what you'll do then...

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

One thing I noticed you guys all live in the states

Fuzzey

 

[Don S]

Re: Waiting at the Doctor's office

One thing I noticed you guys all live in the states

Fuzzey

And you had to open a thread that is over a month old just to say that??