Transmission from the Half Cube: 07/02/08

Caller: Hi, I’d like to change physicians. I am completely disgusted with the one I have now.

Me: Alright ma’am, may I have your ID number?

Caller: XIC900123852. Now I just switched over to this doctor two months ago, and it took me three days just to get through to the receptionist who was incredibly rude, and then she tells me that the doctor can’t schedule me in until December and that’s just ridiculous.

Me: I’m sorry ma’am. Well if you’d like to make an official complaint-

Caller: I could have a fractured foot, and there is no reason why any doctor should take new patients if they can’t see them until December! If that’s the case they should just stay closed until December and not take any payments!

Me: ::blinks and shakes head:: Again ma’am, I am sorry you had such trouble. Now to make a complaint against a doctor you would contact the Board of Physicians.

Caller: But that’s a lengthy process, and this is a doctor that your company offers to the clients so I want to make the complaint to you, and you should be the ones to fix it!

Me: Ma’am, we do take note of it, however the Board of Physicians would be the ones to take up disciplinary action-

Caller: So what you’re saying you don’t care about your customers who pay you a lot of money in order to see a doctor. You allow these doctors to just do as they please and when I come to you to complain you don’t want to hear it!

Me: No ma’am, what I’m saying is that there are proper channels to make an official complaint, and I’m just trying to help you-

Caller: But why should *I* have to call the Board when this is a doctor listed on your website and it’s your clients that are the ones suffering because the doctor can’t be bothered to see them in a timely manner?!?!

Me: ::massaging temples:: Because while we do take note of the problem, the Board oversees all of the doctors in this state, and your complaint could be valuable in helping potential patients no matter what insurance they have, be it us or, I dunno, Kaiser Permanente. The doctors we list aren’t exclusive to us.

Caller: But I don’t care about those other people, I want-

Me: Ma’am, ma’am, I understand you are upset by the way you were treated by that office, I do, but there is only so much I can do for you right now. One of those things is to set you up with a new doctor who will hopefully be more considerate to your needs, and the other is to get in touch with a supervisor who can take further document of your complaint. ::slow exhale::

Caller: …Oh. Alright. We can do that then. ::pause::  Thank you for being so professional, I know it’s not *your* fault, but I have to complain to somebody and y’know, talking to a supervisor would make me feel better.

Me: ::severe twitch:: Yes. Ma’am. Would you like the number for the Board?

Caller: ::breezy and sweet:: No, I’ll just leave your supervisor a voice mail, that’ll be fine.