A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

RUDE RECEPTIONIST - Sally

Posted: Jul 30, 2010

I have been seeing my PA every three months right after my cardiologist for congestive heart failure. He prescribes my meds and communicates with my cardiologist during my checkup. He's a pretty nice guy who really cares about his patients, and his nurses are awesome. However, his receptionist is rude and unprofessiional. She answers the phone with an attitude, like she hates being there, and seems like she takes it out on the patients. She's only in her early 20s and it's probably her first medical receptionist job. Anyway, last time I called for Rx refills, she told me to call it in myself, and she was not nice about it. I told her no one has ever told me this before, and she just blurted out something I couldn't understand. I was trying to keep my cool because I am trying to avoid that kind of stress due to my heart condition. Part of a receptionist's job is to document the call and give the message to the nurse. Anyway, we hung up and I called it in myself, but I am still disgusted and upset with that girl. She has been rude to me over the phone in the past.

I am planning to write a personal letter of complaint to the PA. What is your opinion on that? Thanks in advance.

Rude - MT67

[ In Reply To ..]
I think that is perfectly acceptable to write a letter. Be specific in your letter on what irks you. If you're too general he won't have anything at all to present to Ms. Snottypants except "be nicer" which really doesn't help at all. You deserve to be treated with respect!

Rude receptionist - aspiring coder

[ In Reply To ..]
Apparently her dream job did not turn out the way she thought it would. I definitely believe in letter writing when I am not treated well, no one recognizes the importance of good customer service any more, good luck.

This seems to be pretty common behavior - nowwhatyouaresaying

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Sadly, I have noticed this type of behavior more and more lately in the healthcare settings. I have even been noticing more and more nurses with the same type of attitude, as if it would kill them to even smile at you. The girls amy OB/GYN's office are womderful, however. The receptionist is great, too. You would think with knowing you will be dealing with people all day and providing customer service that if people just don't like people, then they would choose a different profession. I don't get it either.

letter - mh

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If she opens the mail, it may not get to him. I'd speak to him directly either by phone or the next time I saw him.

I had a similar thing happen to me. My GP moved to another group and I liked him so much, I followed him. When I went to make an appointment for my yearly physical, I was informed that I needed a "get acquainted" appointment first. I informed the receptionist that I had been his patient for 8 years so it was unnecessary but she exasperatedly told me that was their policy and refused to schedule me for a physical. Of course I told her it was ridiculous, there was absolutely no reason for it (other than to squeeze an extra co-pay out of me). She would not budge so I made that stupid "get acquainted" appointment, and when I got there, I talked to my doc's nurse about the situation and how angry I was at their policy, she told my doc and they gave me a physical right then and there. I should have complained about the rudeness of the receptionist, but I felt I had triumphed, so I didn't.

Hopefully you let her know - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
how relieved you were to have completed your yearly physical without that senseless return appointment. I sure would have.

You don't need opinions, you need therapy SM - unbelievable

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if a rude little receptionist at a doctor's office can stress you out like that. I'm not being glib either. You really need to see someone about how to cope with everyday stress.

service - job

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Rude people can ruin anyone's day, not just the hypersensitive. Receptionists are hired to be a professional, polite "interface" between the doctor and patient. Maybe it is stressful for them too, but that's where the "professional" part comes in. Same with any service job. If she can't be pleasant, she would do better working in a back office.

''therapy''? - vtmt

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Seriously?! Sounds like YOU are the one who needs a visit to the therapist. Hopefully someone as insensitive (as your post makes you sound) never has a job working with the public. It's never okay to be nasty and if someone cant handle their job without being rude and unprofessional, they should not be working with people.

Rude Receptionist - ElkoMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Not sure if you should be stressed or not, but I know my daughter (one of my 3 daughters) works for her dad as a receptionist (he is a dentist) and per her she has the rudest, nastiest people talk to her. If it was one of my other children I would say it was all them, but she is so sweet to everyone. She says they are nice to her dad, to the dental assistants, the insurance personnel, but reception is a thankless job. She is going back to school to be a radiology technician and she'll be great, but as for being treated wrong, maybe she has days where everyone has walked all over her, regardless of her age (by the way my daughter is in her 20s also).

passing - it on

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't doubt receptionists get rude treatment. Sometimes when I am treated rudely, I have to remind myself, probably someone was rude to them earlier, now they are passing it on. It is very hard to have someone be rude to you, and recover in time to be nice to the next person you meet.

Therapy? Are you for real? - Sally

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You said I need therapy for complaining about a rude receptionist who have on more than one occassion disrespected me over the phone? If you think that it's okay for people to disrespect others for no reason, then you're the one who needs the therapy.

You cannot mold the world into something you need sm - unbelievable

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it to be because you can't be stressed. You realize that, right? That's why I say therapy. YOU are the person who needs to change, to learn to cope with the rude people of the world. So you get this receptionist fired and they hire another rude one because they don't want to pay a professional. Are you just going to continue writing letters about every rude person and end up having a stroke?

You cannot mold.... - roni

[ In Reply To ..]
''They will hire another rude one...'' What a leap in reasoning!! Yes, she certainly SHOULD let the doctor know about this rude receptionist. When businesses (physicians' offices included)realize they are losing customers because of their rude employees, they will begin demanding good customer service of their staff. Your ''conclusions'' are confused and backward. ''They don't want to pay a professional''?? It does not take advanced training to be polite. Basics of courtesy are learned in childhood. If not, then that person should NOT be working with the public. And writing a letter of complaint does not indicate a failure to cope. It is an effective tool and coping mechanism. The doctor can't change what he does not know about. No, courtesy should always be expected---it's not a ''perk'' or some neurotic personal need, as your post suggests. With such a strange outlook, hopefully you do not work with the public.

UR Glib - To Sally

[ In Reply To ..]
Sally, I guess we come from the 'old school' where the customer is to be treated politely. I was a receptionist once and would NEVER-EVER have gotten away with that behavior.

These 20-somethings just think they can act any way they want with customers. I'm sick of it, too, and believe you me I voice my opinion about it after several times of their being rude. I can give anyone the benefit of the doubt - PMS, bad day, earlier bad customer, but if you treat me RUDELY repeatedly, you better bet I'm sending letters, and I'm going to 'cc' them to all interested parties. She is definitely in the wrong line of work and probably needs to grow up. What a brat!

Agree - Sally

[ In Reply To ..]
Just like you, I came from the old school where the customer should be treated politely and respect. They don't realize that customers (or patients) are paying their salary.

clearly, your post is an opinion .... - n/m

[ In Reply To ..]
.

OH SPARE US, DR. NOBODY - What a joke!

[ In Reply To ..]
spare us your psychobabble. If you're so smart why are you on an MT board. Aren't there professional doctor's boards you can go to? You are obviously way too smart for us little MT's and our problems.

Rude - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been a receptionist in the past for a few years. I am very customer service oriented and love people, but I can tell you that on a bad day I might could be rude if someone called for refills without checking their bottle first. Just a scenerio of how this works. Recept. takes the message and gives it to the nurse when then sees there are refills who then gives to the physician to make sure they are correct about the refills who then gives back to the nurse to call the pharmacy to make sure the refills were recorded. Then, the nurse gets to call the patient back to let them know that they already had refills. Then, of course, since the nurse has had to do a lot of extra work that was unnecessary along with the other 50 people waiting on responses from her, she is probably going to let the receptionist know that she needs to screen the calls better.

So, you might have to consider that her "job" is to keep the physician happy that she works with and follow their guidelines. You may not know what those are. Possibly, they could have already came to her and said, "Ms. ? is calling every month for her meds, and she has refills." Now, she should relay the message better, but sometimes you just have a bad day. I would give her a second chance and definately would not write a letter as the doctor will probably never see it.

I understand what you're saying, but.... - Sally

[ In Reply To ..]
She has done this in the past as well. I hate having to call that office because she answers the phone in a very unfriendly manner and continues with that attitude throughout the call. I understand how people can have bad days, but this young lady has treated me this way since day one and I simply ignored it until now. Thanks for you reply.

Rude - travelinMT

[ In Reply To ..]
There is no excuse for being rude to patient's. I taught medical front office classes for years and one of the things I stressed to my students is that they don't always know what the patient is going through. Sometimes they are really ill and feel really lousy, sometimes they are scared, etc. If you are going to do patient care you need to show compassion and have the patience to do that. Rude receptionists have lost a lot of patients for doctors and the doctor should be made aware of it. HOWEVER, (notice the all caps). Why does a patient expect a doctor, nurse, receptionist, PA, etc. to call the pharmacy for their refills? If the refills are all used and there are no more that is a whole different thing, but to expect someone to call the pharmacy for you so you can go pick up the meds is ridiculous. They have better things to do taking care of patient's.

I was thinking the same thing -- sm - ECMT

[ In Reply To ..]
whenever I have to get a refill on a prescription I just call where I get the prescription and order a refill through their automated system. I never call my doctor's office telling them I need them to call it in for me. Now I have called them when I had 1 refill left and I needed them to phone in a new 6 or 12-month prescription, but that is it. I do not bother them for my monthly needs.

Considering the economy and... - earlymusicus

[ In Reply To ..]
the high unemployment, you'd think that receptionist would be grateful to have any kind of a job. And the 20-somethings are the people the employers want to hire? I think an older, mature worker would be far better on that job. But the work world doesn't see it that way - older workers, to them, are worthless.

I've encountered some rude older ladies as receptionists. - nm

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x

rude receptionist - MT in FL

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Yes, you should write a complaint letter to the doctor. He needs to know.

Rude receptionist - Zenaida

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Yes, definitely let the doctor know exactly how you were treated. About five years ago I had an experience with my doctor's receptionist. I left questions and messaged for three days for the doctor or nurse to call me back, and finally on the fourth day took myself to the emergency room, where I ended up having to take rabies shots. When I went to my doctor's office the next morning for the rest of the series of shots, that young lady was gone. No notice, no nothing. Just gone. Most doctors really want their patients to be treated well by all involved in their care, and will go the extra mile to make sure it happens.

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