# Quest Diagnostics **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 14, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543 "2017-12-14T22:49:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543/21 "2017-12-15T17:15:41Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > I have to wonder if a lot of your post is misdirected angst over the highlighted portion. > > Yes, it’s true and relevant that you are the product, not the customer. And front-office functionaries are not usually hired for customer-relation skills in those circumstances. > > I’m just amazed you would have expected otherwise, let alone even slightly perturbed by it. Your proclamation “I blame the company. And I’m not willing to say the equivalent of, ‘Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown.’ We need to call out this kind of crap.” is irrelevant, and you full well know it. What leverage do you fantasize you have? Decline to participate? Enjoy unemployment. Recreational outrage? You see how effective that is. Even if every single one of us commiserated and co-raged with you, nothing will change because nothing is wrong to anyone who matters – the folks involved in the financial transaction. > > Other than venting, do you envision any kind of meaningful action plan? If not, at least have the clarity to admit that all you are doing is venting, which is both useful and appropriate and not absurdly “internet badass”. > > If you want to vent productively, complain to the folks on your side of the financial border – who directed you to take this test. If you can get them interested in your plight, you’ll have an advocate who can actually effect change. If you’re going to complain effectively, complain to someone with leverage and at least some potential interest in speaking for your needs. (Hopefully, that’s someone in your firm; they’re the only one with any hope of both of those together. Not necessarily HR, since we know that HR isn’t in the business of helping employees.) You don’t seem to disagree with me that the treatment people get at Quest is not a good thing. And I have indeed taken some actions beyond posting to a message board. But I think even writing on a relatively obscure message board has a chance of doing SONETHING, because maybe a few others have had a similar experience. So you’re, what… venting about my venting? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543/22 "2017-12-15T17:19:13Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > You don’t seem to disagree with me that the treatment people get at Quest is not a good thing. And I have indeed taken some actions beyond posting to a message board. But I think even writing on a relatively obscure message board has a chance of doing SONETHING, because maybe a few others have had a similar experience. > > So you’re, what… venting about my venting? Venting about the ineffectiveness of it. As I hinted at, it comes across as ineffective internet badassery. Unless you’re just venting, but “We need to call out this kind of crap.” doesn’t sound like that. It sounds like faux-badass posturing. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543/23 "2017-12-15T17:24:23Z")
> [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](#): > > Life is seriously too short to get worked up about the perceived inefficiencies in the place you take your employer-mandated drug test. Because I work in the travel industry I’m subject to random screening. So it’s not a one time thing. I’ll likely be back there. And _shrug_ There are lots of complaints that seem petty to people until it happens to them or someone they care about. If this sort of experience becomes more commonplace, as I suspect it will, the chorus may grow. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543/24 "2017-12-15T21:51:21Z")
So you went there to pee but instead got a bunch of crap? Are you sure you filled out the appointment app correctly? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543/25 "2017-12-16T01:17:35Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > There are lots of complaints that seem petty to people until it happens to them or someone they care about. If this sort of experience becomes more commonplace, as I suspect it will, the chorus may grow. I go to Quest quite frequently to get my thyroid hormone levels checked. There is _always_ someone in the waiting room standing in front of the “If you have a question, please sign in” sign, looking for someone to talk to because they don’t want to sign in since _they just have a question to ask_. About a third of the time I’m there, the person who comes out to call me back for my appointment is interrupted in asking _me_ questions, by someone who needs immediate attention because _they just have a question to ask_. While I’m getting my blood drawn, it’s not uncommon to hear someone flounce out in great drama, bitterly complaining about how their time was wasted because _they just had a question to ask_. I promise you: fucking everybody there knows this is going on. In fact, Quest implemented a policy to fix it: SIGN IN IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION. They’re not trying to minimize the wait time of just the people who just have a question to ask; they’re trying to minimize _everyone’s_ wait time. Which is why the rest of us in the waiting room are just sitting there rolling our eyes whenever the latest guy comes in to rant about the Great Injustice. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543/26 "2017-12-16T01:45:57Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > I go to Quest quite frequently to get my thyroid hormone levels checked. > > There is _always_ someone in the waiting room standing in front of the “If you have a question, please sign in” sign, looking for someone to talk to because they don’t want to sign in since _they just have a question to ask_. > > About a third of the time I’m there, the person who comes out to call me back for my appointment is interrupted in asking _me_ questions, by someone who needs immediate attention because _they just have a question to ask_. > > While I’m getting my blood drawn, it’s not uncommon to hear someone flounce out in great drama, bitterly complaining about how their time was wasted because _they just had a question to ask_. > > I promise you: fucking everybody there knows this is going on. In fact, Quest implemented a policy to fix it: SIGN IN IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION. They’re not trying to minimize the wait time of just the people who just have a question to ask; they’re trying to minimize _everyone’s_ wait time. > > Which is why the rest of us in the waiting room are just sitting there rolling our eyes whenever the latest guy comes in to rant about the Great Injustice. There was no flouncing or overt unpleasantness apart from the fact that this company can’t be arsed to have a human there to answer a question, and your little rant acknowledges that it happens from time to time. You’ve been inconvenienced by this happening, and you’re blaming the people asking a question? Even supermarkets recognize the necessity of having a human around for when the automated checkouts malfunction or people would rather not use them, or heaven forbid, they want to ask a question. The deli I go to, which serves people by number at busy times, manages to treat people with a modicum of courtesy. In fact, I can’t think of another brick and mortar business where trying to converse with a human causes “rolling of eyes” and throws a wrench into the whole works. My god, the nerve of these people who have the effrontery to want to talk to an actual person at Quest - good thing they have loyal patrons like you to ridicule those who try to buck the system! ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543/27 "2017-12-16T02:14:07Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > There was no flouncing or overt unpleasantness apart from the fact that this company can’t be arsed to have a human there to answer a question, and your little rant acknowledges that it happens from time to time. You’ve been inconvenienced by this happening, and you’re blaming the people asking a question? I’m guessing _you_ couldn’t be “arsed” to read my reply from hours ago. Quest **did** have receptionists in the past. To repeat what you couldn’t be bothered to read, they were only able to answer very basic questions, such as accepted insurance and appointment confirmations. They referred all other questions to the tech you would soon see. > [@](#): > > _My god, the nerve of these people who have the effrontery to want to talk to an actual person at Quest - good thing they have loyal patrons like you to ridicule those who try to buck the system!_ “Loyal patrons”? Are you really that dense? Those of us who unfortunately go to Quest on a regular basis would rather not need their services. Some people in the waiting room are quite ill - others are shepherding family members with serious problems. Some are scared of what their testing will reveal. It is **not** like going to a deli! We want to get out of there as soon as possible, without special snowflakes thinking their problems takes precedence over ours. (and btw, pushing your way to get in front of ill people is “bucking the system”? Just how old are you?) :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543/28 "2017-12-16T03:59:46Z")
> [@Wallet](#): > > I’m guessing _you_ couldn’t be “arsed” to read my reply from hours ago. > Quest **did** have receptionists in the past. To repeat what you couldn’t be bothered to read, they were only able to answer very basic questions, such as accepted insurance and appointment confirmations. > > They referred all other questions to the tech you would soon see. > > “Loyal patrons”? Are you really that dense? Those of us who unfortunately go to Quest on a regular basis would rather not need their services. Some people in the waiting room are quite ill - others are shepherding family members with serious problems. Some are scared of what their testing will reveal. It is **not** like going to a deli! > We want to get out of there as soon as possible, without special snowflakes thinking their problems takes precedence over ours. > > (and btw, pushing your way to get in front of ill people is “bucking the system”? Just how old are you?) :rolleyes: I’ve been to Quest before and seen the receptionists then too. Now they’re gone, and I’m making the apparently controversial statement that that’s a dick move on the part of Quest. Wouldn’t be on the Dope if I wasn’t open to other viewpoints, but I have to say, I find it bizarre that there are people who think this is OK. Some are defending a business making nobody available to speak to anyone. The employees who are there won’t / can’t / aren’t supposed to talk to anybody until after they sign in on an iPad at the counter. There was some defense of this too, on the basis of, “it speeds everything up”. Eyes are rolled at those who want to ask questions. Well, I think that’s an unpleasant way to run any kind of facility. Suppose this model gradually becomes the norm in other businesses, which I think is conceivable. Is that really a world to look forward to? For those who think yes, are you quite certain you’ll never find yourself in a situation in which you might like to speak with a person before taking a number / signing in / scanning your card, or whatever? I can think of other negative aspects of that model, but let’s leave it there. Oh, and Wallet - I have read your responses. I think you’ve mis-characterized what I’ve said, possibly because you’re not grasping a degree of sarcasm, possibly deliberately. I don’t recall you from other threads, but the tone and substance of your posts here make me think your opinion isn’t going to be of concern to me going forward. That’s as rude as I like to get in the Pit. Last word is yours if you’d care to have it. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543/29 "2017-12-16T16:44:10Z")
Procedure: Sign in, then ask question when called. See, this fits in with something I see a lot of. There is a simple procedure to follow, but because someone doesn’t understand, or agree with the procedure, rant vent rinse repeat. Just follow the procedure as defined, smoothness will follow. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quest-diagnostics/804543.md?page=1)