I’m having a lot of emotional problems lately, and have been calling around to book appointments with therapists. The astounding thing that I noticed while doing this is that almost every single receptionist or first contact that I spoke with sounded, well, stupid, completely unemotional, and completely…declasse. It really made me realize that this is the Achilles heel in any system - the fact that no matter how hard you try to make your business seem classy and appealing, the fact that at some point you’re going to pay an unskilled person $8 an hour to do a menial job will ultimately be the rotten egg that spoils the entire thing.
I mean, think about the lengths that a therapist will go to in order to make themselves appealing - the office is designed to be soothing, comforting, and welcoming, both physically and then in terms of decoration. Think about how that all goes out the window the second the patient has to talk to the equivalent of a McDonalds drive-thru employee to book their appointment!
It’s interesting to think about how in a high-end restaurant, even the waitstaff and bathroom attendants operate with class and dignity. In almost every other business, you’re encountering the thug equivalent that just ruins the entire thing for everyone.
Maybe it’s just where you live? All the office staff that I’ve had to interact with at various therapists/doctors offices have been pretty much on the ball and very nice. Almost overly so.
In my experience, receptionists in private sector employment are generally courteous to the point of being obsequious while receptionists in public sector employment are generally bored, surly, officious, and stupid. There’s just no pleasing me, I guess.
The receptionist at our last HMO might just as well have been an android full of circuitry, talk about emotionless. All business, never a smile or pleasantry, never recognized you even though you’d been there a hundred times. I was feeling all hurt and slighted until someone pointed out to me that her personality actually fit the job very well, they needed to process lots of patients and paperwork, and it was nothing personal against me. If they had a chatty, sympathetic, and emotional receptionist, that might fly in a little clinic in a small town. It does seem that a therapist’s receptionist would be nicer, though. … Are these underlings you’ve dealt with really young? Personal experience has show older people are often more patient, understanding, and sympathetic. A young snatch of 20, making minimum wage, mad at the world that she can’t afford a big ugly purse like Paris Hilton’s and planning her big night out doing jello shots hates her job and the people keeping her busy all day.
**Freejooky **makes a valid point that a company’s initial point of contact can determine a client’s attitude, and a lot of companies in my experience don’t understand this, whether it’s the computer support line, law office, or 9-1-1. Can’t find anyone but mouth breathers for $8 an hour? Then either offer $10 an hour or answer the phone yourself, for chrissakes. It would save you money in the long run.
Yeah, it was just bizarre. An average conversation was something like this (punctuation withheld or used to communicate vocal tone or lack thereof)
Me: Hello, I found this number through my insurance’s website. I’m looking for Dr. ___. Is this the right number?
Receptionist: yes
Me: Good. Before we go further, can you confirm that you take ____ PPO and Dr. ___ is accepting new patients?
Receptionist: who
Me: I’m sorry, what?
Receptionist: who
Me: Dr. _____?!
Receptionist: yes
Me: Ok, good. I’m interested in finding out if-
Receptionist: HOLD PLEASE! <slam>
They don’t see it that way. They figure that if they’re going to hire a bunch of screwups, they shouldn’t have to pay a lot for that. What they don’t realize is that the reason they’re stuck with a bunch of mouth breathers is that they’re paying so little. The only reason someone with brains is going to take such a shitty job is that they’re between jobs at the moment and need something to tide them over until a better paying gig comes along.
Because any one of those could cause anxiety which I see you have. You might want to assess whether your emotional issues have to do with receptionists’ wages or with some of the choices you’re making.
Perhaps you could suggest to these businesses that they hire some mature and intelligent junior high schoolers as receptionists and first contacts? You’ll not only find people you’re comfortable talking to, but you’ll save plenty of money on dating - what with not having to spend cash on candy bars and string for pulling past schoolbus stops.
I have worked reception (veterinarian’s office), and it’s definitely a lot to do with the owners of the practice as well as the compensation. There are definitely people doing this job who hate customer service and are just coming to work because it’s the best they can do. I’ve worked with those types, and it sucks. But there are definitely people whom I’ve worked with who genuinely enjoy talking to people all day and do their job well. I worked beside a woman who was a GREAT receptionist–knew all the regular clients and their pets and all the regulars loved talking to her. She was persistent in getting information for clients from the doctors (much to their annoyance, sometimes) and she was a real patient advocate on the front lines. People like that are just suited for the job.
Then you get the people who took the job because they couldn’t find anything else, feel resentment towards both the clients and their employers and generally hate what they are doing–and that shows. Those people hopefully don’t last long, but it can be incredibly difficult to find someone who is capable and genial and not demanding a ton of money.
But I agree, for the abuse and the long tiring days I put up with 9 dollars an hour was not nearly enough, which is why I didn’t stay a receptionist for long. Turnover is probably a big problem as well.
You might want to mention the lack of courtesy to the owners/employers of those receptionists. If a client’s first impression is that the office doesn’t give a crap, just because Employee X is a stick-in-the-mud, Employee X is doing the doctor a great disservice and needs to be spoken to. It’s tiring being cheerful and friendly all day, but that’s the job and that’s what clients expect.
Check out your local hospital…they probably have therapists/MDs that do outpatient work. The receptionists in the outpatient psych section at the hospital where my husband goes for therapy and med maintenace are excellent. They are well trained in dealing with crazy people and their barely hanging on spouses.
Most individual therapists I spoke with did not have a receptionist. You must be contacting people who are part of a group practice. If they have shitty receptionists, you may want to consider finding a practice that doesn’t. Because it is always better to be talking to someone who cares about the job and who will help you when you are having a crisis.
Of course he knows, and of course he’s taking steps to improve things. Good for him.
That doesn’t change the fact that, objectively speaking, his ability to assess and critique the personalities and mental states of other people may not be exactly in tip-top shape.
Sure, any of us could be. But if he really is chasing a 16 year-old and is now looking for help, I’m willing to take the chance on being ‘had’ in hopes that he might make things right.
Anyway, I try to avoid board drama, but I felt like giving someone the benefit of the doubt on Christmas Eve and now Christmas Day. Ironic, since I don’t particluarly like the holiday.
