Unable To Appoint Them
Hospital, Jerk, Patients, Stupid, USA | Healthy | June 8, 2018
(I am a switchboard operator for a large hospital network with multiple campuses, over 100 specialty clinics, as well as primary care and pediatric offices in several different towns.)
Me: “Health Care Switchboard; how may I direct your call?”
Caller: “Yes, I would like directions to my appointment tomorrow.”
Me: “Certainly, sir, which doctor are you going to see?”
Caller: “I don’t know. Can’t you just tell me how to get there?”
Me: “Well, we have many different locations, so I would need to know which office you are going to in order to give you directions. If you don’t know, I could transfer you to the registration department and they can look up your appointments for you.”
Caller: “NO, I don’t want you to transfer me! I don’t understand why you can’t just give me directions!”
Me: “Well, sir, you haven’t given me enough information. Do you remember anything else about the appointment? Was it to see a specialist about a specific problem? Or maybe for radiology? Or some type of procedure?”
Caller: “I don’t know. Just tell me how to get there!”
Me: “If you don’t know anything about the appointment, I would need to transfer you to registration and they would be happy to help you look it up. We do not have access to your medical records at the switchboard.”
Caller: “No. I already told you not to transfer me! God!”
Me: “Well, sir, I would really like to help you, but I just don’t have enough information. Do you remember anything else about this appointment that you could tell me?”
Caller: “I don’t understand why you won’t help me. This is ridiculous. Now I will miss my appointment and it will be your fault!” *hangs up on me*
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