02 February 2019
941
R. Linda:
Last July, I had me choppers cleaned, as I do every six months. At the time of me last appointment, I made the next six months appointment and happily took me shiny choppers home. A week later, I got a reminder notice for my January appointment. Well, okay, so I ticked the box and confirmed. Three weeks later, in late August, I got another reminder notice on the same January appointment, and thinking the dentist did not get me prior confirmation, I ticked the box once again and fired it back. In late September, I got yet another notice of the January appointment. I was like, WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? January was still a year away, or more accurately, a few months away, so really? Signing deeply, I did what I did the last three times. In late November, I got a text AND an email asking me to confirm the REMINDER. I was like, what is up with this? I did both confirmations.
November and December, as you know, are busy months, so when the December reminder came, I wanted to ignore it, but it was close to January, so I ticked the box again! I thought I was done, but no, no, no, on 2nd January, I got a text AND another email. Holy McMoly! I clicked for what I thought was the last time, but no, no! On 8 January, I got still another email! I ignored it. I think because I ignored it, I got one more on 15th January followed by a text message on the 16, and because I chose to ignore them both, I got another email on the 18 January. My appointment wasn't until 28 January, so what was going on? On 21 January, I got an email reminder and a text in the morning (both ignored by yours truly), followed by a PHONE CALL in the afternoon.
"Mr. O'Sullivan, this is _____ at Dr. ________'s office calling to REMIND you that you have a 10:00 a.m. appointment on January 28th."
"OH, I thought you were calling to cancel and change it," says I, being snarky.
"No, just a reminder."
Okay, I don't know about you, R. Linda, but my mind be sharp as a tack. I don't forget much, have no short-term memory loss and find being "reminded" I have an appointment be to me, at the very least, like being told I am brain dead or, worse, incapable of being responsible enough to show up for an appointment!
Every single notice, email, text or phone call was to REMIND yours truly about the very far in the future upcoming dental appointment. The confirmation was just an afterthought. When me sainted sister Sheila worked in an office she told me a story about an office that lost its clients because of the "reminder" notices they sent out and how insulted the clients were to have been reminded they had an appointment. Her office sent out CONFIRMATION notices and only one near the date of the upcoming appointment, so as not to lose clients by insulting their intelligence, which is what happened with the other office who "reminded" their clients of appointments.
I asked the receptionist why so many REMINDERS, and she said they had a computerised system that automatically sent out the notices. I told her it was excessive and that in my line of work, I have to be aware of everything that comes over me phone in case it is work-related and that the REMINDERS were not appreciated. She said she couldn't do anything about this.
I later complained to the hygienist, who told me they stopped with the computerised system, and then no one showed up for appointments, so the office decided to reinstate the computerised notices, which solved that problem. I said to her that the word CONFIRMATION might be a less insulting term. She agreed, but I doubt anything will be done about that. I know to some readers I am nitpicking, and yes, it seems that way, BUT just see how you react to 30 thousand REMINDERS and how you'd feel.
Uh-huh. Glad I got that out of my system.
Gabe
Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved
941
R. Linda:
Last July, I had me choppers cleaned, as I do every six months. At the time of me last appointment, I made the next six months appointment and happily took me shiny choppers home. A week later, I got a reminder notice for my January appointment. Well, okay, so I ticked the box and confirmed. Three weeks later, in late August, I got another reminder notice on the same January appointment, and thinking the dentist did not get me prior confirmation, I ticked the box once again and fired it back. In late September, I got yet another notice of the January appointment. I was like, WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? January was still a year away, or more accurately, a few months away, so really? Signing deeply, I did what I did the last three times. In late November, I got a text AND an email asking me to confirm the REMINDER. I was like, what is up with this? I did both confirmations.
November and December, as you know, are busy months, so when the December reminder came, I wanted to ignore it, but it was close to January, so I ticked the box again! I thought I was done, but no, no, no, on 2nd January, I got a text AND another email. Holy McMoly! I clicked for what I thought was the last time, but no, no! On 8 January, I got still another email! I ignored it. I think because I ignored it, I got one more on 15th January followed by a text message on the 16, and because I chose to ignore them both, I got another email on the 18 January. My appointment wasn't until 28 January, so what was going on? On 21 January, I got an email reminder and a text in the morning (both ignored by yours truly), followed by a PHONE CALL in the afternoon.
"Mr. O'Sullivan, this is _____ at Dr. ________'s office calling to REMIND you that you have a 10:00 a.m. appointment on January 28th."
"OH, I thought you were calling to cancel and change it," says I, being snarky.
"No, just a reminder."
Okay, I don't know about you, R. Linda, but my mind be sharp as a tack. I don't forget much, have no short-term memory loss and find being "reminded" I have an appointment be to me, at the very least, like being told I am brain dead or, worse, incapable of being responsible enough to show up for an appointment!
Every single notice, email, text or phone call was to REMIND yours truly about the very far in the future upcoming dental appointment. The confirmation was just an afterthought. When me sainted sister Sheila worked in an office she told me a story about an office that lost its clients because of the "reminder" notices they sent out and how insulted the clients were to have been reminded they had an appointment. Her office sent out CONFIRMATION notices and only one near the date of the upcoming appointment, so as not to lose clients by insulting their intelligence, which is what happened with the other office who "reminded" their clients of appointments.
I asked the receptionist why so many REMINDERS, and she said they had a computerised system that automatically sent out the notices. I told her it was excessive and that in my line of work, I have to be aware of everything that comes over me phone in case it is work-related and that the REMINDERS were not appreciated. She said she couldn't do anything about this.
I later complained to the hygienist, who told me they stopped with the computerised system, and then no one showed up for appointments, so the office decided to reinstate the computerised notices, which solved that problem. I said to her that the word CONFIRMATION might be a less insulting term. She agreed, but I doubt anything will be done about that. I know to some readers I am nitpicking, and yes, it seems that way, BUT just see how you react to 30 thousand REMINDERS and how you'd feel.
Uh-huh. Glad I got that out of my system.
Gabe
Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved
Don't you hate when that happens? LOL
ReplyDeleteWhy do I get the impression you are one of those people who send out 30,000 REMINDERS to people like me?
DeleteI hate reminders and tend to ignore them. In my case it IS age related short term memory loss so I miss appointments. LMAO oops
ReplyDeleteAutomated office systems that churn out notices seem to be invented by the devil or at least it seems that way. I had a similar thing happen to me only it was with rent due. I paid on time every month, but for some demonic reason I'd get notices in spite of that fact. I was always ringing up landlord to make sure he got the payment. He always had, and told me it was an automated system the building association had installed because some of the renters never paid on time. I was lumped in with them no matter I was not one of them. Annoyed me no end.
ReplyDeleteMy answering machine was full of them. DELETE!
ReplyDelete