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My dentist texts, calls leaves a voicemail and an email. It is quite annoying to get bombarded and it leads to me ignoring them. I blocked their email address so their emails don't even come through anymore. I am super busy during the day a lot of times and forget to confirm them. I understand they don't want people forgetting their appointments and not showing up but insisting that we stop working just to call them and confirm an appointment is a pain in the rear. They have never cancelled one of mine but if they ever do cancel if I forget to respond to the confirmation, I will just switch to a new dentist. There are who knows how many dentists around here and finding a new one is no problem. The funny thing is, their front desk help comes and goes so fast, there are rarely ever the same ones working each time I go in and they are often short handed. They could solve some of their help issues by not having to have someone constantly on the phone confirming appointments and just send out reminders instead.
What I have had happen a few times is they send me all those confirmation requests, I confirm and then show up and they are running behind because they overbooked or whatever. I have popped off "my appointment was at such and such time and you sent me texts, emails and voicemails and I confirmed so why aren't you on schedule?"
My doctor's office simple calls and leaves a voicemail to remind me I have an appointment at a certain time the next day. They don't request a call back for confirmation.
No one hates waiting more than I do but solving the problem of doctors/dentists getting behind is very difficult. For one thing, it is often if not usually difficult to precisely know how long your issue will take. Are you going to be ok with being given a slot from 10:30-10:45 for your issue and nothing else. So if you're there for a sore throat and you start to tell your doc about headaches you've been having, you'll be ok if your doc says "sorry, you'll have to schedule another appointment for that" and walks out? Or he walks in at 10:45 and says "we just got your results back but we're out of time, schedule a new appointment for us to discuss them". And if you get caught in traffic and walk in at 10:33 you're ok with being told you'll only have 12 minutes or have to reschedule?
I also think the OP can and should opt out of unwanted confirmation requests. Whenever I get a text confirmation request it says something like "reply STOP to stop these texts."
All the confirmation requests I get (phone message, text, email) give me the option to opt out. None of them require me to respond by speaking to a live person. The most inconvenient response is returning a phone call and leaving a message but even that could be done 24/7. These days, most of the time I can simply send a text or 3 word email "I'll be there!". I am all for helping my provider keep their operating costs down. That can be passed on to me a little bit. Frankly, I just don't see what the big deal is. The sooner I confirm the quicker the knicker-wad-inducing messages stop!
No one hates waiting more than I do but solving the problem of doctors/dentists getting behind is very difficult. For one thing, it is often if not usually difficult to precisely know how long your issue will take. Are you going to be ok with being given a slot from 10:30-10:45 for your issue and nothing else. So if you're there for a sore throat and you start to tell your doc about headaches you've been having, you'll be ok if your doc says "sorry, you'll have to schedule another appointment for that" and walks out? Or he walks in at 10:45 and says "we just got your results back but we're out of time, schedule a new appointment for us to discuss them". And if you get caught in traffic and walk in at 10:33 you're ok with being told you'll only have 12 minutes or have to reschedule?
In theory the Doctor could be more proactive and send you an SMS that they’re running behind. Or they schedule better. Allow a lot of padding for appointments. A typical appointment takes 5-15 minutes but they can add 1 hour for customer. Of course they’ll make less money and see less patients that way. But, many people may only have 30 minute to 1 hour window so they have to forfeit the appointment entirely if the Doc is behind. Not everyone has the luxury of time.
What about if we pass a law that Docs need to reimburse customer for travel expenses + inconvenience for delayed appointments? Simple things like that will fix the issue immediately.
I get the impression that these people who have a problem with confirming their appointments think that they are entitled and can't be bothered with a little common curtesy. It's sad.
I get the impression that these people who have a problem with confirming their appointments think that they are entitled and can't be bothered with a little common curtesy. It's sad.
Has your Dentist / Doc ever been behind for your appointment and if so did they give you a courtesy call to let you know they were (so you could leave later and not waste your time) or did they make you wait in the lobby?
I get the impression that these people who have a problem with confirming their appointments think that they are entitled and can't be bothered with a little common curtesy. It's sad.
Couldn't rep. you again but EXACTLY. Take a few seconds to confirm - boom, done!!
Has your Dentist / Doc ever been behind for your appointment and if so did they give you a courtesy call to let you know they were (so you could leave later and not waste your time) or did they make you wait in the lobby?
From time to time I've had to wait in the waiting room because my dentist had to take extra time with a current patient because of complications. I had no problem waiting because the other person matters too. And yes, I did once receive a call from my dentist asking if I could reschedule my appointment because of some problem which I don't remember. Again, I was happy to do so.
You see, I realize that it's not all about me. Plus, I like my dentist and my hygienist. They are both very nice people and I wouldn't think of inconveniencing either of them. But maybe that's just me.
Last edited by Michael Way; 08-23-2023 at 12:10 PM..
Reason: Stuck an 'i' in the word 'either.'
Couldn't rep. you again but EXACTLY. Take a few seconds to confirm - boom, done!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Way
I get the impression that these people who have a problem with confirming their appointments think that they are entitled and can't be bothered with a little common curtesy. It's sad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oceangaia
It seems like the people who know the best way of doing things are the people not actually doing those things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by villabella22201
To answer this... I've never let it get to the 7 reminder point so I personally have no idea what my dentist's policy is on the matter. Just confirm and the problem is solved. And you or your wife won't be getting yourselves in a twist over it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Threestep2
It is common courtesy to respond to someone reaching out; in this case confirming an appointment which takes a chair, assistand and dentist.
Your wife being terrible at checking her phone after work is something personal.
Not responding to 7 reminders strongly indicates a no-show patient for whatever reason.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lillie767
Someone who resents receiving phone calls, texts, or emails to confirm a doctor's appointment has a first-world problem.
I really, really look forward to discovering how the healthcare industry will further add more rigorous requirements upon all of us. The sheep just need to do more things to help streamline their process!
Some of you people are not picking up what I am laying down. As if we already don't have enough things, don't spend enough time or have enough difficulty scheduling appointments when none are available and future schedules are not open, filling & renewing prescriptions/prior authorizations, reviewing billing details (EOBs), paying bills, paying premiums, copays, deductibles, out of pocket maximums, manage/max out your HSA, buy healthcare that costs thousands/month from the ACA portal when you retire/before Medicare, this doctor doesn't take that insurance, just change all of your doctors, insurance doesn't work with your pharmacy, just change pharmacy, just get all new Rx's, just get a policy for the "donut hole", just get a Medigap plan, no dental insurance - deal with it, etc. I'm sure I left out dozens of other things...
Uh, huh - "LOL, how stupid can you be?" "It's sad." "First-world problem." "Just confirm!" (insert dumb emoji here). It's just one more thing, no big deal, it really, really helps the dentist, it's the least you can do, it's your fault if you aren't a slave to their rules, you need to just accept it and choke it down, there, that didn't taste too bad, did it? Just this one last thing. Yeah, that's it!
In our house, between my wife (organ transplant recipient, diabetes, many ailments/doctors), my mother in-law (80 y.o., had cancer, stroke, has diabetes, many ailments/doctors), and myself (a few ailments/doctors), if every doctor was to require confirmation of each and every appointment, sending multiple tests/emails/calls, it would be a huge drag, man. Like just a bum deal, you dig?
Oh well. The smart people have spoken. Yeah, bring it on. Just one more thing. I promise. It's a good thing. Just do it. "Boom! Done." Just one more little paper cut. Until you bleed to death from 1,000 paper cuts.
Last edited by KO Stradivarius; 08-23-2023 at 12:26 PM..
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