Receptionist attitude should I complain

Ah, but that’s just the thing, isn’t it? The gatekeeping power they have means that they can apply standards of civility to the rest of us that they don’t feel obliged to meet themselves. They can provoke and intimidate all day, and if someone calmly asks that they engage with them with mutual respect they’re free to call it obstruction and refuse access to treatment. Some of them choose to use that power responsibly. The majority use it to make themselves feel better about whatever powerlessness they’re experiencing in other areas of their own lives.

If it really bothered you I would email the practice manager. Receptionists expect us to speak politely to them, the least they can do is offer us the same courtesy.

I never see a problem with someone giving an honest account of what they've witnessed, if they think it wasn't right. If it was a misunderstanding on your part, the receptionist can explain that, but if it's the latest in a pattern of negative behaviour, you may help to highlight that and encourage a change.

Some people don't have the right temperament to deal with the public, especially in a medical setting. They belong in a different job where personality and attitude aren't as important.

Of course they did… the classic ‘and then everybody clapped’ meme

These things can wear a person down.

The issue or the fine details are not the problem here. It's the attitude of the receptionist towards two people who did not deserve to be treated so appallingly. There is never an excuse to belittle anyone when you deal with the public. If the receptionist couldn't handle the situation then she should have called for her manager and removed herself from the situation.

Yes report it to practice manager, it's not acceptable behaviour whatever the circumstances. If she wanted a heated discussion she should have taken them somewhere more private.
I once reported a staff member being rollocked in front of a large queue, at a local branch of a major card shop chain. Head office were very concerned and said they would send area manager to deal with it

it would help to know what the actual issue was specifically but yes, report the unpleasant attitude of the receptionist to patients to the practice manager.

Ask for a copy of their complaints procedure, then follow the process with your complaint.

I’ve encountered both ends of this spectrum. I’ve met some utter horrors who derive obvious joy from having the power to ban patients for looking at them the wrong way. They are classic examples of what happens when you give not very nice people a bit of power. On the other hand, I have literally had my life saved by a receptionist who took my part with a doctor and wouldn’t back down. And that’s not hyperbole. If not for her I would have died. Sadly I find there are more of the former than the latter these days.

OP, if you’re going to complain, do so in writing, be clear, keep to the facts. Refuse to engage in any way on the subject except in writing; you don’t want them saying you said something you didn’t in order to get rid of you as ‘troublesome’. If enough people complain it will, eventually, become unignorable. Not everyone can do every job, and she’s clearly got no business being in healthcare in any capacity. Total bully.

Really?

I’m certain your GP surgery will be happy to hear that you call the staff that work there ‘neo Nazis’. Your name calling speaks volumes about you!

Why did you feel the need to share your daft decisions with us? I don’t care - in fact, I’m quite pleased that by striking yourself off the waiting list someone who was below you will now move up the list.

Probably - but certainly well deserved 🤪

Do something about it.

There was one just like that at my last surgery where the others were barely better.

During one interraction where I was being perfectly reasonable having been given the runaround about an essential.prescription "it's at the chemist, go back". I did, it hadn't been sent. When I returned the third time I got "I HAVE TOLD YOU IT'S AT THE CHEMIST, GO BACK AND GET THEM TO PHONE US". To which my response was a cut glass "who exactly do you think you are speaking to, I have had the run around for 40 minutes. Please now ask a Dr to wrote a paper prescription". I AINT DOIN THAT, THIS IS THE N.H.S. and it's free.

I went home and asked my GP to telephone and why. They were apologetic and the prescription was at the desk within 15 minutes.

However, this was a rinse and repeat encounter and I changed doctors. The new surgery is a great improvement. I think standards cascade from the GP's and their attitude to patients and it's notable that old surgery paid NWW (SW London/Surrey) and the new one pay £2 ph more.

You get what you pay for.

The last person who spoke to me like that regretted it instantly but its taken me a lifetime to learn to stick up for myself.
The worse thing for her as I was telling her off was thst people in the waiting room started clapping. She was mortified 😂

I am a receptionist in a medical centre and you should absolutely report her behaviour to the practice manager and the lead doctor.

I'd have reported the gobby bitch to the surgery manager, and hopefully she would have been sacked on the spot.

Most receptionists I've had have been brilliant, but I've had a few off ones, and I had one that was so loud and awful I actually reported her there and then, after giving her a very loud bollocking in front of other patients. She was very loudly saying ''So you need to see doctor so-and-so about your so-and-so.'' I barked at her to keep her voice down, as my details are not of anyone else's business, as theirs are no business of mine.

She continued to be very loud, then said ''So what do you need to see the doctor about?'' I replied ''It's of NO business of yours. It takes 10-16 years to qualify as a GP, and a receptionist 10-16 seconds to be convinced she is one!''

That got the other patients laughing!

At another surgery, I had to see a pharmacist who would need to ring me back. I informed the receptionist that I was working f/t and might not be able to answer, but I'd ring back as soon as I could. She was absolutely fine about it, but when I saw the pharmacist that day, she barked ''WHY didn't you answer the phone when I rang?" I snapped back ' Because I was dealing with customers, and I did inform the receptionist I might not be able to answer there and then' and she just made a really condescending and patronising noise. I walked out and refused to see her!

You need to report it. Imagine if people are not approaching the surgery for help because of this woman.

I support you raising what you have described, OP and Id add that often far too much is put on reception staff in doctors surgery's. They are ending up actually having to filter symptoms and doing all but diagnosing these days. The tasks are way beyond the pay grade because of pulling back on medically qualified staff. It's a really stressful job for little money and we all have our limits I wonder how much actual guidance and support they receive.

It's sickening how often this happens. I sometimes go to the surgery with DM & each time, I witness rudeness or shortness from the staff at reception.

Not sure who's attention you should bring these incidences to, but I can only imagine how many complaints they're actually dealing with.

Absolutely do complain.
As a 3rd party witness to such rudeness one time in a large medical clinic, I did similar.
I was waiting for a smear.
I mentioned it to the nurse who did the smear how awful it was to witness.

In the email I spelt out again how upsetting it was to have to sit and witness such appallingly unnecessary rudeness to an older woman, who appeared to be querying something at the desk, and that I mentioned it to the nurse that I saw.

I noted her voice was loud and obnoxious.
That her voice carried some private information that I neither wanted to hear, nor should be hearing.

I also noted that I would be putting it up on the community FB what I had witnessed and that I was copying my complaint to the local health authority, and my GP.

I also noted that the reception area was full, that people were clearly appalled by what they heard, and whilst they may not make a written complaint like I did, they could rest assured it would be the talk of the place.
I added my number.

I put my post up on FB at the same time as I didn't want them asking me not to.

I kept it simple and too the point.
Just that it was very upsetting to be forced to witness such unnecessary rudeness towards an older woman, by a receptionist in X medical clinic, and that I had emailed in a complaint about it.

I got a call back very quickly and the Practice Manager assured me it was going to be investigated.
On the FB there many remarks about various incidents of various levels of rudeness.

When I returned to the clinic 6 months later she was nowhere to be seen.
The receptionist on duty couldn't have been more pleasant.