Sorry - it's another receptionist gripe

[KurriKurri]

I'm currently having health problems - I habe to go to the surgery every other day (sometimes every day) to have a wound dressed. This has been going on for six months, it is tedious, painful and a bit depressing.

Every week or couple of weeks (depending on how much advance notice I am given by nurse as to what my treatment will involve)I have to make advance appointments - 3 or 6 appts usually.

One of the recptionists every time she see's me rolls her eyes at me and sighs. When I ask her for appts, she tuts, shakes her head, sivhs some more, pciks papers up and down and waves them around (to indicate how busy she is) etc etc. Then she fusses about how there are no appointments and says loudly things like 'what exactly is it you need doing this time' - to which I say ' dressing appt please'.

I put up with it, and try to be friendly - I'm not a rude person, and I'm going to be having treatment for the foreseeable. But actually I'm getting fed up of it. I ound out on Monday that things are worse than they thought and I will be having treatment for some time to come. I feel ready to snap at her when I make my appts today ' I dont; actually enjoy coming her all the time, I just want to get better'.

How can I politely tell her to stop with the attitude and just act like a professional. I don't particularly want to make an official complaint - it's a small surgery - I have to keep going there. But I want her to stop.
The other receptionists are fine, polite and friendly and no fuss over making appts. Only this woman seems to have a problem.

Thank you all - I'll ask the nurse about making appts through her.

She could end up scaring off somebody who might not be assertive enough but is in need of medical attention.

I agree with this. Do it for everyone at your surgery, OP!
She sounds awful. I used to work with someone like that (office admin job rather than GP surgery though) – she was always flapping, huffing, complaining loudly about how rushed off her feet she was. In reality it was a pretty cushy job (we did the same thing: the two of us staffed an advice-type line).

She had a theory that she was busier than me because when the line started, it only had one phone number, hers; the one for my phone was added later. We swapped lines and numbers for a while as an experiment and I didn't find myself any busier. She went quiet for a bit after that

Ah see I don't think you sound "wet"!

Glad the other receptionists are lovely, we tend to all get viewed as demons on the basis of just a few devils 😬

Let us know how she is with you.

She sounds like a rude bitch who is clearly in the wrong job.
I'm not one for confrontation but is there any way you could ask for another member of staff to help instead when you at the reception and if questioned just say " Because I find you/ her very rude."

Or possibly as you say you are on good terms with the Nurse ask her about it and how you don't really want to go down the formal route but you are really not up to the way she acts .Stand up for yourself OP.

You said it yourself, she is an odd woman. Rise above it, and get well soon

You can leave an anonymous review online on the nhs website that is sent to the managers? Maybe think of a way to phrase it so that it isn't obvious it is you?

Stop trying to be friendly, treat her the way she treats you. "what exactly is it you need doing this time?' "exactly the same as last time and the time before that and going forward next time and the time after that - dressing appointment."

If she's huffing about being late for her lunch tell her to go, you'll wait for her cover and if there is no cover maybe she should address it with the practice manager rather than take it out on the patients.

Definitely complain though, pps are right, she could be so bloody intimidating to some vulnerable patients they won't make much needed appointments.

Honestly, I'd front up to her. 'There's a huge queue' answer 'No, that's not true, there's one person'. Sighing and rolling of eyes would be met with 'Why do you always sigh/roll your eyes at me? Is there a problem? I find it very off putting'. If she continues, make that complaint. I had ongoing wound dressing, it's stressful enough without someone being a twat about doing their job.

sailawaywithmeagain

I usually feel sorry for Dr's receptionists. Ours are absolutely lovely, every single one of them. Maybe you work at my surgery?

tell her to' take the stick out of your arse you are giving 'marions' everywhere a bad name ' i'd complain to practice manager.

I'm just off to appt. will update on how I get on - although it may be a different receptionist on duty (I really need to ask for Marion's roster )

Mayrhofen thank you - I love my job and am not embarrassed to say I'm damn good at it! All my colleagues are fab too and we go the extra mile without even thinking about it.

I think it's unlikely I'm at your surgery although I think here's so few of us who aren't ogres that maybe I am! Scotland if that narrows it down 😉

She sounds a fucking cow and not somebody that should be in a job dealing with ill people. Definitely ask to speak the practice manager, for your sake and every other poor sod that has to come across her.

PM won't be surprised, she and the rest of her colleagues will have to put up with her shit but if it's a member of the public making a complaint she will have to address it.

I’m a receptionist and she’s in the wrong job. Yes it’s busy yes she’s stressed but come on woman have a bit of empathy! You’re not an inconvenience you are a patient that deserves care and respect. I would send a letter where you can explain how she’s making you feel exactly without getting upset in front of anyone. She does not deserve you questioning her behaviour but she needs her behaviour questioning from her manager. She can’t be very intelligent if she doesn’t know why you keep booking appointments.

If you didn't want to make a complaint now, I'd go up with a chipper attitude, but if I got any of that guff from her I'd put a face on, pause and ask her if that was a problem for her, should you ask someone else?
Hopefully she'll get the hint that you won't stand for it.
If that doesn't help then I would complain, it's literally her job to help you.

That does sound unreasonable - I'd say tonthe nurse thst you're having trouble with the receptionist called xxx as she's giving attitude ... explain what it is.. and tell them you're feeling anxious about making appointments which is bananas - I'd definitely say something as it's very discourteous of her

In my experience the practice manager/nurse/ senior partner have been only too happy to deal with this sort of behaviour.
I had one receptionist who wouldn't book an individual flu jab appointment for my severely disabled DD who was not able to attend their Sat morning flu clinic due to being away in respite 30 miles away that weekend. 2nd receptionist refused to give me more than 1 specimen pot (costing pence) because "this is the NHS you know" even though I had a protocol in place agreed by hospital consultant & gp which required me to use the specimen pots to try and prevent hospital admission. I stopped short if telling her how much I might save the NHS with the pots and just complained about her - and the appointment refuser!

I'm back - no Marion today, it was Beryl who is perfectly nice and made my appts with no fuss at all.
I'm going to look up the complaints process online and also find out grumpy woman's full name (I guess it will be somewhere on the website) and take it from there. I'd rather make a complaint on the back of an immediate example of bad attitude from her I possible (so I can cite dates and times)as I haven't kept a record of her previous rudeness.
But if I don't come into contact with her again (Nurse today told me that no improvement by end of next week and I will be sent back to hospital) I will write to PM and make a general complaint about Marion's attitude and suggest how things could be improved.
Apaprently according to the nurse there are 3 people (including me) having similar problems which require long term dresingappts. so they are quite possibly coming accross the same attitude from Marion.

The nurse shouldn't be discussing other patients issues. The complaints procedure will be online on their website. It's always a good idea to speak to the practice manager.

I'm a receptionist please complain it's a disgusting attitude to have and she's in the wrong job if that's her attitude. We deal with a wide variety of people often with other issues and are trained to be polite, respectful and helpful no matter what we might get in return. Honestly the manager will be horrified and she needs extra training.

Hope your visit went well. I've had many an encounter with unhelpful drs reception staff who know better than everyone else, but have also had wonderful reception staff who couldnt be more helpful.
I have only ever once contacted my surgerys PM but this was due to an incompetent gp. I was very matter of fact about my complaint, and they were incredibly helpful. The gp left, or was asked to leave, anyway no longer there, and I felt it was worth doing as she just did not do her job properly, and potentially could have caused me serious problems.

To be fair to the nurse - she didn't mention anyone by name, just that there were two other patients with the specific problem I have and that the nurses had been having a meeting to discuss the issue and how to approach the treatment. She told me in the context of 'how we intend to move forward' regarding my treatment.

It's good to hear the views of receptionists on here, it's becoming apparent that I do need to report this. And I will.