To think school receptionists are much the same as doctors receptionists?

[saltnpepa]

In terms of attitude I mean. Apologies to anyone who is a lovely receptionist at either docs or schools and I have known a few of each. But, as a fairly new parent at a school I notice a few of the receptionists have the similar sort of bad attitude as is normally found at the doctors - power crazed, snotty atmosphere, unfriendly and nosy. Is it just me or are most schools beset by such unpleasant women at the front desk?

[Oldraver]

We now have sort of two...theough the old one has been elevated to manager or manager or something so we dont have much contact with her. She could blow hot and cold and go from very smiley utlra nice and helpful one day to condescending twat the next.

The one we have filling in for maternity leave is super nice and helpful as was the one on maternity leave

[RiskManagement]

Well yes, they are the same in that you get some good ones and some bad ones and that when they're bad they often manage to be really really bad.

[CatsCantTwerk]

I have nothing but the utmost respect for the receptionists at My ds's primary. They do an amazing job and are the most lovely women you could ever meet.

[AuntyMag10]

Well maybe it's all the shitty, precious parents that put them in a bad mood. You know the people who think their child is the only one in the school.

[ForalltheSaints]

Unfair to school receptionists and office staff to even mention them in the same sentence as doctor's receptionists. The latter are awful.

[BarbarianMum]

Ours aren't - they're efficient and lovely. YABU. Doctors' receptionists, not so much

[MrsItsNoworNotatAll]

I wouldn't want to be a receptionist because people easily irritate me with their rudeness and stupidity. They are there to do a job not to be snapped at and spoken to like shit by folk.

I find always being polite to them works and they are fine.

[alwaysstaytoolong]

I think receptionists take a huge amount of shit from people. And some are great and some aren't - as in any other job.

But i'm a HCP and clinician I think a lot of people in the general public are quite dismissive, disrespectful and critical of receptionists in a way they wouldn't be with someone 'higher up'.

I know at work I have people put through to me on the 'phone because they simply wouldn't accept the completely accurate information the receptionist has given.

And I'm in the same room so can hear the receptionist having a really difficult conversation with a difficult and sometimes angry/aggressive person who demands to speak to someone higher up.

So I speak to them, anticipating being shouted at and give the exact same information but as I'm a specialist clinician they're sweetness and light and accept and understand what I'm saying to them.

I've seen receptionists in tears on too many occasions after being abused be someone that they have treated with respect and politeness.

It's not on. I also get annoyed with the view that people won't discuss why they need an appointment/want to speak to a clinician with a receptionist.

I understand people need and appreciate confidentiality and you don't have to tell the receptionist everything but a clue would be good. Where I work there are 100 service users for each clinician.

The receptionists are the first line and are instructed by the HCPs to try to establish who actually needs to speak to a very busy clinician and who can be dealt with very easily by a receptionist.

Since my area of work has been much firmer on this, the amount of calls I have to make has reduced significantly which means I can get on with my job.

[SpottyTeacakes]

I think I love you always

[BarbarianMum]

You sound like my practice manager always The reality is very many of us around here have just given up trying to see a GP but use the walk in service in town or A&E instead. Actually, it galls me that my GPs get paid for having me on their books.

[redcaryellowcar]

I can see where you are coming from, ds1 will start school this September so I've been doing school visits, meeting head teachers etc, the school he is going to have lovely helpful reception staff, the one I disliked the most had an unhelpful headteacher who hid behind policies and history, the reception staff there seemed a bit short (not in stature) and gossipy. I think it's probably a vibe throughout the school rather than just the receptionists?

I find best way to steady up a doctors receptionist is to ask their name and if they are still grumpy ask to speak to the practice manager, or at least ask who it is, they usually become a bit more professional at that point!

[alwaysstaytoolong]

I don't work in a GP surgery, I work in a specialised area of MH.

I'm very professional, dedicated and always respond to calls I get. But in the past I'd be calling people who'd left a message for me to find they just needed to change their appointment, wanted to know if they could have their clinic letters sent to their SW too, asking for a repeat prescription, asking how they apply for PIP etc.

All things a receptionist could competently deal with but the s.u would insist on talking to me when it wasn't necessary.

Symptoms, side - effects of treatment, questions about their illness, crisis etc all things that should be dealt with by a clinician and things I deal with.

Before we got a bit firmer and asked people to explain why they needed to speak to me I would lose at least an hour of clinical time a day responding to basic or generic queries that could easily be dealt with by receptionists. I'd be staying late at work everyday because I like to respond quickly and thought that if people were leaving me a message, it must be important and require same day response where possible.

Now my service users get a better service because those in crisis, suffering side - effects or needing medication reviews are responded to more promptly because they're not somewhere in a huge pile of calls I need to make, many of which previously didn't need my clinical skills to deal with.

[BackforGood]

IME, yes, they are the same - all have been (and continue to be) absolutely lovely people who put up with a shocking amount of rudeness and abuse from the public, yet remain calm, efficient and throughly helpful on any occasion I@ve ever needed to have any contact.

[plum100]

Well i would have to totally disgree as i am both!!! and im always nice and smiley to everyone. However you do get shall we say - those who are not as hAppy in their work. Maybe the gp receptionist is unhappy as she has no control over the waiting time but is geting agro from all the pt's waiting. Maybe the school receptionist unhappy as shes just had an earful over a playtime incident that was nothing to do with her. Everyone has bad days. I think u r bu to tar us all with the same brush.

[bearhugsmum]

My kids old school receptionist was very much a doctors receptionist "little hitlers on power trips" there's not much you can do but try and get on their good side.

The receptionist at the new school is super. I resept that they have a really difficult varied job dealing with almost anything that's thrown at them from school accounts to sick kids...and parents late with dinner money, family dramas and then there's the school staff! I don't think 'receptionist' describes their job very well as its so much more than that.

[windchime]

I work in a hospital and all the admin staff are power crazed witches. Walk into an open plan office in a nursing uniform and they all stare at you like you have walked in naked. They talk to us in the minimum amount of words possible. God knows how they talk to the patients. No respect. They obviously hate themselves even more than they hate their jobs.

[ahbollocks]

My doctors receptionist is hardcore BUT if you need an appointment for a baby or child she will move heaven and earth to fit you in. Nice lady.

[CandOdad]

I agree, I don't deal with them much but my MIL (who wouldn't hurt a fly) once uttered the sentence "if she rolls her eyes again I will chin her" after much muttering a about it being "the wrong day" to buy our DD's uniform.

[bigbluebus]

The receptionist who was at the local primary school when DS was there was lovely. She retired a couple pf years ago. I bumped into her recently and she was very chatty and asking after DS (who is now 18). Her replacement was a job share - I have only met oe half but she is lovely too.
All the receptionists at DSs Secondary school/6th form college that I have had contact with have been very helpful and pleasant too.

DD went to a SN school. Her receptionist was so helpful and lovely, I bought her a gift and wrote her a thank you card when DD left and she cried.

Our Drs receptionists are also lovely. I think a lot of it comes from the boss. If the boss (be that Doctor or Headteacher) is approachable then the receptionists are less likely to be an an ogre. If they know they will get bollocked for poor gatekeeping then they are bound to be stroppy.

[Fairyliz]

I work in a primary school so I have to cover reception along with 101 jobs. I try my very best but every single day I get shouted at by parents. Today it was for 20 minutes because someone hadn't received a school letter!
I started work at 8.30am and finished at 7.50 pm without a lunch break. No I don't get paid overtime, so I worked almost 11.5 hours for 6 hours pay. Any wonder I came home and sobbed?

[Biggles398]

The one at my daughter's school is lovely, you couldn't meet a nicer lady. However, when we looked around another school, I was really put off the place by the receptionist as she was so rude!

[Morelikeguidelines]

At our school there is one lovely one and one seriously horrible, rude one. Maybe they like it that way, like good cop bad cop?

[ComposHatComesBack]

By no means all, but there is a minority in both jobs who seem to get off on the power to act as the. Gatekeeper to the doctors or teaching staff.

[ComposHatComesBack]

more perhaps the nice one feels embarrassed working with the stroppy bellpiece and over compensates with excessive niceness.