AIBU to think people feel entitled to be rude to GP Receptionists?

[alpacasandwich]

I've got a job stacking shelves in a supermarket. I love it. People are mostly kind, friendly and above all respectful. If someone asks me where something is, they are so apologetic about me abandoning whatever I'm doing.

By my third shift in a GP surgery I'd been sworn at, regularly told I was responsible if someone died before they could see a GP, been given the line "I pay your wages", been hung up on over the phone multiple times, I barely went 20mins without someone angrily eye rolling and shouting and being hideous.

Why do people treat people like that? I always heard retail is hell, but the odd moany customer is the exception. As a receptionist you're treated with absolute disdain no matter how hard you work and how nice you are. I used to cry in the toilets.

AIBU to think people feel entitled to behave this way, maybe due to the idea that receptionists are evil witches?

GP receptionists are notorious for being nosey jobs worths. So I guess people are presuming you are the same.

I can't say I feel entitled to be rude to anyone but I've certainly come across some rude receptionists in my time so perhaps people are on the defensive before engaging in a conversation. In fact I would suggest that Drs receptionists are notorious for being rude. I don't have any issues with my current Drs but I have been grilled in the past about my symptoms in a way which I felt was intrusive and have had to listen to receptionists talk about other patients in a rude or indiscreet way. In the Drs where my mum worked as a nurse a receptionist went into someone's medical records to snoop at what was wrong with her and then gossiped about it. None of this excuses patients being rude and I do tend to think it's counter productive if you're trying to get people to help you.

I've never been rude to a GP receptionist, however I'm not a fan.

I have sat waiting for my appointment, fearing for my job due to lateness, watching the ladies go up and down, shuffling at a snails pace, before declaring that they have been rushed off their feet and are making a cup of tea now.

I've been given dubious medical advice. I've stood tearful, tired and emotional as a receptionist had a go at me that she couldn't possibly register my new born, because she doesn't know the system. And it's my fault. And she's pretty sure that my child does not need her vaccine boost (additional one - and it's listed in the red book as necessary)

There have been exceptions, and I do understand people misuse GP appointments or don't turn up. But I have found them in general rude, incompetent and unhelpful. It seems to be a specific type of lady, and they always have the attitude of working and years of experience and yet their skills regarding systems and customer service seem to be of a work experience intern.

The majority of GP receptionists I've encountered are total cows, it's like a job requirement.

People only usually ring GP receptionists when they're ill, so they're already not in the best of moods and if they're not getting what they want, it can frustrate them and they react badly.

It doesn't entitle them to be rude, obviously, but I think that's why it happens.

I've been nothing but polite to GP receptionists, it's a shame that very few have felt the need to be polite back.

One even made a bloody horrendous mistake and refused to apologise to me in case I took it as an admittance she was wrong and too lazy to do her job properly.

Ime they don't have a good reputation for a reason.

I'm rude to people who are rude to me

Job is irrelevant

I'm rude to people who are rude to me

That's a shit attitude. Ever heard of being the bigger person?

An eye for an eye does not make the world go round.

Unfortunately every experience I have ever had with any of the receptionists at my GP has been bad. Generally dismissive, nosy and abrupt. I worked for a short time as a temp receptionist in a GP surgery and it was fascinating. A group of wonderful, funny, caring women in the back office who turned into blunt, shrewish cow bags when they answered the phone or stood behind the front desk.

Dental receptionists get a lot of aggression too
Like gp reception staff They just can't create appointments out of this air They get told what to do what to say and to not say from higher up
Be nice people they're trying to help you

most of the time they're not being difficult they just can't do the impossible

If you want someone in a customer/public facing role to help you then don't be rude to them, it doesn't make sense.

I used to work in a bank. The ruder the person was the less likely I was to go above and beyond to help.

I thought GP Receptionists had special lessons to make them so rude.

You can't compare people in a supermarket to people going to the doctors. People making a GP appt are far more likely to feel ill or anxious couple this with the fact that the majority of GP receptionists are extremely rude, I can see why it happens

I'm sorry people have behaved like that to you OP. However, like pp I have encountered enough rude GP receptionists to think it seems to be a job where people often assume they can be rude, and are. You are probably suffering a) from patients who are themselves rude and b) patients who move quickly to being rude when they probably shouldn't because it's what they expect from you. It's not right but I can sort of see where it comes from.

GP receptionist have such a difficult job managing appointments / patients and clinical staff - many people abuse appointments for self limiting minor illness or unnecessary issues making it difficult for genuine people to get an appointment- in the majority of cases they only ask for information so they can put you with an appropriate clinician.

Ours sit behind glass that they deign to open if you stand there, not welcoming and to be honest I feel they want as little to do with you as possible. Last interaction with one very poor, did not offer me the options she should have done, did not do what had been agreed she would do and then denied all knowledge of our conversation when I made a complaint.

They reap what they sow

No I don't need to be the bigger person

You act like a twat, you'll get treated like one

Simples

But thanks for the advice

By my third shift in a GP surgery I'd been sworn at, regularly told I was responsible if someone died before they could see a GP, been given the line "I pay your wages", been hung up on over the phone multiple times, I barely went 20mins without someone angrily eye rolling and shouting and being hideous.

I will probably piss people off with this, but it's a function of the fact that the NHS is broken. I am reasonably sure that GP receptionists don't get this the world over.

People are frustrated and sick and scared. I might get that way too if I had to jump through the hoops that some people talk about on here, just to see a GP within days instead of weeks. I am always astonished by stories on here of having to start phoning first thing in the morning, phoning multiple times, going in to sit in the surgery and wait.

Of course I would never abuse the receptionist, and I'm not at all condoning it, but I can see how some people reach boiling point.

Going against the grain here , I have chronic illness which means very regular contact with my surgery (weekly appointments at times) - never once had a problem with reception. In fact they couldn't be more helpful and kind. One came up to me at my workplace a few months ago and gave me a big hug - that was lovely. They do ask what it's for if I ask for a telephone appointment or a double appointment but that's just a routine thing I think, probably so doctor or nurse has a chance to prepare or read previous notes if applicable.

I often wonder if I am the exception though because there s a lot of negative reviews online about them. I've never once had cause to complain about them.

Now .. hospital admin staff on the other hand ..

This thread is so depressing. I have always treated patients with utmost respect and have been treated like total shit for 9 hours a day.

I recently moved to a new gp surgery and found myself steeling myself ready for an attempt to book a doctors appointment. The phone was answered first time I rang, they gave me an appointment for a call back from the doctor that day and even said she hoped that I felt better soon. I was so amazed I stared at the phone in amazement for about a minute after she hung up.

I've always been polite to gp receptionists but at 32 that was the first time that one had been civil to me. There are so many examples of gp receptionists being rude that I can't even list. My favourite was when I was accompanying my dsis to gp's after she'd had an appendectomy and was still in pain and had a fever. The receptionist point blank refused to give he an appointment over the phone as you're supposed to be in pain after surgery. I insisted on dragging her down there, she fainted in front of the reception desk while they were chatting and the woman very clearly rolled her eyes and said 'well, I suppose I'll have to call an ambulance now so you've got what you wanted'. Dsis had gangrene and septacaemia and very nearly died.

Like I said above, people aren't in the best of moods when they ring a GP receptionist so they're shirty.

Because GP receptionists are so used to nearly every patient being a twat, they're ground down by them.

Vicious cycle continues.

The receptionists at my GPs are lovely, always pleasant, will go out of their way to help you etc. The number of times I've witnessed people being rude to them is astounding. On more than one occasion people have been so aggressive I've been on the edge of intervening. And even then they aren't rude back. I don't know why they stay there, they are horribly abused.

Tbf, I have a chronic illness and I still manage not to be an arsehole to people. I don't think it's an excuse. But this thread has proved my point, people do feel entitled obviously.