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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think getting to appointments early is rude?

91 replies

splendidisolation · 22/09/2017 08:26

Every fucking time without fail, woman arrives 15 minutes early to her physio appointment which puts me under pressure to hurry up on machine so she can get on, even though my slot has another 15 minutes to go.

Its just like....seriously, can you not listen to a few extra tunes in the car? Have a fag? Enjoy a sit in the park right next door?

I can uear in my physios voice it annoys him too because he has to stop what hes doing to answer the door. ARRRRRRGH!

OP posts:

Butterymuffin · 22/09/2017 09:00

You need to ask the physio to keep the door closed then so that you can complete your session in privacy. It's unprofessional of him to leave it open tbh. No one should be in view of the next waiting client while in a private physio session.

Original poster

splendidisolation · 22/09/2017 09:01

Yeah exactly Badbadbunny, I dont blame him at all, I mean I guess he COULD allow more time, or maybe people could stop being so paranoid and entitled and just arrive a solid 5 minutes early for their 30 minute appointments. I mean this isnt like seeing a GP, everyone who goes there has a regular schedule, the pattern is always the same, there's never any change or much discussion to be had: you arrive, slip your shoes off, get on the machine for your usual run of exercises. Thats it.

OP posts:

pantrylightout · 22/09/2017 09:03

Just swop appointments so that you can arrive when the ladies appointment is finishing.

CamperVamp · 22/09/2017 09:05

You shouldn't have to be watched. Just say, when you first arrive "oh, by the way, I get very self conscious so could you close the door when your next client arrives?"

CamperVamp · 22/09/2017 09:07

It isn't her arriving that is the problem, it's that she watches you.

I had a counselling course: the counsellor was very clear, she used to say please arrive at this time and don't ring the bell before that time, so that her previous client was not disturbed.

Original poster

splendidisolation · 22/09/2017 09:07

CamperVamp I think thats what ill do!

OP posts:

PurpleMinionMummy · 22/09/2017 09:08

I don't think she's U for arriving early but if she's sat watching you yanbu to be uncomfortable. I'd ask the physio to shut the door.

Original poster

splendidisolation · 22/09/2017 09:08

Yes that's exactly it Camper, its the (ominous music) watching

OP posts:

paxillin · 22/09/2017 09:08

I'd ask the physio if you could swap slots with her. Tell him you're uncomfortable being watched for half your session.

TonicAndTonic · 22/09/2017 09:09

I think you should say to your physio that it's making you uncomfortable. It's up to them to manage it properly.

^This. I wouldn't really like to be watched by another patient during a physio appointment, your physio should provide somewhere else for them to wait, or they should solve it another way.

But in more general terms, 15 minutes early for an appointment isn't unreasonable and if I arrived at an appointment early I wouldn't sit in my car if there was somewhere more comfortable on offer to wait! I'd always rather be early than late, lateness really is rude.

HellonHeels · 22/09/2017 09:09

Arriving early is not unreasonable.

Sitting watching your session is very unreasonable and the Physio is being unprofessional to allow that to happen. Tell him straight that you want privacy in your session.

TheClacksAreDown · 22/09/2017 09:10

Before she arrives next time just tell him calmly that you find it intrusive having another client see you use the machine and you want him to keep the door closed. He should be mortified when he realises how you see that.

TalkinBoutNuthin · 22/09/2017 09:15

When it's time to leave say 'I'm waiting for someone who is running late, I'll just wait here...' and watch her for those 10 minutes.....

WellThisIsShit · 22/09/2017 09:15

"It is your issue"

No it's not. It's the physics issue. She needs to handle it so you don't feel pressured and unable to use the whole 30mins.

KityGlitr · 22/09/2017 09:23

Just approach with your physio. It seems inappropriate to have a patient sat watching another! Tell him it makes you feel uncomfortable and let him handle it.

If it were an office space I'd say you need to get over your own sense of being rushed, I see appointments at work and even if someone is half an hour early I don't feel remotely rushed as their time to be seen had been clear to us both. But when I've attended someone's house like a counsellor or piano tutor they've always made it crystal clear I should wait until the time allotted to knock as they have nowhere to let people wait and it would unfairly impinge upon the previous person's hour.

So this isn't really in your hands. And this lady you're angry at isn't to know it's inappropriate to show up early if she hasn't been told. Some people are lacking in common sense and she sounds like one.

SaucyJack · 22/09/2017 09:25

YANBU. Ignore the usual bad-tempered early morning crowd.

You should have an entitlement to privacy during a physiotherapy session.

She is rude to be sat there blatantly eyeballing you, and he is unprofessional to be allowing the situation to continue.

ArcheryAnnie · 22/09/2017 09:32

^maybe people could stop being so paranoid and entitled*

splendidisolation I think this is where you have lost me. You absolutely should be given privacy for your session, and asking the next client to wait in her car (since she has one there) and not with you, is a reasonable thing for you to do. But ignoring all the people who have explained why they rock up at appointments early and then describing them as "paranoid and entitled" is just plain wrong.

Hulder · 22/09/2017 09:32

Tell your physio. Your physio should have a way of managing appointments without making clients uncomfortable - worst case scenario it might lose them business as some clients will just not book again and find another physio.

There are solutions your physio just hasn't thought up - telling clients they can't arrive more than 5min before an appt, allowing them to let themselves in, closing the door properly so you have privacy, making it clear to each client that just because the next one has arrived you still have your whole appt.

Your physio doesn't seem to have done any of these and they need to for the good of their business.

Mustang27 · 22/09/2017 09:34

Have a fag?? Is it the 80s?

She knows when her appointment is I’m pretty sure she doesn’t give to hoots waiting that 15 Mins and some it just makes her feel better to be early.

Birdsgottafly · 22/09/2017 09:38

"Hmmm. If this is in a private home environment i think turning up 15 mins early is unreasonable. Not everyone has somewhere to 'store' early birds"
"Neither case had somewhere for me to sit while i waited and i wouldn't expect them to. "

You should be able to provide a seat for your next client, especially if you are a Physio, because you are going to be dealing with people recovering from injury. Likewise it's nice to cater for disabled people.

A medical appointment, is different from a facial.

I've had lots of appointments in people's homes, they've all had a seat.

It's ridiculous to think you can't have all your allotted time because the next person is there.

How do you manage GP appointments, under those circumstances, or even a hairdresser appointment?

PollyFlint · 22/09/2017 09:39

The earliness isn't the problem - the lack of privacy is. If she was arriving early and sitting in a waiting room reading a magazine where you couldn't see her, it wouldn't be an issue, would it?

I wouldn't give a toss if someone just arrived early for their appointment (I don't drive so I have no option but to arrive for things a bit early sometimes if I'm using public transport) but generally if someone arrives early for something they're sitting in a waiting room reading a magazine or fiddling with their phone and other patients don't even know they're there - I wouldn't be happy if a stranger was basically watching me have physio.

WellThisIsShit · 22/09/2017 09:45

Autocorrect! It's not a physics problem but the physio's problem for not managing the appointments system effectively

Mittens1969 · 22/09/2017 09:45

It's not rude if there's a waiting room, that's what it's for. But if it's at a private home then yes it is rude, imo. If you do worry about traffic or public transport is tricky, then you wait in your car or wander to a newsagents perhaps or go for a short walk.

But the physio should set his own boundaries.

Witchend · 22/09/2017 09:46

15 minutes is totally sensible. I used to get the bus and sometimes had a choice between being 35 minutes early, or 5 minutes early with the risk that the unreliable bus would be cancelled or late and I would miss the appointment. I'd always choose the early bus.

Allthebestnamesareused · 22/09/2017 10:27

There is a door.

Why not just tell the physio that if someone arrives early for their appointment you'd like it shut to maintain your privacy but don't mind it being open if there is no one waiting.

Sorted!

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