To think the appointment time is the time you arrive?

[biedleecarldon]

I have an appointment tomorrow that’s at 5:45. I got a text reminder this morning and it says it’s at 5:10.

Confused I messaged them and they said I need to be there 30 minutes before to have numbing cream. Erm fine but surely when agreeing the time it should include the numbing as the start time? You can’t just expect people to arrive 30 minutes in advance?

What’s it for? For stuff like that, they usually say when you book that you need to arrive early for eye drops or numbing cream or whatever in advance of your appointment. Are you sure you didn’t miss that info?

I would never turn up at the exact time for any appointment - I would always be 5/10 mins early but would not be 30 mins early unless they said - I’m not a mind reader.

I mean, I would always aim to arrive a little while before the appointment time, not 'at' that time, so I can't agree with your title, but I do agree with the point that it should be clear in any correspondence what the time the first person needs to see you is, even if it states you need to be here at 5.10 for numbing cream and your appt with the consultant is at 5.45.

I would always turn up about 10 mins early for an appt so as not to be late. You never know what’s going to happen in the way to delay you.

Big difference between 10 and 30 minutes.

Yes I agree, I’d try and arrive 5-10 minutes before but I’d assume the appointment time is when they’d start treatment- including applying numbing cream or whatever. How strange.

At Op. yes I know. I guess I should have been clearer.

If it doesn't say a there in the confirmation, during booking, or on the website, you should tell them that it doesn't.

If it does say when booking or on the website etc and it didn't read all the info properly .. well, that's in you.

I dunno really depends on what the appointment is for. Manicure or cut and blow dry I tend to arrive 5 or 10 minutes early. Hospital appointments and procedures chances are I would arrive much earlier.

Appointment time is when you must be there and ready for treatment to start so I usually aim to arrive no later than 5 minutes before 10 is better so I can have a wee and check in.

However, if they want you there 30 minutes before for numbing then that has to be communicated

YANBU, but are you sure they didn't say anything when you booked? Seems very odd if they've just changed the arrival time with no warning.

Fair enough saying the appointment is 1745 but they should have made it clear in the original letter that you needed to arrive 30 mins early

I’ve had doctorsappointments where you had to be 15 min early to get weighed/measured/blood pressure taken by a nurse, before you got to see the doctor. I really dislike these kind of appointments! Why not just communicate 1 time ? I can see this going wrong every time ….

The issue is that the appointment will be with a specialist, the numbing cream is likely a nurse. But still bad communication.

Sometimes the system doesn’t allow for pre treatment with in the appointment .

I do a similar role ( not numbing cream ) I do have to sometimes inform them they need to arrive 20-30 minutes before appointment . The reason is usually discussed during booking . Was that not discussed ?

Yes, it’s confusing. Whatever appointment time they have for you in the system is for internal use. The appointment time they give you should be roughly the time they need you to be there. I often have hospital appointments and it says explicitly NOT to arrive more than 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment.

Is it for microblading to beauty?

Yeah it's totally unreasonable.

9/10 times I arrive and wait.

I often think they aim to start appointment 5-10 mins after I arrive.

So I'm never early anymore. Turn up in the dot.

My view is that it should at least be mentioned when sending the appointment so the attendee can arrange their diary to accommodate it.

id always aim to arrive slightly early (try to be 10-15m early) incase I run into issues with travel but unless I know to arrive 30 minutes early I wouldn’t necessarily be able to unless I had arranged that in advance.

Yanbu. 10 mins is polite but 30 mins should be made really clear if its a requirement.

30 mins early seems silly.

As a rule I've always felt that if you're not 5 minutes early, you're late.

The trouble with our hospital is that parking is so difficult and there is only one working lift in the department I visit that can take 15 minutes. So if you did that you would be late.

I think that they should set the appointment time for the earliest time of intervention, whether that be weighing, applying a pre-treatment, etc., and advise you of the appointment length. So your appointment time should have been set for 5.10pm, for a, say, 1hr 15 minute appointment.

However, I think that the customer should then arrive at least 5-10 minutes before that time, so that they can book in, take coats off, etc.

My daughter's hospital appointments always say a time and then "please check in at reception 15 minutes before the appointment time". It's right there in the letter though so we know from the start. For my own appointments I arrive anywhere between 15 and 5 minutes before depending on trams/buses. No way I'd turn up half an hour early without specifically being told.

Turning up 5-10 minutes early yes the norm but not 30 minutes! I think this is poor communication on their part and should be made clear when booking.