Just normal politeness at the dentist is all I am asking for

[MsMarch]

DS is having private orthodontic treatment as the waiting list for NHS treatment is too long. This should NOT be relevant, but I admit, the insane amount of money it's costing us is probably impacting how I feel about this.

The reception staff are so incredibly unfriendly and unhelpful and it's really starting to wind me up. They don't say hello. If you ask a question they either look at you blankly or start to do it, but refuse to actually say anything. eg I asked if we could set up the next appointment and she didn't even look up. By the clicking, I assumed she was looking at the calendar. But after about 20 seconds of silence and no eye contact I had to say, "sorry, are you looking for an appointment" and she was quite snippy in her "yes, we're very busy".

When I took DS in this week I had to drop him as there'd been road works and we were late so I told him to tell them I was just parking the car. When I came in, buzzed to be let in. Waited. Waited. Waited. When I finally go tin, three staff in reception, 2 on the actual desk, so I admit, I was already a bit confused why I had to wait but anyway. I see DS isn't in the waiting area so I say, "Hi", in preparation to ask where he is, and they both just sit there, continuing to look at their computers. So after a few seconds, I'm like, "HIIIIIIII" and they look up, all confused and say, "we were just busy with something".

It's INFURIATING.

And the woman who did his braces was great so I have no complaints, but I won't lie, I would have lied to have been told that the actual orthodontist is NOT the person who would be doing it, but instead it would be a "therapist".

Am I just being ridiculously precious? I'm really getting very annoyed. DH had a similarly unpleasant experience while trying to set up the appointment in the first place.

Ime some people shouldn't have people facing jobs... My own orthodontist made me feel stupid. He was good at his job but people skills? Nil.. Was so glad when my treatment was over..

haha i wonder if we go to the same one...

Complain. There’s no excuse for rudeness.

Stuff like this sends me bat shit and I turn in to an overly camp pantomime version of myself when dealing with people like this. When they don’t answer I say ‘oh sorry you forgot to actually speak so weren’t sure if you were looking or not. Then say ‘Goodbye, see you next time, thanks ever so much for your help!’ They stare at you not quite knowing if your serious or taking the piss.

I would 100 percent mention it to the orthodontist in a jovial manner ‘My god those receptionists are something else! They don’t bloody speak do they??

The lady in my doctors is exactly the same, she couldn’t be more like the ‘computer says no’ character if she tried.

My dentist are same. They seem to staff the desk with people who also work as the dental nurses/trainees. So perhaps recruited for that not for their customer facing skills.
The young girls who come and get you for appointment just say name them race up steep stairs. No smile or ‘Brenda’ we’re ready for you now please follow me etc. They stand at door say name no eye contact and you follow them to treatment room. I’ve noticed it last few times and thought I’m turning into my mother who comments on these things. A smile and hello or a let me look or won’t be a moment isn’t too much to ask. I suppose if they aren’t seeing colleagues modelling that they don’t do it.

I don’t know how people can be so gormless. I never know if they’re doing it to be bitchy or if they’re really quite brain dead.

It would take me so much willpower to not automatically respond to someone when they spoke to me.

Is this in South London….??

My stomach would sink when we had an orthodontist appointment exactly for this reason. The staff were always so rude and disinterested- I use to dread it.

To be honest I always think this is a really good indicator of a toxic work environment and where staff are heading for burnout. They probably don't treat each other with courtesy either. Yanbu manners cost nothing.

Yes that's not right. At my dentist everyone is friendly and helpful and can't do enough for you.

I don't understand. You asked for a new appointment and they started looking for a slot. Weren´t they doing exactly what you asked for? As for the second incident, is there a reason you have trouble waiting for more than a few seconds?

I have had these interactions many times and they seem nothing out of the ordinary. I ask to make a new appointment and they start looking. Likewise, when I come into a clinic (dental or otherwise) I wait at the desk till they can get to me. This is never more than a minute or two.

Do you expect them to attend to you straight away whenever you go up to the desk?

Apart from anything else I worry about the hygiene aspect of this. I had a stingy dentist once who employed one assistant who shuttled between being his clinical assistant and answering the phone and using the PC. I didn’t see her washing her hands in between! I did mention this and they both looked sheepish.

Not acceptable.

I love the idea of you as an overly camp pantomime version... I want to be one, too!

And yes, I agree, bloody rude, as if you are an obstruction to their work.

But you say SOMETHING not just start clicking at the diary

“sure let me see what we have”
”I’ll have a look for a slot for you now”

My local leisure centre is like this. It’s quite a skill for your words to be the necessary information but tone of voice to convey utter contempt and unwillingness to help. The fact that all 6 of them have makes me think there’s been specialist training.

My friend always used to say, deadpan 'sorry for making you do your job'.

Usually I get an "okay", but sometimes it is nothing. To me it is always very obvious they were looking.

I’m disabled and had a terrible experience with my dentist/reception being patronising and treating me like I wasn’t a competent adult. I ended up making a complaint. It’s better since.

This has made me feel a bit better as I assumed that I was treated like this at our orthodontist because DC are nhs patients. I always wondered what amazing service the private patients must get! It's very frustrating but reassuring in a way that we probably wouldn't get better service if we were paying them directly.

Yes I can’t believe the amount of people in public front facing jobs that are woefully hopeless at just common courtesy. I feel especially sorry for people who have social anxiety and so the impact of bad service is even worse and it’s bad enough for me!

It annoys me more when I (for some reason like a weirdo haha) start to visualise how they probably were at their interview and how they love talking to people, sorting problems and yes they can give a definition of what good customer service means!

Complain or nothing will happen. Write to the orthodontist and the practice manager.

This made me laugh!
It is true though- either they lied completely at their interview (in which case they know what decent customer service is just cba to provide it)
Or they answered the questions honestly "what does good customer service mean to you?" "Refusing to make eye contact, or speak directly to them and expecting them to guess what they're supposed to do via osmosis" but were the best of a bad bunch.

I'm actually surprised more posters like Diggingholes haven't come on to defend them because "they're probably only on minimum wage" "doesn't sound like they said anything wrong" etc. Completely missing the point that you don't have to say anything explicitly rude to behave rudely. Very few people in the UK expect (or want) forelock tugging subservience or OTT american enthusiasm from customer facing jobs - literally just basic competence, respect and normal human interaction. Basically treat someone how you'd like to be treated.

Have you heard of customer service?

I have, but OP was being served. They didn't ignore her. She just had to wait a while and not even that long.

ETA: The communication could have been better. I am not denying that, but I am just surprised that most posters here consider the staff deliberately rude for that and not just a bit clumsy.