10 missed calls from private health company

[londontoibiza]

I booked a private MRI scan a week ago. I have gone through the screening questionnaire on the phone when I booked the scan. All good.

In the past week I have had 10 missed calls from them - at first it was “calling regarding my referral”, now they’re “calling to confirm I’ll be attending”.

As a rule I don’t answer my phone to an unknown number unless I’m expecting a call. If they leave a voicemail, I’ll call back when I’ve verified their number.

AIBU to think 10 calls in 7 days is excessive? I’ve paid, I’m suitable for the scan and I will be attending tomorrow. Surely they don’t need to be in constant contact with me?

I have the opposite.. impossible to get through to them!

You’ve verified the number, you know who they are, just answer the phone and confirm it and they’ll stop calling you. You are causing your own problem here and yes YABU.

All went fine, they apologised for the volume of calls when I raised it with them.

🙄 I'm really unsure why you felt entitled to an apology?
It should have been you apologising for not returning the calls and wasting the receptionists time.

I’m American, and this sounds completely normal for an MRI or basically any medical appointment. You confirm you’re coming, you answer screening questions, you check in beforehand, and yes, sometimes they chase you because medical slots are expensive and people are flaky. Ten calls is annoying, but refusing to answer, refusing to call back, and then acting like they’re harassing you for trying to confirm the appointment you booked is ridiculous. Pick up the damn phone or call the verified number and say, “Yes, I’ll be there.” This is not a hostage negotiation. If you ignore every attempt to confirm, I honestly hope they cancel the slot and give it to someone who can manage basic appointment logistics.

They admitted it was OTT, that they could see id already been through the questions and there was a note on my file to say why I wanted the scan. They said they probably didn’t need to call me as much as they did.

They were just pacifying you in order to move on.

Definitely, it couldn’t be that they were wrong?

YABU for not taking a call from them and YABVVU for making an assumption about what the call is about plus you won’t be told otherwise.
They presumably will be trying to sell their health care policy to you. That’s why you’ll have had so many calls as they have targets to hit.
Just answer the call, say you’re not interested and then they/you can move on.

Once or twice is fine. The OP is right that the 10 missed calls is over the top.

My dentist sends me a reminder email/text a month before, then a week before and then the day before. Even that seems a little excessive but ok compared with 10 calls. They also don't hide their number if they call you.

The OP is paying for a service. She pays, they provide.

That is it If they want to confirm attendance they can text a few days before and they can provide an easy online method of cancelling. As she says they have her money and will keep it.

Some of the answers on here are absurd and so deferential of businesses. The fact that it is healthcare is irrelevant. They are providing a service for profit.

I have to say when I saw the title I thought it was Vitality selling their policy - I had a million calls from them when I cancelled my policy which I ignored. And no, I wasn't under any obligation to explain to them. I have seen a series of emails at work as well where people cold email me and then email me again asking me to tell them if I am not interested so they won't bother me anymore. Er no - if I don't respond, that means I am not interested!

Well that's another issue isn't it. They will charge you if you don't turn up but you can't get through to cancel. Happens with the NHS all the time - admittedly they don't charge you but if you miss two appointments you have to be referred again.

Jesus.

35 years ago EVERY phone call was from an unknown number - you answered it with the same hello no matter who was calling. Could have been your mum, could have been school, could have been that lad who you secretly hoped would call you after scribing your home phone number onto his pencil case (he never did call).

Why don't people answer their phones any more? I work with professionals and often have a damn good reason to speak to them (after contacting their work and private email addresses), I then get red buttonned and have to leave a VM and follow up with another email. Just answer the bloody phone!

Sounds like Specsavers! Drives me up the wall - don't call us, we'll call you.

Exactly. The person was just trotting out niceties in order to get the op to STFU and get on with things.

You sound like a complete pain in the arse. There are multiple reasons why they need to know if you’re coming or not. But your poor attitude is stopping you showing any consideration or manners.

You’re being obtuse.

Exactly. It’s so bizarre - if I don’t turn up I’m the only one who’s affected.

Imagine if I now called them 10 times chasing the results. i’d be told unreasonable then too!!

It would have been 1 call if you had just answered. When you raised it with them you could probably almost hear the person at the end of the phone rolling their eyes at you.

No, you wouldn't. You are also impacting the other people who could have had your appointment.

Or the staff laid on for your appointment may have been needed elsewhere. Your inability to see any further consequences is astounding.

Because the world has moved on and because we are busy and might be driving or working. And because we want to avoid scammers and time-wasters who think they somehow have a right to our time.

Send a message and arrange a time to speak. It may well be there and then, but maybe they'd like to nip to the loo before the speak to you.

Now I've got a good one - someone has made me an appointment that I haven't asked for and the only way to cancel it is to phone up and no doubt spend half an hour in a queue. So I won't - I don't have to pay, so that's fine. But why would you make appointments that people haven't asked for and not allow an easy online method of cancelling?

The OP hasn't said she's not going to attend for goodness sake. Seriously people get so emotional over nothing.

Honestly the deference to businesses on this website is ludicrous.

I'd assume the fact that the OP has booked and paid a lot of money is a fairly clear sign she intends to turn up. And they can send a reminder a couple of days before.