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?

This!

You get loads of NHS calls now too running up to an appt, not 10 but 2 or 3. Just call them back.

This! I don't answer numbers I don't recognise either. But as you know who is calling, why don't you just answer it? This may be a private appointment, but many people go private, some of them in pain, to avoid long waits.

But as I said. I have paid. I have made an appointment. It makes sense for them to work on the assumption that I, as an adult, will be attending the previously booked commitment.

Every customer contact is a potential point to upsell something.

And ofc, if they didn't remind their private patients about their appointments and they were missed, said patients would moan about poor service and demand their money back.

Just answer the bloody phone or call them back, and stop behaving like a sulky teenager OP.

I don't get this logic. I recently booked my car in for a service and the garage still called me to check I would be bringing it in.

The inability for people to take the easy path to deal with things is ludicrous.

All op needed to do was answer the phone and then she wouldn't have had 10 missed calls.

It's really not fucking hard.

And that’s what I have an issue with. We are adults. Why are we constantly treated like children?

And yet people miss appointments all the time, either because they forget or they change their minds or whatever, and don't feel the need to inform the provider. So it doesn't pay for the provider to assume everyone is just going to turn up.

Do you find it hard to get a GP's appointment? I do, and that is partly because according to the GP's own records, about 20% of appointments are wasted because of no shows.

But, again, there is no financial incentive for the NHS. It is very clearly stated that if you DNA, you lose your payment.

Treat people like adults, ffs. Imagine if I now called up to chase my results 10 times. Despite them having a timeframe and a commitment to it.

There are financial implications for missed appointments for the NHS, and besides which, that's not the point.

If you miss an appointment, even if you have paid for it, that's someone else not getting that slot.

It's ironic that you are whinging about being treated like an adult, really, when you are acting like a child about reminders for appointments when there are very good reasons as to why companies do it. It's not for fun, running through a big list of people to phone (10 times, in your case) takes time and money.

Again though - the private company does not suffer. They make the same amount of money anyway.

Again though, that's not the point.

Of course it is. The company doesn’t care whether they’re scanning people at that location or not, as long as the money comes in.

It is good business sense. It's called a courtesy call. It demonstrates looking after the customer. Children forget, adults forget. People don't hit an age threshold where they don't forget anything.

Even if I have peeps coming for dinner, I check with them the day before.

The NHS try to trick you out of your appointment - and therefore off the waiting list - by sending messages - some direct to your phone, others in the app - to get you to reconsider whether you really need the appointment. The way the questions are worded means they're designed to cause some confusion and if you don't respond you're off the list. I don't know how some disabled people manage with this system.

No, it’s called hounding people and treating them like children, not adults. I’m an adult. I don’t need reminding of an appointment like a child.

God you sound awful op

The only person behaving like a child is the one who refuses to answer the phone because reasons and then complains that they have 10 missed calls.

Companies do courtesy calls because they reduce the number of no-shows, the no-shows that impact everyone else trying to access that service including you.

So just grow up, eh.

🙄

You don't deal with the general public much do you.

I've had one of these recently.

The message was very wordy with no actual question i.e Do you still require an appointment? With yes, no, maybe boxes at the end.

If I'd clicked on yes they may have taken that to mean yes I no longer need the appointment and then be taken off the waitlist!

OP have you considered that your behaviour (aggression, defiance, distrust) might be a symptom of something serious? Brain cancer, schizophrenia and dementia can all cause these symptoms especially if it wasn’t something you struggled with before. I say this because adults should be able to answer a phone call even if they feel it’s a waste of their time.