Receptionist attitude should I complain

[DestituteDesperate]

Feel utterly ashamed of myself, today I watched a doctors receptionist speak so appallingly to two patients and, instead of challenging her, or mentioning it to another staff member, like a coward I froze in fear.

long story short, long queue at surgery for the last appointments of the day and one late 20s girl and another maybe 50s, asked something rather innocuous, as I heard blood test and referral. Each time the receptionist was talking to them both like they committed a crime.

The younger girl took her bollocking and said she would call back on Monday after 2pm. The woman though, fair play, tried to give it back but the receptionist used her leverage as staff to make the woman back down.

maybe both patients had done something so terrible to illicit such a response but the receptionist appeared that she quite enjoyed belittling them, loudly and publicly. The thing is, most of what I heard in the queue was from her tone not theirs.

Most of us were shocked and we did the rather British thing of tut and shake our heads.

However, I am ashamed because I would have desperately wanted someone to stand up for me if I were being baited and humiliated it public and instead I froze (I’ve had an incident where I was reduced to tears so I know how demoralising it can be) instead of being a good human being and standing up for them.

Being so cowardly in that moment, is really affecting me to such an extent on a Friday I’m on MN writing this thread.

should I report what I saw? I know I couldn’t help in the moment but would it be reasonable to report it via an online reporting form or a call on Monday?

or should I let it go and hope she doesn’t humiliate any other patients.

Please report, doctors receptionists can be very challenging. I remember having to fight with one for an appointment for my elderly father when he had a stroke. I am sure they dont always see the best side of the public - but there is never an excuse for being rude.

Have you heard that saying that is ‘ if you meet one dickhead then you’ve met an dickhead but if everyone you meet is a dickhead then you’re the dickhead?

You cant help if you ve had a bad experience. Best not saying anything. Normally i assert myself and speak boldy not timidly. So its about learning from this situation.
Phone her up as if to make an appointment and talk assertively when shes working.

Why do you care?

Yes. You're obviously a good person, who is literate and capable. Lots of the patients will have severe disabilities/learning differences/difficulties with speaking English.
You could literally save their lives. We used to mind our own business if we heard kids being abused, but we know better now.

Why do you think this?

If this behaviour is never challenged, it will never be stopped.

The receptionists are hired by the practise as “the public face” surely?
There is absolutely no need for “ attitude” from them ( or patients for that matter)

They are not “the boss” of the situation, although some of them seem to think so.
I am saddened by people’s behaviour recently.

And that's how bullying cultures thrive
.. this turning a blind eye lark

We're lucky. The receptionists at our surgery are lovely.

That is not the saying.

Thats there good side wait till they get home to their kids and OH

@DestituteDesperate what did the receptionist actually say that sounded like a bollocking?

I mean, how can you give a bollocking to people who are asking for blood tests? I don’t get it. I believe you - I’m just curious to know how it actually happened.

I thought the GP talked to me in an extraordinary way last time. I avoid doctors. I’ve thought about complaining, but I can’t face it.

QED

There’s always one!

I think you should say something BUT I don't think anything will come from it.

Many years ago, there was a locum in my local GP clinic who was awful to me. My child was very young and I went because I was worried about something or other to do with the baby. He gave me a very short reply and I asked another question. He put up his hand and said I could only ask one question per appointment. It was a private practice and I could not pay to go back the following day with the second question. When I was paying the receptionist for the visit, I told her how what the locum had said and the receptionist, for some reason, rudely told me that was the policy and I was lucky to have seen him at all.

I never returned to that clinic. The GP rang me a few months later, after receiving a request to forward my files to my new GP. I told him what had happened including how the receptionist had spoken to me. He told me he'd prefer not to discuss the receptionist's manners with me. No wonder they treated patients so poorly when their employer did the same.

This is a thread about calling out belittling behaviour when you see it. I imagine that's why they care.

I too would quit a waiting list if I'd already complained to PALS and was being victimised for it. At a certain point you can no longer trust people with your care. There's nothing silly about going elsewhere for treatment and there was no reason for you to jump in and be a cow when someone is sharing a story of how they've been made to feel vulnerable. Wind your neck in.

One is inclined to think that if they tried to be even vaguely competent and/or helpful they might not be "abused". (And what they class as abuse is probably simply people who are ill or in pain expressing their anxiety or frustration.)

I would complain to the practice manager. There's no guarantee that they won't side with the member of staff,but it's worth a try and at least they've been made aware of it, especially if there is another complaint about the same member of staff.

O! They’re anxious or in pain so that justifies abusing a minimum wage receptionist.
You obviously don’t have a public facing job!

You're clearly looking in the wrong places then.

Yes. I think the quotation is from William Shakespeare 🤔

Yes. I would definitely send them an email.

Measure for Measure possibly …

Definitely report it, but think carefully how you will do so. For example, an electronically submitted form might arrive in the 'in-box' of the offending receptionist, who would recognise herself as the subject of the complaint. A written complaint could perhaps be addressed to the manager of the practice, possibly sent by post, for example.

When I complained about the appalling set up in our local A&E (not complaining about staff but about the organisation) I got a lovely letter back from the hospital's Complaints Department. The fact they need to have one is quite revealing.

Incorrect: The Taming of the Shrew 😮‍💨