Customer Service

at a

Middle Georgia Medical Complex

Yes, I was seeing red when I departed this Medical Complex several days ago.  I was the duty driver because my spouse was informed that it was a requirement for someone else to do the driving due to the nature of the procedure. 

As is normal for a lot for medical organizations, we were given a Customer Survey to complete regarding our visit.

All of the Survey Questions received positive responses except for the two I will discuss here.

Question 2:  "I was treated in a caring courteous manner."

The reponse sent to the Medical Organization included these comments:

I was the driver required to be with my spouse for this procedure. We did arrive ahead of the appointed time. No problem. We read the sign that indicated that no matter the arrival time (or words) in that manner, we would be processed by the appropriate Doctor in the order of arrival. We appreciated the fact that different Doctors were using the Center.

After a considerable period of waiting with no information flow we were informed upon visiting the “desk” that the "Good Doctor" was late. It would have been very appropriate for the Office Staff to share this information. However, we were led to believe that the "Good Doctor" did not even tell the Center Staff of his problem regarding his arrival time.

As you can appreciate, that attitude is not the best for generating “Customer Appreciation” regarding the delay of the procedure, much less postive responses to any Customer Survey.

We did arrive well ahead of the appointment time of 10:30 A. M. After additional liaison with the “office staff, A Nurse visited me, the Duty Driver to carefully inform me that I could be at the bedside of my spouse  prior to the procedure and that soon the "Good Doctor "would be executing the procedure with my Bride. At that point I indicated that it would serve no useful purpose to be in the same space with the "Good Doctor" and my spouse.  I was properly upset and I had determined that it would serve no useful purpose to “vent my anger” to the Doctor prior to him executing the procedure.

I was finally informed while I participated in normal “Waiting Room” activities that the  "Good Doctor"  was about to commence the procedure. I made a note of the time and ascertained that it was now about 13:43 P.M. Certainly not very near 10:30 A.M. At no time was I told that I could escape the “Waiting Room” to procure proper nourishment.

I believe that it was about 14:07 P.M. when I was informed that the procedure was concluded and that I should proceed to the after care room to learn of the results and receive the appropriate care instructions regarding my spouse.

Question Number 8 on the Survey Form stated:  "The Center personnel were organized."

These statements were submitted in response to this statement:

While the nursing staff and the center receptionist staff were well organized, I am of the old school. The Doctor must have been unorganized, or at the least did not care about the Patient and/or the “Required Duty Driver” by his inattention to detail regarding the necessity to keep the Office Staff/Nursing Staff informed about his cavalier attitude toward providing “Excellent Customer Service” to both the Patient and the Required Duty Driver.

By the way, I can appreciate the need for a Duty Driver for patients undergoing this procedure. What I can not appreciate is the cavalier attitude of the Doctor who was guilty of not providing timely information to the Office Staff and/or the Nursing Staff at the “Medical Organization that provided the testing" on my spouse. 

I can also appreciate the fact that a Doctor may be late for pre-established times set to perform procedures; however I think that I am sure that the “Good Doctor” had/has an appropriate communications device where he could have communicated this lateness to the Receptionist/Nurses at the Medical Organization.

I would suggest that I suspect that the “Good Doctor” is in a partnership with others and that they probably own this Medical Organization . As such the “Good Doctor” in this situation certainly did not generate “good thoughts” on the part of the “Duty Driver for the Patient.

I submit these comments for the improvement of service and the upgrading of communications between the Doctors at this Medical Organization  and the patients who must have their procedures performed here.

As an adult who decided to live in Middle Georgia in 1981, I am not ready to accept what I consider inadequate service/poor customer service from any organization that receives “funds” based on my citizenship in this Great United States of America.

By the way, this Medical Organization  was very prompt in informing my spouse  on the Friday prior to the procedure that we should bring a check in the sum of $__.___ to cover the cost that would not be covered by Insurance.

In this regard, this Medical Organization receives “high marks” for being  timely, accurate and efficient. It is regrettable that the situation was not the same on Monday, September 19th, 2011.

Maybe, after this Customer Service  Survey is received and hopefully read by all concerned; that the level of customer care and service will be enhanced so that future patients and/or their respective Duty Drivers will not be victimized such as was recently experienced.  

Again, timely communications would have improved this “negative survey report.” Additionally, I am certainly aware that Doctors have emergencies that require priority treatment be rendered to needy patients. That, however does not prevent timely information flow in this the era of “rapid digital communications.”

It is not my purpose in posting this Blog Entry  to recommend corrective procedures in as much as I suspect that the appropriate Staff/Doctors are well aware of what needs to be done. However, I hope that corrective actions can be accomplished in a timely and effective manner. 

I realize that corrective actions regarding improper and/or poor customer service cannot be implemented unless the customer addresses the issue/s.  Such is the purpose of this Post.