How To Lose Your Patients
It's been too long since we've been to the dentist.
I know that, and I really did plan to get the kids back in for check-ups this summer.
So I appreciated the phone call from the receptionist at the dentist's office gently reminding me that they hadn't seen us in awhile. They had been checking through their records and wanted to know... Had I forgotten to make appointments, or had we moved on to another dentist?
Quite honestly, I've been avoiding the subject. My last visit was an extremely uncomfortable, and expensive, deep gum cleaning. I wasn't in a hurry to return for more torture. But I didn't want that to affect my kids. They had awesome check-ups, with no cavities and reports of healthy teeth.
So I thanked the receptionist, and promised to call back and make appointments after checking our summer calendar.
30 minutes later, my phone rings again.
This time it's the dental hygienist. The one with the wicked metal scraper that spent so much time digging away at the base of my teeth.
She had just called to give me a stern lecture about the proper maintenance of middle-aged teeth and gums. And by "stern lecture" I mean "talk to me like a stupid little child with a mouthful of cavities."
I don't need that at my age.
I'm quite capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. I do not need to be harangued about flossing and brushing. Now, if she had scolded me about the health of my kids' teeth, I could understand her anger and condescension. Children's teeth need to have special, and frequent, care from a dentist.
And my children will be getting it.
But from a different dentist.
Sorry, but when I lose my patience, you lose your patients.
I know that, and I really did plan to get the kids back in for check-ups this summer.
So I appreciated the phone call from the receptionist at the dentist's office gently reminding me that they hadn't seen us in awhile. They had been checking through their records and wanted to know... Had I forgotten to make appointments, or had we moved on to another dentist?
Quite honestly, I've been avoiding the subject. My last visit was an extremely uncomfortable, and expensive, deep gum cleaning. I wasn't in a hurry to return for more torture. But I didn't want that to affect my kids. They had awesome check-ups, with no cavities and reports of healthy teeth.
So I thanked the receptionist, and promised to call back and make appointments after checking our summer calendar.
30 minutes later, my phone rings again.
This time it's the dental hygienist. The one with the wicked metal scraper that spent so much time digging away at the base of my teeth.
She had just called to give me a stern lecture about the proper maintenance of middle-aged teeth and gums. And by "stern lecture" I mean "talk to me like a stupid little child with a mouthful of cavities."
I don't need that at my age.
I'm quite capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. I do not need to be harangued about flossing and brushing. Now, if she had scolded me about the health of my kids' teeth, I could understand her anger and condescension. Children's teeth need to have special, and frequent, care from a dentist.
And my children will be getting it.
But from a different dentist.
Sorry, but when I lose my patience, you lose your patients.
Permalink posted by Idaho Dad at 12:02 AM
5 Comments:
You'd love our AZ dentists. They don't do that at all.
Yeah, that would irritate me too. There are too many out there to have to put up with those types of comments.
hope you're writing to them telling them why you're leaving
Sounds as if they're desperate for money?
We had a dentist office once call at 7:30 am because they had a cancellation...um no thank you we are STILL SLEEPING!! That is why I made the appt. for late morning...
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