Texts from the Dentist

(off topic)
Since September is turning out to be my month to complain and be just plain B#&%hy,  I may as well just continue... (believe me, I've got more)

Just a little "annoyance"

Most dentists and doctors use text messaging these days to confirm appointments. I really don't mind that. Since my phone is always with me, I can check on appointments by looking at my messages.

"Your phone has a calendar" you might say. It does and for a little while I was pretty good about using it and then it went the way of the rest of my organizational skills. Lost and never to be found again.

Side Note: Why do people go out of their way to ask how I spell my name and then spell it any way they want? I...E...!!!! Vick....I...E! Vickie.

One dentist in particular that I just started seeing in this year (replacing the dentist of: Holy Inappropriate Conversation, Batman! and the follow-up,  It's all the dentist's fault) happens to suffer from "text overkill".

Not only "text overkill" but they don't seem to eliminate mix-ups and scheduling snafus so they prove to be nothing but annoying.

I was there in June to schedule my first of 4 surgeries (a quarter of my mouth at a time).

The first surgery was scheduled for July 14.

Before I reached the parking lot I had a text to thank me for scheduling my appointment.

Okay. That's fine.

Before I reached my car I received another text - a survey.... "so how did we do?" and something about the appointment I just left. They wanted feed back for an appointment that nothing was done during and they apparently could not wait until a person arrived home, to get it.

Two weeks before my appointment, I received not one but two texts (at the same time) to confirm my appointment. Now, I am one of those people that needs a reminder of an appointment, the day before - even a week before, but two weeks before is not helping me in the least.

To top it all off, one text said to reply with a 3 to confirm and the other said to reply with a 4.
Me, overthinking as I do, did not know what to do. What if I replied with a 3 and the reply goes to the text that said to reply with 4 (what would 3 mean in that case?) and vise-versa. So me being me, decided not to take any chances and replied with 3&4.

I received a "Thank you for confirming" text, so it looked as if I made the right decision.

I went to the appointment on the 14th then scheduled a followup for the next Friday to have the stitches and pack removed and before I hit the parking lot "Thank you for scheduling..... blah, blah, blah..
and when I got in my car the next text "so how did we do?" - I just had surgery and the last thing I wanted to do was fill out a survey...

I arrived home to my house phone ringing.

"Hi, this is 'Dentist's office', I received your text and I wasn't sure what 3&4 meant".
They were calling me about a text that I sent two weeks ago confirming an appointment that I just had. What possible difference could it make now?

I explained about the two texts and she just said "Oh! I wonder how that happened?" - again.... who cares? The appointment is over.

So not only do they want your feedback immediately after surgery but they feel the need to call and talk about nonsense when all I wanted to do was take a nap before DC came home.

I went back the following week for the removal of stitches etc. after receiving more than one (not at the same time this time) texts to confirm, and when I was done I made an appointment for the next phase on September 8th.

You got it.... "Thank you for scheduling" and "How did we do?"

sigh......

Maybe I am getting more annoyed than I usually would due to all of these dental issues but I was annoyed.

Then of course the confirmation texts two weeks ahead of time....

Had phase two done on the 8th - 2 texts: Thanks for scheduling  and how did we do? and only one this time to confirm the follow up on the 15th.

After the follow-up I made the appointment for phase three for Nov, 3rd. Before I left they decided they wanted to take impressions so while in the chair I received the "Thanks for scheduling" but did not get the survey until later.

On the following Monday (18th) I had to go back again for what I thought might be an abscess. They took care of it and wanted me to come back for a follow up for the infection/irritation in a week. I made that appointment for the 26th of September.

Text: Thank you for scheduling
Text: How do we do (they are VERY needy)

The day after (19th) the abscess appointment I got a phone call at 7am.
Now, it is not uncommon for me to receive texts that early from work, sometimes Doug or *Salli's mother about transportation issues, but when my phone rings that early, I immediately think that something is wrong.

Receptionist: "Good Morning, this is 'Dentist's Office' I just wanted to make sure you're not coming in today"
Me: (panicking thinking I forgot something)
Receptionist: I just wanted to catch you so you do not come in today, You already had your appointment.
Me: I'm confused. I did not have an appointment today. I was in on Friday for my scheduled appointment and again on Monday for a problem.
Receptionist: I just wanted to make sure that you didn't think you had an appointment because you had your appointment on Friday.
Me: I wouldn't think I had an appointment, because I did not schedule an appointment. So, no I wasn't planning on coming in.
Receptionist: Okay, I just wanted to be sure you knew that you don't need to come in today, you already had your appointment.
Me: Ooooookaaaaay......

Later that day they called to cancel my Nov. 3rd surgery....

Today was the scheduled appointment for the follow-up for the abscess/infection or whatever it was.
As I was leaving my office, I said to my friend "It's weird that I did not receive 18 texts about this appointment (18, being an exaggeration, but seriously) ........

I arrived and guess what? They did not have me on the schedule! I had to leave work early once again and they did not have me on the schedule. I showed her my confirmation text and they did take me (although not the dentist, the assistant). After she checked out my mouth, she said I could wait around to see the dentist - apparently I was putting them out by showing up for my scheduled appointment. I told her I was fine. Then she said "Well if you have any problems, feel free to pop in again."

Pop in?

There must have been a seminar that this office was required to attend, called "Never let them know it is your fault" - Much like the receptionist who just wanted to make sure I did not come in for an appointment I did not have. Who went on and on as if trying to convince me that I did have an appointment originally, but I should not come in,  this assistant skillfully decided to rewrite their scheduling screw up and decided to talk to me as if I just decided to "pop in". 

Coincidentally that early morning call about the appointment I did not have just happened to be on a Tuesday.  Hmmmm - is it possible she could have been looking at the wrong Tuesday when she called to tell me not to come to the appointment I did not have and cancelled the appointment for the following Tuesday that I did have ?

Even though I had the text and showed them the text, they chose to talk to me as if I just decided to drop in.....

While there I had to reschedule my November 3rd surgery that they had previously cancelled.

October 20th - that's all they had except for the week before Thanksgiving....

Text: Thank you for scheduling..... blah, blah, blah

and as I sit here writing this.....

Text: "So how did we do?............

******

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