A little more kindness please

My Reception staff have reported a very stressful morning today with several patients being very rude and disrespectful at the front desk. This has caused stress to my staff who are desperately trying to help patients but met with hostility.

The main problem today has been where patients have sadly left matters too late themselves and they are coming in demanding immediate action for urgent prescriptions and trying to find urgent paperwork for example.

The front desk cannot solve everyones problems so publically there. This should be used for check in, handing in samples and prescription requests, booking of nurse appointments, small minor checks but not the full resolution at a front desk.

This is not appropriate or confidential and patients should either call with their queries or ideally fill in the admin form on our website with a query for action remembering allowing us time to respond.

Things cannot be solved over a front desk immediately for all and it is not private.

I think our receptionists are wonderful and praised often but the patient must be kind too. The requests are becoming very demanding and it is upsetting my staff. They will do all they can everyday but the person on the front desk or the phone may not be able to resolve your query immediately and you must please allow us time to do so.

I of course know we are not perfect too but we are here everyday trying very hard and please appreciate the receptionist is a human being with feelings and they should not be shouted at or treated badly, especially if they cannot resolve things at the front desk or on the phone immediately.

Thank you kindly

Sharon Nunweek

Practice Manager