A Patient Without Patience… Or Compassion
CONTENT WARNING: Pet Death
I’m working the front desk at our veterinary clinic. It’s about 7:45 am; our clinic opened at 7:30 am for surgery drop-offs with our first outpatient appointments scheduled for 8:00 am. We only have a couple of nurses and one doctor until later in the morning.
We have several clients waiting up front to either have their pet processed for surgery or to be brought to a room for exams when an existing client rushes in with her pet in medical distress. I pull her into a room, and all of our medical staff currently present begin life-saving measures.
Then, one of the 8:00 am slots shows up. I let everyone know the situation and inform them that there will be a wait. 8:00 am rolls around, then 8:05, 8:10…
Everyone is very patient and understanding despite having already been there for a while — all except for the newest arrival.
[Client] stands and comes to my desk.
Client: “Hi. My appointment was at 8:00 am. Will it be much longer?”
Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, I don’t know. We don’t keep full staff in the morning, so all hands are on deck for the medical emergency right now. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. They are working as fast as they can, but the situation doesn’t look very good.”
Client: “But my appointment was prescheduled. I set it for this time because I work nights! I have to get home and sleep.”
My husband also works nights, so you will get no sympathy here.
Me: “Again, I know it’s frustrating, but the emergency is the priority right now.”
At this moment, a nurse tells me over our headsets that the patient has passed. We have a battery candle next to a sign on the desk informing clients that we have another client losing a pet and asking for quiet during that time when the candle is lit. I excuse myself and light it right in front of the client.
I lower my voice, speaking to the whole waiting area.
Me: “Hi, everyone. The nurses should be up soon to start taking you back now.”
Everyone nods solemnly, having read the sign — except for this lady, who is still hovering at my desk.
Client: “How soon?”
Me: “I’m not sure. They are comforting the other patient, but they should be up very soon now that all staff are not required. These other clients will be assisted first. Are you okay to wait, or would you like to reschedule?”
Client: *Huffs and puffs* “Is there really no one back there that can see my dog really quickly? It’s just a nail trim!”
The look of disgust on the other clients’ faces — as she not only tries to jump the line and shows a complete lack of regard for someone else’s loss but does all of this for a nail trim — is priceless. They look astounded. I, being a NAR reader, am not surprised.
Me: “No, ma’am. Someone is currently saying goodbye to their family member, so a nail trim is not the nurses’ priority. I recommend you reschedule if you cannot wait.”
Client: “Fine! Never mind!”
She storms out.
She calls the office phone IMMEDIATELY after getting to her car to set another day up but also to continue her complaints about how inconvenient it is that she had to wait for “just a nail trim”. I think she was embarrassed to have all these patient people judging her in the waiting room.
The joke is that they can hear me speaking and tell who I am talking to. They all turn to listen as I again explain that an emergency takes precedence over a nail trim and that we have other people here first who are waiting for actual exams. She then tells me that she wishes someone had called to give her a heads-up so she didn’t bother coming out for nothing!
I end by telling her:
Me: “Ma’am, the emergency arrived right before you did, so I would have had to preemptively call you before they even arrived. The day I gain the ability to foresee the future, I will go buy lottery tickets.”
She quickly set a new appointment and hung up after that.
