
Have you ever made an appointment and had to wait 30 - 40 minutes (sometimes more) past your appointment time before you were seen? And, then there was no acknowledgement re
the time you waited?
Am I talking about your workplace?
When you know this is likely to be the case - it can be planned for, however it is little consolation when your own time is not given any recognition as being important. From a professional perspective, it
is poor form to leave clients who are using and paying for your services waiting. Whether this be a sector of our health system with a steeped "waiting" culture, or any other business, common courtesy dictates timeliness.
Some questions you could ask at your next Team Meeting...
A respectful attitude goes a long way.
the time you waited?
Am I talking about your workplace?
When you know this is likely to be the case - it can be planned for, however it is little consolation when your own time is not given any recognition as being important. From a professional perspective, it
is poor form to leave clients who are using and paying for your services waiting. Whether this be a sector of our health system with a steeped "waiting" culture, or any other business, common courtesy dictates timeliness.
Some questions you could ask at your next Team Meeting...
- Is it fair that clients who provide us with, or contribute to our livelihoods should be kept waiting without acknowledgement or apology - Can we do something about this?
- Can we reschedule appointment slots to reduce waiting times, or ensure more staff available? For example if the usual wait in a doctor’s surgery is 40 minutes then allocate longer appointment segments. Possible?
- If waiting is unavoidable (rare exceptions) could we provide written notice in our waiting rooms?
- Do we ever thank our clients for their patience and time?
A respectful attitude goes a long way.