Customer Service

"Am I supposed to wait?" says a patient on her return to the Women's Imaging Center reception area.

"Well, did they do what they were supposed to do?" says a receptionist.

"I don't know if she wanted me to wait or not," the patient says.

"Well, usually once they send you out, they're done with you," says the receptionist.

"I don't know if she said to stay or not," says the patient.

"You don't remember what she said?" says the receptionist.

An employee working at a computer asks, "What's her name?"

"Ms. ABC, she just went in and came out," says the receptionist.

"I'll go check," says the other employee.

"Thank you," says the patient.

The employee returns almost immediately, "She'd like you to wait a little bit."

"Thank you," says the patient.

If I were the patient, I think I would have been happier if the conversation went like this:

"Am I supposed to wait?" says the patient.

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" says the receptionist. "I'll check."

Virginia says, "I imagine the patient had enough to think about and those extra words didn't help."

Receptionists are people, too, but they're paid to be receptionists.