As a previous office manager in the medical field it is absolutely office management's ultimate responsibility to over see everything from prioritizing, to ensuring customer satisfaction (yes patients are also customers but this isn't implied or taught until management level) although the office manager may not have made the call it was their duty to see things are run efficiently and appropriately.
I really get urked especially with my experience as both a patient and 'the lady behind the desk' at how some Dr.'s (including vets they are Dr's too) feel a sense of entitlement to do the business portion poorly. Obviously the medical is the foremost important but it doesn't mean the office should be any less professional than any other type of business.
Prioritizing emergencies first is a common sense move and will always be handled that way (I sure hope I wouldn't want to have a medical emergency for myself or my pet and be told to wait there's a routine check being prioritized-I'd be on the road to another vets immediately) emergencies are emergencies as it should but when a routine appointment is bumped it should also be handled professionally.
I did reread the OP's statement and realize the OP didn't specify she was supposed to be picking her dog up at 3 but was expecting to hear that her dog may be ready at 3...that does change the dynamics.
All expectations of policy, procedures etc should be clearly defined and understood prior to the dog being dropped off-that is also the failure of office staff's communication ability in most cases-not sure on this one I wasn't there personally. |