5 Things You Shouldn’t Do in a Doctors’ Office

I work for a local doctor, as the front desk receptionist. I assist with different billing aspects, answer the phones, schedule patients, and check them in and out. Here are a few observations from my time here.

1. Answer your cellphone in the crowded room on speaker phone
   1. No one wants to hear your conversation
   2. you have to yell over those in the waiting room, or those scheduling appointments making it uncomfortable for everyone around you
   3. Especially if you have to say “I don’t even know who this is” before answering.
2. Act as if the waiting room is your living room
   1. This includes taking your shoes off to relax
   2. Leaving a mess behind- our office offers complimentary coffee and home baked cookies. It is unreal how many times we have had to clean up napkins just left on the tables, crumbs from the floor, and pouring a full cup of coffee in the trash can-someone else has to clean that up behind you.
   3. reorganizing the furniture- just why?
3. Bring your ill-behaved children to a long visit
   1. ok- I understand that you may not be able to find a sitter every time you go to the doctors (helloooooo mom of 5 here), but really, if your appointment is an hour and a half, and your spouse/mom/friend/neighbors’ cousin has to sit in the waiting room with the child- at least make sure they are well behaved.
   2. This includes everything in #2
   3. kicking and screaming and carrying on is very disruptive to those that work here, and other patients.
   4. Walking back-and-forth in front of the automatic door 100 times letting the hot air in (or out depending on the time of year) is rude, annoying, and distracting.
4. Take as much as you can of the “complimentary” items
   1. The afore mentioned free cookies and coffee- that’s pretty much one per patient- that doesn’t mean all 4 of the kids you brought with you should have one and then one to go.
   2. Putting the Keurig pods in your purse (or sugar packets, creamer cups, etc) to use at home is not “thrifty”- its rude and pretty much stealing.
5. Hovering
   1. When we are communicating with other patients, it is rude to hover near and eavesdrop- we are trying to protect their privacy just as much as yours.
   2. When we are working it is very distracting and nerve racking.
   3. Do you want someone else hanging around while we talk about your results?!