Thursday, June 21, 2007

Phone Call

*ring ring ring* "XYZ, this is BP," I answer, while typing on my computer screen.

"Hi, I need to make an appointment with Dr. A," the woman replies in a Spanish influenced accent.
"Ok. You would need to contact Dr A's clinic to do that, would you like the number?"
"Wait, wait, wait. I need to make an appointment with Dr. A."
"Ok. You will still have to contact her clinic. I don't make patient appointments," I reply.
"Well, I need an appointment. What's your clinic?" The woman asks, taking a laborious breath.

"I'm not a clinic, I'm administration. We don't take patients in administration. Would you like Dr A's clinic, or a different one?"
"Oh, ok. I need the clinic on Bethany Home Road."
"Ok, Bethany Home and what other cross street, so I can give you the closest one?"
"I need the one on Bethany Home."
"We don't have a clinic on Bethany Home. What part of Phoenix do you live in - what are your major cross streets?"
"I need the clinic on Bethany Home."

Lips pushed together, I mimic banging the phone on my desk.

I'm starting to get a little frazzled now. But, remembering that some people just process information a littler slower than I do, I take a hesitant deep breath and say, "Ma'am, I need to know where you are located in Phoenix to give you the closest clinic to contact for an appointment."
"Well, there's only one clinic listed, and this is it," she defiantly tries to prove me wrong.
"There's actually 13 different clinics you can go to, but you can't come here. This is not a clinic, it's a business office. What part of Phoenix would you like a clinic in?"
"I need the clinic on Bethany Home."

I stop typing to try and get her to understand."There's not a clinic on Bethany Home."

Finally, she says, "Oh, ok. Well, let me figure this out, and I will call you back."

Not sure what she has to figure out... maybe that there really isn't a clinic on Bethany Home, I say, "Ok, wonderful. Have a good-"

I get cut off by her squawk: "But are you going to answer when I call back in a minute? I always call YOU, and I just tried calling, and no one ever, ever answers."
Noting that I haven't received a phone call in three hours, I reply, "Well, I answered this time, didn't I," discounting her stubborn claim.
"Well..." her voice trails off, and she hangs up.

What just happened?

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