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I learned that some people know their job so well that they actually have it scripted. While this might work in some fields, I don’t think it works in a doctor’s office. How did I come to this conclusion? Well, let me tell you the story.
I had my eyes checked last week and this time by a regular eye doctor, not the guy at Costco or Wal-Mart as I’ve been apt to do in the past. I’d like to say that paying for a “real” eye doctor meant that said doctor and staff would have excellent “bedside manner.” This, however, was not to be the case.
I’d already had misgivings about the doctor, because he’s either hot (not as in hottie or anything) or cold. I mean, he’s either in a friendly mood, or he’s as cool as a cucumber. On the one hand, the day I had to get my tear duct drained – tears were forced from my eye and ran out my nose and streamed onto his nicely pressed dress shirt – he was quite pleasant. On the other hand, the day I had to wait over an hour to see him (for another tear duct draining) he barely said boo and never offered an apology for the wait.
So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised with the new assistant at my recent eye checkup. She matter-of-factly put drops in my eyes, which overflowed and messed up my mascara. Amidst the burning and the blurring, her monotone droning voice was equally numbing and impersonal. You might even say it was hypnotic. I secretly suspected she had memorized the entire appointment, as if she was running on auto pilot.
“Now is it better on one… or two?”
“Two… or three?”
“Now stare at my right ear and tell me how many fingers I’m holding up.”
“Now stare at my left ear…”
I began to imagine ways that I might throw her off with some random comments, like ”How long have you been doing this?” Long enough to memorize your lines? “Are all of your appointments scripted like this?” I bet you would make a great actress.
Her last question sounded more like a statement: “Now, Jennifer, can I get you another Kleenex (for dabbing the yellow gunk leaking from my eyes)?” I suspect she didn’t think I would answer at all as she was already moving toward the door. “No, I’m okay with this one.”
She led me to a chair in the hallway to wait for the doctor and delivered her last lines perfectly: “There’s one more thing I’d like you to do and that is, enjoy the rest of your day.”
I sat there for several minutes thumbing through the magazines and trying to read the print through my blurry, burning eyes. I wondered what kind of mood the doctor would be in today and whether or not I should let him do the surgery to create a new tear duct. Or maybe I should consider going to someone different, someone who wasn’t bipolar. As I sat there contemplating my options, the assistant finished up another exam and led the patient out to sit in the hallway. Just then, the doctor motioned me into the next room. As I was walking away, I heard the assistant say, “There’s one more thing I’d like you to do and that is, enjoy the rest of your day.”
“Why, thank you,” said the patient, as if it was the nicest thing anyone had said to her all day.
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For more of What I Learned This Week, visit From Inmates to Playdates.
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I had my eyes tested recently, and I was thinking just the same thing about their script.
Have those drops and how they blur your vision - then they give you a magazine to “read” while you wait!
Oh, the tear duct thing. SO MUCH PAIN. In fact, it was more painful than having Lasek surgery. Seriously. Pain. Ful. Thanks for linking up this week. I appreciate it! I’ve tweeted your post. Hope that’s okay. =)
Oh this is a great post. We do so many things daily that seem scripted…including conversing with people. We do the ‘uhhh huhh’ and ‘yeah’ thing on the phone without even thinking about what we sound like. Are we really listening and responding?
Making me think…don’t do that, k. hehehe
~melody~
What an experience! I need to go for an eye checkup soon, and I’ve been contemplating going to a different eye doctor than the usual Wal-Mart one. After this story, I may just stick with Wal-Mart after all!
My eye doctor flirts with me too much and doesn’t pay enough attention to my eye balls…but I’ve been going to him for 20 years and I’m kinda lazy about finding another one. I just want lasic!
Happy SITS Saturday Sharefest!
Hi Jen!
You are very observant, first of all, to even notice the ’scripted’ act the assistant put on. A lesser mind would have done like the last lady in your story and taken it at face value - “aren’t they so sweet and caring at the eye doctors!” But not you! Sounds like they are trying so hard to be nice that they end up forcing and faking it. And that’s a good lesson on cusomter service - it’s got to be real, authentic and genuine, or else the customers will sniff it out like a bad banana.
Hope your eyes are better! I just went to my eye doc for a new prescription - getting old!
Happy SITS Saturday Sharefest!
I loved your joy post (I wasn’t able to comment there). No matter what life brings us we can’t let it take away from our joy and happiness.
And I wonder if people, such as the doctor’s assistant, ever get tired of their lines. Maybe she should start telling people to have just an average day and see how they respond?
I loved this. So true. Now I’m thinking about all the things I repeat over and over every day, too. Might have to change that…
Oh no! This is so true. I feel guilty now, I don’t work in a Doctor’s office but I work in Customer Service. Every call is entirely scripted, I ask the questions so many times in the same order sometimes I get ahead of my self and ask the question before the customer answers the last one!
thats actually interesting and I guess i never really think that the conversations i have with people might be scripted. Customer service i get..but doctors…weird.
Visiting from SITS..happy Saturday Sharefest!
Ouch, that stung just a bit! :0) I worked for a family practice doctor for 6 years and I know that a lot of what I said eventually began to sound ’scripted’ because we do the same thing over and over and over every. single. day. It does become monotonous very quickly. However, I know that I personally treated each patient with the utmost dignity and respect possible. I believe you can do your job and still be kind. I always tried to be very kind and have a personal, yet professional, relationship with each one of my patients - as long as they were not blatantly disrespectful to me. But sometimes you run into those occasional patients who are just plain rude - like those who absolutely refuse to get off their cell phones so you can take their history and get their vital signs. That is very frustrating and makes it incredibly hard to remain nice, but I always gave it my best shot!
Hi, I’m stopping by from SITS. I wanted to say hello and share some comment lo♥e. I have really enjoyed your blog so far! I truly enjoy meeting new bloggers (especially ladies around my age who are fellow sisters in Christ!), so I just became your newest Follower. I would be honored if you would take a minute to check out my blog and follow me, too, if you like what you see.
I hope you and your family have a really wonderful weekend!
HAPPY SITS SATURDAY SHAREFEST!
Blessings,
Teresa <
I try to remember, we all want to be real and have real conversations, even if for just a sec…
Thnx for sharing your moment from the NW with me yesterday.