I had a 9:00 AM appointment at Urological Association of Dothan on Tuesday, September 20 for a semen analysis.
I was scheduled to see Lisa Lewis, who was to conduct a semen analysis.
On the previous evening, September 19, I received an automated telephone message requesting confirmation of the appointment.
Of course, I confirmed the appointment.
On Tuesday morning, I made the one-hour drive from my home to Dothan and arrived promptly a few minutes before 9, whereupon I began to fill out the required paperwork.
The receptionist suggested I take the questionnaire and clipboard to my seat in the waiting room, and turn it in when being called for the appointment.
After waiting almost an hour, at 9:45 I went to the desk to check on the status of my appointment. It was then that the receptionist told me Lisa Lewis would not be in that day. There was no one else that could accommodate me, I was told, and the best they could offer was to reschedule the appointment.
As I had to travel a round trip of over 100 miles to make the appointment, I was greatly displeased.
I am further annoyed by the fact that the entire staff let me sit there for almost an hour, without telling me that I was waiting for nothing.
The woman I approached at the desk was standing around for at least several minutes without communicating with anyone else. Thus, she knew but failed to notify me that I was wasting my time being there.
On September 27, I sent 11 letters to various principals of the company.
In my letters I suggested that, while they could not give me back the several hours of time lost in traveling and waiting around needlessly, at the very least it would be appropriate for their company to reimburse me for expenses incurred on the wasted trip.
I suggested that it would be a decent gesture, and much appreciated by me, if they would compensate me with at least $100.
Doctors offices generally charge patients when they dont show up for their appointments, I reasoned. Why should it be different if the practitioner doesnt show up?
I received a response to my letter of September 27, by way of a letter from Office Administrator Lauren Losh. Laurens letter was dated October 7.
In her letter, Ms. Losh apologized for the wasted trip and she offered to reschedule an appointment for me.
It is outrageous that she did not even address my request that Urological Associates consider compensating me. Rather, I was offered a rescheduling. No, thanks.
Not only did I make a wasted trip. I sat for almost an hour while not one of their staff had the courtesy to inform me of the futility of my waiting.
Moreover, I spent several hours researching the principals, writing letters to all of them and alerting them of the ineptness and discourtesies of their employees.
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