“If this is an Emergency, Please Hang up and Dial 911″

Wed, October 21 2009

And if you’re stupid enough to be calling the hospital when you think you might, I don’t know, die, then you deserve what’s coming to you. On the other hand, I felt the way I was routed through countless menus and back around to the original menu was pretty damned unfair and annoying. I’ve been trying to call the on base hospital for a girly appointment and had to go through the main menu multiple times because I kept being interrupted (calls, Fedex, cats) but they couldn’t hook me up because of special circumstances. They gave me two numbers to someplace – who knows where – and they couldn’t help me either. In turn, they gave me another number which took me through yet another menu which rerouted me to the first one (well, the second time. The first time it didn’t even do anything after it rang!). Finally, I got ahold of someone who said I cannot call to make my own appointment but I need a referral from my regular doctor so I had to call and make an appointment.. to make my appointment. Yea, okay.

I know there’s not some inbound call center with an endless bank of phones with folks to man them and that nurses and doctors and clerks have shit to do. I get that. I don’t get why everything has to be so difficult, though. Or why I need an appointment to make an appointment.