Does this aggravate you???

[Parkers_girl]

I can't stand when doctors, dentists or any other office have the entire office staff take an hour lunch with no one to answer the phones. I understand people need to eat, heck I worked in an office setting for 8 years, but we ALWAYS took our lunches in shifts so that someone was always on the phones. I can't understand for the life of me how a Dr could be open from 10-4 and have their phones closed for an entire hour. It drives me crazy. Ok, rant over..but am I the only one who feels these types of places need to keep someone on the phone while they are open???

 

[RachaelA]

Well the doctor needs to take a lunch as well so it would only make sense that his whole staff would go as well. If its something like making an appointment, that can wait until after lunch. And if its something that needs to be run by the doctor you'd need the doctor there anyways. If its an emergency, you call 911. So I don't see why they would need to be open during lunch.

I've only had one doctor's office that had someone there to answer the phones during lunch and that's my OB's office and they have an answering service for the lunch hour and when the office is closed.

 

[marie1203]

That doesn't annoy me. What annoys me is when we have to get things done on base and their lunch break is from 11am-2pm.

 

[npmommie]

the one that really bugs me for closing for lunch, is the post office.

 

[golfgal]

Not really, they always have a voicemail system and I can leave a message. Since our dentist is on my speed dial these days with all the issues with our DD, I have his cell phone to call in an emergency too . It's to the point I can almost call the office and say "it's me" and they know who it is. They have a lunch break from 1-2 every day so I just don't call then.

 

[ajk912]

I absolutely agree. My kids' pediatrician is closed from 12-2 everyday. I imagine it's so the doctors can catch up and take a lunch, but it's such a HUGE practice as it is (with three of them on everyday) wouldn't you be able to manage shifts and breaks internally without closing?

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

If you worked in a Doctors office, you would understand. I did it for 10 years and you realy need that time away from the phones, to catch up on other stuff and to get ready for the afternoon of appts.

Most of the time, we weren't actually taking a break that entire time. I think most of the time, I was working while I ate my lunch and I needed that few minutes to catch my breath, but I had multiple roles in the office.

The last doctor I worked for never left the office at lunch, unless there was an outside meeting she HAD to attend or a patient at the hospital she HAD to see at that moment. Otherwise she was always in the office. Depending on the patient needs, she might run over an appt time, but she always explained what was going on to us and to the patients that were waiting. She saw only new patients in the morning and always allowed 1.5 hours for each, because she thoroughly examined each and everyone.

While I am not sure that this happens in all offices, it does in most. I have worked in offices that rotated lunches and it was more stressful that way.

What I hate, is the offices when the doctor makes you wait for hours on end while he is off doing who knows what and puts all appointments hours behind and this is because I worked for a doctor that did this to his patients and I was the one who took the brunt of the anger.

 

[NotUrsula]

It's a big issue for people who don't have telephone privacy at work; the only time they can call without people overhearing the conversation is during their lunch periods when they are outside the cube farm.

I handled this by writing out my information and faxing it to my doctor's office. That way they have the details, and when they call me back I can just stick to yes or no answers.

 

[Andtototoo]

It's a big issue for people who don't have telephone privacy at work; the only time they can call without people overhearing the conversation is during their lunch periods when they are outside the cube farm.

It would also be a big issue for people who are not allowed personal phone calls except on their own time -- which would be during the lunch hour.

Luckily for me, in all my years on the planet, I've never once encountered a medical office that completely closes for lunch.

 

[miralys]

I don't mind them closing down at lunch, if they would take a normal lunch break. I've called some places and gotten a message that they take lunch from 11:00 to 2:00!

 

[momof1princess]

doesn't bother me. i've worked as a receptionist in a doctor's office and i know how stressful it is. 99.9% of the time, i scarfed my lunch in less than 5 minutes at my desk, because the doctor was still seeing patients during the lunch break. it was rare for me to actually get to leave the office during lunch, but, even though i was eating at my desk, i was relieved that at least i didn't have to answer the phone during that short time.

 

[Tink888]

This was done at a small law office that I worked at. Every day from 12-1 the office closed, the answering machine when on and we took our lunch. They did it to create a uniform work environment. I didn't like it much then as I personally like being able to choose when I take lunch.

It doesn't bother me when offices do it as long as they are consistent with their times.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I understand the OP, flex time isn't a new invention, it works and is usually beneficial to lots of people, it would help patients and employees who might have errands if they could trade off the off lunch time. My biggest peeves are #1, when they overbook and leave an office full of people waiting while they are all on lunch breaks and #2, when they don't announce the office's hours on the phones. It seems Dr's forget patients are actually customers and customer service counts

 

[JKMJ441724]

I work for an attorney who does personal injury work. We are constantly in contact with doctor's offices, to get medical records, schedule depositions, see if our clients are being compliant with the recommended treatment. Sometimes all I need is an address or fax number. There are many things which are needed from doctor's offices other than just scheduling a routine appointment. I SECOND the motion (wait, was there a motion) that there should always be someone in the office to answer the phones.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

doesn't bother me. i've worked as a receptionist in a doctor's office and i know how stressful it is. 99.9% of the time, i scarfed my lunch in less than 5 minutes at my desk, because the doctor was still seeing patients during the lunch break. it was rare for me to actually get to leave the office during lunch, but, even though i was eating at my desk, i was relieved that at least i didn't have to answer the phone during that short time.

Thank you, It takes someone actually working in that environment to really understand. And the office should have an answering machine or answering service for that purpose.

This was done at a small law office that I worked at. Every day from 12-1 the office closed, the answering machine when on and we took our lunch. They did it to create a uniform work environment. I didn't like it much then as I personally like being able to choose when I take lunch.

It doesn't bother me when offices do it as long as they are consistent with their times.

It is very difficult to be consistent in a doctors office.

The last office I was in, there was only a small staff. In the morning, we had a receptionist and someone to get pt's back, she wasn't even a medical assistant or nurse and she didn't do vital signs. I did the billing in the morning and any "nurse" visits and patient training, then I transferred over and did all of the staff jobs in the afternoon. I was lucky if I got to take a bathroom break, because a phone was always ringing or a pt at the window. The doctor did her own vital signs, got pt's back when I couldn't and handled her own procedures. We were still sometimes even in the office. many times until almost midnight, especially at the end of the month.

We didn't have an office manager, the doctor did that and I was sort of her assistant. It ws just really hard to find good workers and since her previous 2 billers ripped her off, she didn't trust many people with that task.

 

[mjkacmom]

I've been to dozens of medical professionals in my life, and honestly never heard of them not closing for lunch. My pediatrician is 12 - 1, my OB 1 - 2. I just don't call then.

 

[Abbie]

I work for an attorney who does personal injury work. We are constantly in contact with doctor's offices, to get medical records, schedule depositions, see if our clients are being compliant with the recommended treatment. Sometimes all I need is an address or fax number. There are many things which are needed from doctor's offices other than just scheduling a routine appointment. I SECOND the motion (wait, was there a motion) that there should always be someone in the office to answer the phones.

Our medical practice is very small and very busy. If we staggered lunches, there wouldn't be enough staff to handle patients after lunch. I can't tell you how grateful I am when I can switch the phones to the machine at noon so I can get caught up on all the scraps of paper I've been scribbling on all morning! It's also the only time I can make uninterrupted calls to insurance companies to get procedures authorized for patients, a very tedious and time-consuming process, impossible to do when the phone is ringing. I often don't get a chance to grab lunch until just a few minutes before we open again at 1. If all you need is an address, google it and if you have to have that fax number, call before noon or after 1! I can't give you records anyway without a medical release so calling me about a patient's compliance or records is useless without it.

I hear your frustration, though....we use lunchtimes to call in prescriptions (when our escribe is down) and Walmart closes for lunch until after 2 and they don't have a message, the phone just rings and rings and rings. So something that I was trying to get done at noon now has to wait until after 2. Not a big deal but I do feel bad for the patients that are anxious for their meds.

 

[RachaelA]

I work for an attorney who does personal injury work. We are constantly in contact with doctor's offices, to get medical records, schedule depositions, see if our clients are being compliant with the recommended treatment. Sometimes all I need is an address or fax number. There are many things which are needed from doctor's offices other than just scheduling a routine appointment. I SECOND the motion (wait, was there a motion) that there should always be someone in the office to answer the phones.

But none of that NEEDS to be done at that exact second. It can wait an hour.

 

[tlbwriter]

I don't have any doctors whose offices shut down completely during lunch - I can always at least make an appointment during that time. What are people supposed to do if they can only make personal phone calls during their lunch hour? Just never see a doctor?

 

[Poohforyou]

It doesn't bother me. Our dr will actually see urgent patients and/or return patient calls during lunch so the office isn't really closed but the office staff is given a break to eat, discuss issues, follow up of things etc.