Jananas

I’ve noticed a trend in the service industry. Often times people like dentists or doctors or hairdressers will call the day before to remind you about your appointment. Sometime over the last year or year and a half that reminder message has changed from being “hey don’t forget about tomorrow” to being “hey don’t forget about tomorrow and if you don’t call back we’ll cancel your appointment”.

This bugs me. For one, I’m a conscientious person. If I make an appointment, I go home and write it down in my calendar. I check my calendar. I know where I’ll be and when. Personally the reminder call isn’t necessary, but I understand why receptionists make these calls. Not everyone bothers to remember to show up. But the new trend towards threatening to cancel my appointment if I don’t call back just bugs me. I made the appointment and you’ve called to remind me. Assuming that you haven’t had problems with me missing appointments in the past, why are you treating me like a bad customer?

Moreso, what does this really do and is it effective? Let’s say that my appointment is on Tuesday. So the receptionist calls me on Monday to remind me and asks me to call back. Assume that I’m at work and you call my house (so I don’t get the message until I get home from work, by which time your office is now closed) or I’m busy and can’t call back right away. So by the time I’ve called the office and left a message, you aren’t going to get it until the day of my appointment anyway. Which leaves you less than the 24 hours you require if I want to cancel my appointment without penalty. To me it seems like there’s a breakdown between what the office is trying to get to happen and how their customers are actually behaving.

Also, as a good customer I find it frustrating to be treated like poorly. I’ve made the appointment, written it down in my calendar, and am aware that I will be there. Why should I have to complete an extra step and call back to confirm what I already know? For that matter, if I’m using my cell why should I waste minutes to make this call?

There are certainly times and places where this sort of request makes sense. For example, customers who continually miss appointments. But be careful to distinguish between these two types of customers. You’re likely to annoy you’re good customers and make little actual difference in the behaviour of those who can’t be bothered to be thoughtful individuals.

More from jananas

• If I’m not updating, I’m probably busy knitting
• I did something scary today
• I don’t suffer fools gladly