Tuesday 6 November 2007

Customer Care - How I almost got to be treated at Euroclinic

I was talking earlier about how my back hurts. This is how I've tried to solve the problem and didn't manage so far.
Wednesday
Customer Care Lady: Hello! Euroclinic, how can I help you?!
Me (Patient): Good evening. I would like to make an appointment for a Neurological check up, sometimes this week if possible. It is somewhat urgent.
CCL: Unfortunately, I could only schedule you for Monday at 12.00.
Me: Well. Ok. Thank you. I will settle for Monday, then.
CCL: Is it your first time at Euroclinic? What is your name?
Me: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, X-x-x ... x-x-x
(other details are being provided for the initialization of my Euroclinic hospital record)
CCL(summing up): The medical check-up costs 80 RON(around 24 EUR). I have made an appointment for you for Monday, at 12.00 AM with Dr. Petre Oanca

Friday
(another) CCL: Hello. I am calling from Euroclinic for the confirmation of your appointment for Monday at 12.00 with Dr. Petre Oanca
Me: Yes, of course! I confirm the appointment. Thank you for the reminder!
CCL: Thank you! We are looking forward to having you here!
Me: Thank you. I'll be there at 12.00 at noon.

Monday (D-Day) 10.00 AM
CCL: Hello!I am calling from Euroclinic for the confirmation of your appointment for today at 12.00 with Dr. Petre Oanca
Me (amused): Yes I will be there. Thank you for reminding me!
CCL: Thank you. Have a nice day! (and other farewell curtoasy phrases)

Monday (D-Day) 10.40 AM
CCL: Hello!I am calling from Euroclinic. You have an appointment for 12.00 today.
Me: Yes. I will be there. Thank you!
CCL: Actually. the 11.30 appointment has been canceled and we were wondering whether you could come a little earlier.
Me: Well. I would gladly try but I don't think I can make it. It is 10.40 already and it takes more than an hour for me to get to your address. Plus there are some things I have to do before arriving at the clinic for I had scheduled the appointment for 12.00 So the best I can do is to try to come 10 minutes earlier, at around 10 to 12.00 AM. It's the best I can do.
CCL: Well, thank you very much!


Getting ready, it's raining outside, traffic, one short stop at the self banking office to get the money for the check up, traffic, back hurts.

Monday (D-Day) 11.50 Euroclinic hospital reception
Me: Hello ! I have an appointment for 12.00 with Dr Petre Oanca. Could you please tell what floor should I go to?
CCL: We have no appointment for Dr Petre Oanca at 12.00
Me: It is impossible. You made me confirm this appointment twice so far. Please do check up again.
CCL (with disbelief): What is your name?
ME: Xxxxxx
CCL: Oh but you changed your appointment for 11.30. The Doctor is out since you didn't come in time.
Me (seriously pissed): Dear lady. I did not ask for changing of the appointment hour nor did I approve or authorize of any changes. Someone from Euroclinic called me twice today to get my confirmation for 12.00 AM. The hour remained settled. Then you called me again and asked if I could come earlier. my response was negative and I said I would try to get here at 10 to 12.00 not a minute earlier. It seems to me that there has been some miss communication or miss understanding.
CCL (plain and direct): I'm terribly sorry but there is nothing I can do. You should have come earlier. Dr Petre Oanca is not in the hospital anymore. He left at 11.30
Me (suddenly enlightened): Very well. It was my first experience with this hospital. I shall never come here again. Nor shall my friends. Thank you for your time! Good day.

And there I was, in the rain at 12.00 wondering what exactly is wrong with customer care in Romania. Coming to work (late, because I had had an appointment with the "back doctor" and thus had taken some hour off) I stopped to talk about the Euroclinic experience to a colleague. She told me immediately that she wasn't surprised and that one of her friends had to repeat various tests because Euroclinic had mixed the test results of a group of patients and consequently got the wrong diagnosis to every one of them.

I'm puzzled. This is a private hospital. And an expensive clinic that charges one 80 RON only to be looked at by a doctor. With quite an active Customer/Patient relations department. Where did my good old Doc go?

I rescheduled. I'm trying another private clinic this week. My back still hurts. Why do I have to pray for luck and good treatment when I'm open to pay as much as 80 RON per visit at the doctor?

1 comment:

Anti said...

I, am citit comment-ul pe blogul mariei, eu am plecat fara numere de telefon, dar iti pot da numele si numarul doctoritei care mi-a salvat piciorul meu stang de la paralizie (il aflu de la sora mea maine), unfortunately, niciun doctor nu m-a ajutat timp de doua luni, pana la ea, cand a fost prea tarziu, a trebuit sa fac o operatie de hernie de disc a doua zi dupa ce m-a vazut ea, m-a trimis la un doctor la Spitalul Universitar, tipa e la Centrul de recuperare Filantropia, in Piata Victoriei, in spatele Muzeului Taranului, daca imi lasi un post cu o adresa de mes sau email, nu il public, iti trimit numele si numarul, in the meantime, take care