UN-Happy Customer = Never-Again Customer

July 31, 2010 jeansdream

Hubby had his annual body check this morning (Sat) at 9:30 am.

On the annual body check day, if possible, the annoying, unavoidable and logical task is to wait long at the lab for blood drawn. (We usually make that appointment on weekend morning.) We are drilled. Hence we had a little plan.

This lab opens at 9 am when the med building opens. We’ve seen mobs waiting before 9 am, and as soon as the security guard unlocks the door, the mob would rush in and run towards the lab (on the second floor) – and forget about who waited first outside the building door.

So this morning when we arrived at the med building, at around 9:15am, I went to the lab to get tickets (for myself and Hubby), and Hubby went to pick up newspaper, and we would meet at the doctor’s office.

I got tickets 36 and 37. The display on the wall in the lab showed “16″ (i.e. they had just served the owner of ticket #16) . There were about 30 people waiting inside and outside the lab.

At around 10:15 am, after Hubby’s done and had the checklist for blood test, we went to the lab. The wall display showed “34″. Hey, that’s not bad at all – we’re 36 and 37 – perfect timing. I thought we’re ok (you know that means we’re not ok – don’t you…). The next ticket available from the dispenser was 68. A lady who walked into the lab after us took a ticket from the dispenser and told us (out of kindness), “You need to take a ticket…” We replied we already had tickets. Then we heard the call-out for “29″… “30″. “How come the technicians advanced the display to “34″ but they’re only serving ’29′, ’30′ “, I asked myself. Anyhow, we started digging into the newspaper. Then after a short while, I heard “44″… “45″. Then I walked to the reception desk and showed one of the two technicians my ticket “36″ and said, “Excuse me, I am ’36′ “. One technician gave me her bitter stare and topped that up with an attituded speech, “You took the ticket and RAN AWAY!! (Paused.) Now get a ticket and GET IN LINE again!”

I was totally shocked. I wasn’t shocked that our little plan didn’t work out tho I was disappointed. I was shocked because according to the display, I thought they were serving “34″ so I thought we’re ok. If the display were showing ”43″ as it should have been, then we would just (sigh and) take two tickets and wait. I was more than shocked she gave me that glare and lectured me. Then I took two tickets and sat down. ”N” minutes elapsed. I told Hubby, “Let’s go. I don’t want to wait here.” Then he said, “Good idea! Let’s go. Why waited so long; I read some articles already.” I didn’t want to act impulsively. I was also “cooling my mind off”. As we walked out, I trashed those two tickets and threw that into the garbage bin.

For lucky Ontarians, fees for most lab tests are covered in the health plan (OHIP). A blood test ”costs” Ontarians “nothing” (coz the fees come from our provincial taxes). Tho it’s convenient to have all these tasks done on the same location the same day, as an Ontarian, I have my freedom to go to any lab and get my blood test done. I told Hubby, “Why should I give them business if they scold me?!”

Spare me that “monopoly” attitude.

Of course, the down side of this walk-out means we have to “fast” again for the next blood test, and have to find another weekend morning to go to another lab. But I feel much better with the new plan.

Did you read the subject of this post?