David Brooks and his Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Day.

Wow, I need to clear the cobwebs off of this thing.  It has been a while since I last wrote a blog.  I lost inspiration and the desire to write.  Some events in one's life will re-ignite the flame.  It has been said that 4 out of 5 comments about a product or service are complaints.  When things go well, one doesn't feel the need to compliment.  In some ways, this is the problem with society.  People don't see everything one does right.  They see the one thing that person does wrong.  Yes, we are all guilty of complaining about the wait being too long at a restaurant, or the food being too cold.  We've complained that Francisco Cordero can't close games well enough for what the Reds are paying him.  We complain about traffic, and the way others drive.  We complain about the price of movie tickets and gasoline.  We complain about almost everything but there's always the other side.  Now normally I look at that other side.  I give people the benefit of the doubt.  I am very patient.  I am sure very few of you have ever seen me lose my temper.  I will wait when there's a wait at restaurants and never complain of my food being cold.  Maybe it's just because I hate the thought of someone spitting in my food and the hatred of confrontation, but I never complain.  I see Francisco Cordero as an asset.  He was in the top 5 in Save percentage since he was with the Reds.  I never complain of traffic because what if someone is seriously hurt at the end?  They had a worse day than you.  Give a little, and if someone cuts you off, just let it go.  What's the point of escalating it in to something that could end up bad for both of you, and don't blame movie theaters for their high prices.  The only money they really make is on concession and those prices are through the roof due to inflation.  The movie ticket money goes mostly to the movie producers, directors, and talent. Now gasoline, I can't defend because it's frustrating that we have to buy oil from these people who basically just toy with us.  We use way much more oil than anyone else in the world though.  The gap is more than Anthony Davis' block total compared to 2nd place this season in college basketball. I'm getting off track because this blog isn't about gasoline or crappy waiters, but it does have to do with customer service...something I can't defend.  


Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment.  I took off work about a half of an hour early to make it on time.  I've been having some twitching in my feet and stuff I wanted to get checked out, not really any severe pain, but more like an annoying constant thing, like mist compared to rain.  Anyway I arrived no later than five minutes late.  I had to stand behind a guy wanting to make an appointment for his hemorrhoids.    He was a slower talker than Wilford Brimley.  The guy kept complaining about having to see a nurse practitioner rather than his regular doctor (who was on maternity leave).  By the time I got to the sign in sheet, it was 10 minutes after my scheduled appointment at the latest.  The lady signed me in, and gave me my sheet to take back to the doctor.  I then played the waiting game, as normally done at the doctor I believe to be intentional to get you sick with what everyone else has in the waiting room to get more money from you, but that is not proven. Anyway, I watched as everyone began clearing out of the waiting room, including the people after me 15 minutes went by, then 30.  I started to grow concern, but with me as patient as I am, I waited.  45 minutes passed and a woman who didn't even have an appointment got taken in before me.  An hour went by and then it was time to ask about what was with the wait.  I saw the associate lie straight to my face,  "I don't think I checked him in.  I have him as a no call, no show at 4:30."  They preceded to tell me that my doctor had left and there's no one else who could stay and see me.  First of all I was there long before 4:30 and the lady did check me in.  I had proof from the paper she gave me.  Secondly, how dare you lie right to me to save your own butt?  The customer is always right, and when others started asking about what happened behind the desk I let it be known that the lady had checked me in.  She made a mistake and didn't want to own up to it.  All I really wanted was an apology and to make it right.  In reality, they were rude.  "Well, why don't you just stay for after hours?  It's only 45 minutes from now."  Umm lady, I've already been sitting here an hour from your mistake.  Aren't doctors supposed to help someone who's in need anyway?  Not one of them could stay and look at me after I waited an hour?  It was mostly that she didn't admit her mistake that made me mad.  Just apologize even if you think you're right.  How could you lie and make me look like an idiot in front of all of your co-workers?  St. Elizabeth sucks all around.  They are getting too big for their own britches.  I went home, cooled off and went back in for after hours reluctantly.  I knew at after hours, they don't thoroughly look at you.  I was right.  The guy basically said I have too many problems for him to figure out what was wrong and I needed to see my primary doctor.  I informed him that I tried and failed.  He said I would have to follow up.  So I just wasted a bunch of money and time for no peace of mind?  I get it.  You want me to stay sick for money.  I hate to complain but I had no choice.  I see why 4 out of 5 comments are, "don't go there; the food is nasty," instead of "Gosh, Mike Brown did a heck of a job building this team; I'm going to go to a Bengals game next year."  I'm still going to give people the benefit of the doubt but not yesterday.  I can't.