Friday, June 08, 2007

Dentist Confirmation Redux

Exactly a year and a half ago, to the day, I posted a post about confirming an impending dentist appointment. I wrote then that I received a reminder postcard a week before the appointment, asking me to call and confirm, which I did, and then I received a voicemail the day before the appointment asking me - once again - to call and confirm, which I did. I had thought, and still do think, that two requests for confirmation, both within a week of the appointment and by two different modes of communication, was a bit excessive.

Which brings us to today, June 8, 2007. I just retrieved today's mail, which included a postcard from the dentist. It's time to get together again... reads the card. You are due for your regular dental check-up and cleaning appointment. The date and time is handwritten, and then highlighted yellow is this: Please call us today to confirm the above appointment. The kicker? The appointment is on August 23, 2007.

So I'm supposed to call to confirm a dentist appointment two and a half months in advance?!?!? I'm not going to call today, or tomorrow, or next week. I'll wait until it's just a tad bit closer, like within a fortnight, or a month even. Besides, even if I do call and confirm today, past experience tells me that they'll be calling and mailing me postcards biweekly for two and a half months, expecting me to call and confirm each time.

How 'bout just one confirmation request, 5-7 business days before the appointment?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is a reason for their early confirmation. They have the summer months off. When they return they don't have an extra day to call evryone and confirm. I like my Dentist and if you don't go find your own!

jblue said...

hmm, so there is a reason for this latest incident. that's good. and i do like the dentist, farrrr better than my last dentist. i just found these incidents strange.