Patience Once Again

I read a lot about the Health Care Industry in this country and I view it much the same as I do the Airlines; i.e.: they both need a good deal of improvement. I went to see an orthopedic surgeon this afternoon to discuss my torn rotators cuff and figure out what my options are for repairing it. Unfortunately, I never got to see the guy because I walked out of his office after waiting 45 minutes and realizing that there were folks ahead of me who had been waiting well over an hour. The front desk seem truly shocked when I told them that my time is as important as the Doctor's time and I simply was not going to wait while he caught up with the backlog of patients in his office. So I took back my $20 co-pay, which they had collected in advance quite efficiently, and one of his cards and said I'd call for another appointment. But I won't because I went back to my family Doctor and told him to find me another surgeon. Maybe it's just me, but I think the front desk says a lot about the medical practice. When they are efficient in getting your health insurance details and your co-pay and ignore you afterwards it suggests to me that the physicians are leading by example and I just don't want folks like that treating me.

Maybe it the same in business. Are we efficient in collecting our invoices and ignoring our customers the rest of the month? I hope not, but I am certainly going to find out!