Wednesday 23 January 2013

Doctors,dentists and life long ambitions....

It is fairly well documented that we, that is us being 'The Great British Public' are known for our sedate reaction when we have been kept waiting a ridiculous amount of time, having arrived a polite 10 minutes prior to any appointment.

10 minutes, again which seems to be another British tradition in that any earlier and we are placing far too much pressure on our appointee, any less and we clearly do not possess the skills of which an organised and well rounded person should exhibit.

So, we arrive and wait. Our appointment time rolls by. And we wait.

Now those early thoughts start to chip away, as you look at the clock you wonder if it was actually wise to arrive 10 minutes early, surely 5 minutes, or just 'on time' would have been sufficient and you could have loaded that last wash which will now have to wait until tomorrow.

You are then 10 minutes into your allotted time, this begins to start a roller coaster of thoughts, you could have arrived 10 minutes late, (which you then reason if you had done so you know for a fact you would have been rebooked!). You debate for another 10 minutes if it will be detrimental to approach the receptionist to enquire when you will be called. If you do so, before they approach YOU to explain, will they then keep you waiting longer......so you wait.

20 minutes. You start to practice your speech first to the receptionist, it is short,to the point a polite 'how much longer?' Which is met with the apology for the delay that should have been offered sooner, but we smile,offer thanks and retreat back to our seat. And wait.

30 minutes. A switch is flipped,but only on the inside, you begin to plan what you will say when you are finally granted access to YOUR appointment, the one YOU arrived 10 minutes early for. YOUR whole day has been planned around this, a snatched coffee,washing left undone,parking slightly out the white lines in the bay, which you are now worrying you will get a ticket for. Just so YOU were on time, no, politely ahead of time for someone who clearly does not possess the skills of an organised and well rounded individual! You will demand to be seen or rebooked.

45 minutes. But you wait,well who wants the confrontation of demanding to be rebooked. And surely it can't be much longer. You will when you go in tell them exactly how you feel,having arrived early you are beyond irritated and really quite cross. But you'll give it another 5 minutes.

Hoorah! You are called, jubilation see it pays to be patient! You are called and enter the room, and those 5 words spoken,genuinely or otherwise and all thoughts,speeches disappear.........
..Sorry To Keep You Waiting........

You simply reply, 'Its Ok'.


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