How would you deal with this situation?

I think that is why he did see me...I was all of five minutes with him.

Wait up.......! So you did actually see the dentist then? So it wasn't a wasted journey afterall Donna? From the information that you've given in your 2nd post, the dentist's surgery is in Liverpool City centre, within the Albert Docks area? It's always heavily congested there, with traffic going in and out of the city and to the docks. Plus, it's a bank holiday weekend, with additional traffic going to the ferries. You must have realised this when you were about to set out for your appointment, surely? And knowing the area as well as you do (because you've been to this dentist several times before to have spent over £3000 with him), why didn't you leave in plenty of time?

The dentist has to keep to tight appointment times. Presumably you have travelled there many times and know the traffic issuers that can arise. You say you allowed extra time but unfortunately it still wasn't enough time. None of that is the dentists fault, or the receptionists!

It is unfortunate that you could not speak to someone when you rang but they are busy, they are dealing with difficulties to ensure that patients can be seen and so it is understandable!!

You have had faulty work there but that is irrelevant in this scenario. Why are you still going to the same dentist and travelling that distance to do it if you found the work so unsatisfactory?

Bluebelle - Donna said the receptionist showed no understanding and merely told her she had missed her appointment. Receptionists should be trained to deal with patients in a sympathetic manner (even if the patient is out of order) and I got the impression that this one didn't. I could be wrong! A good receptionist is an asset to a company. They are the first person a visitor encounters and they represent the public face of the company. Of course, the reception role is often underrated, under trained and under paid. I should know, I used to train 'em!

45 minutes late (whatever the reason) is far too late to expect to be seen.

The best you can hope for is to explain the problem and hope not to be charged for non-attendance.

There are plenty of dentists around - so it's sensible to choose one nearby!

Having read Donna's second post, it seems she left early enough to allow for holdups. And if it was only going to be a quick appointment I think they could have accommodated her or at least been a bit more pleasant.

My dentist makes you pay for an appointment if you miss it - or deducts the time available for having treatment/seeing the hygienist.

Mine is an NHS dentist. Many of my friends go to a private dentist and pay a lot more money. I don't understand why because I've been using my dentist for years and I think the treatment I get is first class.

annep1

It was very unfortunate. I wouldn't have thought of checking for roadworks or booking parking in advance but I would have allowed an extra half hour travel just in case. If you did that and it wasn't enough then that was really bad luck.
I understand they couldn't see you. As Squiffy said the problem was the phone. Perhaps you should have left a message and they might have got back and told you to rebook..

I did leave a message whilst I was trying to get through the gridlock of traffic. annepl .. 3 lanes closed and only one lane opened.

Chewbacca

^I think that is why he did see me...I was all of five minutes with him.^

Wait up.......! So you did actually see the dentist then? So it wasn't a wasted journey afterall Donna? From the information that you've given in your 2nd post, the dentist's surgery is in Liverpool City centre, within the Albert Docks area? It's always heavily congested there, with traffic going in and out of the city and to the docks. Plus, it's a bank holiday weekend, with additional traffic going to the ferries. You must have realised this when you were about to set out for your appointment, surely? And knowing the area as well as you do (because you've been to this dentist several times before to have spent over £3000 with him), why didn't you leave in plenty of time?

I did leave in plenty of time...Where in my comments says I didn't??

Unfortunately you were late and not just a bit. Yes I think that you are being unreasonable, otherwise everyone else on the list would have to suffer.

You were feeling stressed and was unreasonable. If you want to see this particular dentist, it is you who needs to make allowances to make sure you keep to your appointment, is he supposed to put his other patients off who are on time.? If I was a receptionist and a client was unreasonable and annoyed, I would ask them to please leave and ring in to make another appointment.

The Dentist very kindly (IMO) saw you anyway!!

Even though you were so late

I fail to see your problem.

I drove to Liverpool and back yesterday from Berkshire to collect my son and drove through the roadworks that you are referring to OP .
My sat nav said that it would take me 5 minutes to get to L1
( not as far as The Docks ) but it actually took me 35 minutes plus a few minutes extra circling a couple of times to park in Peter Street .

On arrival my son told me that ‘ it is always congested there’ as development is long term and ongoing.

As a local who uses that route regularly surely you would have know that and made adjustments to your journey time ?

In any event for an important appointment , to catch a flight etc it is always advisable to have a contingency just in case .

I would demand to speak to the Dentist himself. The Receptionist is being rude and acting above her station. I would have waited, until the client being treated was ready, and then I would insist on speaking with the dentist. If she refused, I'd make sure that my voice got so high that he would hear me and come to see what was happening. For all she knows, there was going to be a no-show, and I could take that appointment.

All this travelling with the possibility of delays and problems with parking plus faulty workmanship sounds like a good time to find another dentist.

I wish I could get to a dentist at all! None of the NHS ones are taking on new patients and both DD3 and I need work done

Tanjamalita did you not see that Donna said that she did speak to her dentist? She said,

When I spoke to the Dentist the Receptionist actually said I had said more to her than I did and then in mid sentence the Dentist actually said 'he did not know whether he believed what I told him' and then quickly changed the subject.

From this exchange, I suspect that the dentist was (justifiably) annoyed that, not only was she very late for her appointment, but that he was aware that their had been an altercation between Donna and a member of his staff. So he's now in the position of having his appointments for the day completely messed up, his follow up patients inconvenienced by having to wait in turn whilst the surgery is cleaned down in between patients and his receptionist is left with the job of rejigging what to do about the next patients turning up (probably on time) and what to do with them whilst they have to wait.
Don't think I'd be going back to that dental surgery if I was OP.

So all the ones that say don't argue as the dentist has time slots etc what about in normal times when you are sitting in the dentist an hour after your allotted time because the dentist was "still at lunch".

In my own business I run an appointment system - with Covid 19 we only have one household on our premises at any one time - miss your appointment then we'll TRY and fit you in but on busy days not at the expense of other clients who do arrive on time - you say "you leave on time" but clearly you didn't - I think your dentist well within their rights to say you missed your appointment

Firstly, I travel this sort of distance to see my dentist because they are brilliant so some of us (especially if we were born with poor teeth) understand travelling a long way. I don't think saying "just change dentist" is good advice.

However, I had exactly this kind of problem (pre-lockdown) and just accepted it was a one-off mess. I think you should have done too Donna. My dentist waived the "no show" fee as clearly it had been my intention to arrive. Both of us lost out though.

Now I leave twice as long as the journey takes and simply take a book or some work with me and sit in the car. Yes, it takes a huge chunk out of the day, but to me it's worth it.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I agree with Blinko

though I don`t live in a village.. just cannot imagine driving any great distance for a dental appt.

Sorry to go slight off subject but another poster mentioned being charged for missed appointments? I thought that had been banned nowadays?
I had a similar problem with an appt many years ago, (when missed appts were chargeable), when although the dentist was close to home, I had to travel from my workplace for appts during the day. The bus trip could be up to an hour (for a 5 mile journey - yes really) so I had allowed well over that. All well and good, except that 3 expected buses failed to show (waited an hour for those). This in the days before mobile phones, covid etc. I was not able to be seen once I got there. I complained to the bus company and said that they would be charged for any non-attendance fee as I had allowed more than enough time. Thankfully the dentist did not charge me for the fee, so I didn't have to get into arguments with the bus company in getting it paid.

jillybird the dentist did see the OP, he fitted her in. See her later post.

So all the ones that say don't argue as the dentist has time slots etc what about in normal times when you are sitting in the dentist an hour after your allotted time because the dentist was "still at lunch".

But these are not "normal" times Caragran. The reception area, and the surgery, have to be deep cleaned after every patient has left and before the next one arrives. 30 minutes? 45 minutes? An hour to do that?

Look around for a new dentist.