UPDATE: I received a phone call from my family doctor the other night and she has put my worries at ease. I updated this review to four stars to reflect the responsiveness of the management staff at Herold Road Family Physicians. While the issues below likely wont be an easy remedy, I was left with piece of mind that my concerns were heard, and would be addressed. I mentioned in my last review that I felt the office was slipping, but I have to admit that was too forward. The quick response by my family doctor shows they are paying attention and working hard to put in a full day and run a successful clinic, I'm sure it's not easy to balance. Thanks for the call, and thanks for expressing your concern, it meant a lot.
PREVIOUS REVIEW:
The doctors are great at this clinic, but I have to say...I'm not sure how the reception staff get's away with the way they treat the clients. It's a tough position to be in. Dealing with reception is almost enough of a pain to make me switch family doctors. They are typically rude and dismissive to the point of frustration. Myself, my wife, and my kids all go here for our family doctor, but we're seriously considering moving clinics to get a better experience with booking and checking in for appointments.
The reception staff needs to understand that most of the time people are stressed out and worried about their health; be compassionate to this state of mind and make me feel like my worries are valid, it's that simple. It doesn't take any more time on the phone to be polite and considerate, it should be common decency. The clinic service may be free to us, but it's only because it's subsidized by our wonderful health care system. Our visits are what pays the bills, plain and simple. Without us choosing to use the service at Harold Road Family Physicians, there would be no Harold Road Family Physicians. Would you eat at a restaurant where the servers make you feel belittled and unappreciated, even if the food was good? I think not.
Office management needs to take care to nip this in the bud, or it will start to hurt their bottom line. Reading the google comments, my family and I are not alone. The solution is simple, train the reception desk employees to be courteous, not to interrupt the patient, not to dismiss the patients concern. Don't paint all patients with the same brush. You'll have difficult patients, yes, but treat those cases with tact and dignity; don't assume every patient is there to make your life miserable.
Other things to consider, fix the phone prompts, fix the hours information on your doors to reflect actual hours, fix the hours information on your phone prompts to reflect actual hours.