Perhaps you might be kind enough to help?

I have been in contact with many Medical Secs. over the years as a representative for my little girl who has been ill for some time and whilst the skills needed to be one are advertised as

Strong interpersonal and communication skills Be friendly and confident Be presentable

Have good organisational skills, and be able to prioritise their workload

Be able to cope in a busy environment

Enjoy meeting and dealing with a variety of people - This has hardly ever been the case.

Unfortunately my visits on the whole seem to very unpleasant indeed. May I say there are some real superstars out there and when I have met them I have told them how great they are however most others have a similar pattern as follows (in GP's and Hospital receptions).

The lady or ladies are talking to each other, ignoring me completely as I bring in my child in her nightclothes (they can see me though)

After what seems like hours, when they have finished their chat, one turns round, looks sternly at me over their bi focal lenses and in a very patronising way says "can I help?" said in a mono tone "what do you want?" fashion. This gets my back up straight away and sets the tone for the whole horrible episode. It is followed by "what's wrong then" and "You can't do this, you can't do that and wait over there" with added huffs, puffs and tuts

I have seen and heard this happen to others, but others seem to just accept it and shrivel up (especially mature people who I feel very sorry for)

Sometimes I mirror back the attitude (quite wrongly) and things go badly thereafter

If I suggest that if they are more empathic and less patronising, then things would be better. then we go around hearing all the excuses as to why they "can't jump up and down, happy as Larry". They are busy, they are short staffed. I should work there for day etc.....

The last time such an incident happened, I tried to explain how things could be better, but the lady said I was rude and aggressive. Rude and aggressive is what I got from the word go. Before I left, I bought the lady some chocolates, told her that life was too short and gave her the choccies. She wept a bit and said that the gesture was very much appreciated.

Anna, I need your help please. I have lived all over the world and never seen or heard such rudeness from medical secs. and never had to confront them. Not even in Manhattan New York, where I lived and people did not have a lot of time all. How should I handle the next occasion please? and why are these people not trained and keeping the assumed high standards of your highly professional society? Where are the skills they require to get the job in the first place? I want to help make things better for all of us next time I need to use the services of a medical secretary

Kindest regards

Mr Burgess