On 5th November, I had an appointment scheduled for 4:45 PM. Due to unforeseen circumstances at work, I knew I would be late, so at 4:06 PM, I started calling the clinic to inform them. According to my phone records, I was on hold for 38 minutes and 36 seconds without anyone answering.
I arrived at the clinic at 4:47 PM, and to my surprise, there were two receptionists sitting at the desk — yet I was still on hold as I entered. It was clear that the phone was NOT ringing. When I informed Dr. Gil about this during my appointment, his assistant mentioned that the phone might have been set to a low ringer volume.
Approximately 20–30 minutes after my appointment, my newly attached bracket came off. Since it was already late, I decided to call the next morning.
At 9:00 AM on 6th November, I called the clinic to report the issue and to request an urgent same-day appointment, as I had a flight at 2:00 PM. The receptionist repeatedly told me, “There’s nothing available, we’re fully booked.” After much explanation, she finally said she would ask for advice from the orthodontist, to which I responded, “Fine, thank you,” and ended the call.
At 11:15 AM, I tried calling again while already on my way to the clinic. When I arrived, I noticed that the clinic’s phone was on silent — I was still on hold, yet there was no ringing sound at the desk.
When I came into the clinic, I realized the same receptionist I had spoken to earlier was on duty. I asked if she had spoken to Dr. Gil for advice, but she twisted my words, claiming that I had hung up before confirming if she should ask. She then said she wasn’t even supposed to be at reception and was “just helping,” and that there were ongoing IT issues they were trying to fix. Fine — I understand technical problems can happen — but that does NOT justify twisting my words or avoiding responsibility.
This made me extremely upset, so I walked out — and I do apologize for the people who were there to witness this argument and to the door I slammed in frustration. I returned shortly afterward and, in a raised tone, asked for her name; however, she was suddenly “on the phone.” I found this quite ironic given the ongoing phone issues.
This entire experience was extremely frustrating and disappointing. What is the point of having a phone and reception staff if patients cannot reach the clinic? More importantly, what is the benefit of being a private paying patient if there are no emergency slots available when urgently needed?
Please hire a competent and, most importantly, HONEST receptionist. Dr. Gil and his colleagues have always been professional and VERY kind, but the reception service is unacceptable and severely undermines the clinic’s reputation.
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