Dr. Victoria L Dumont, OD

I am writing to express my disappointment regarding my experience with your office on July 15, 2026. My intention is not simply to complain but to provide feedback that I hope will help improve the experience for future patients. Like many people in our area, I waited several months for this appointment. Unfortunately, due to the shortage of eye care providers, most offices are scheduling appointments six to twelve months in advance. Losing an appointment after waiting that long is incredibly frustrating. When I originally scheduled my appointment, I did not have my vision insurance information available. I called at the last minute and provided my regular medical insurance information. I was told that my information would be looked up and that someone would call me if there was a problem. As the patient, I trusted that process. Before my appointment, I also called to confirm that I was still scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on July 15. My appointment was confirmed, and at no point was I… told there was an issue with my insurance or that additional information was needed. I want to acknowledge my own responsibility. I should have followed up to verify that my vision insurance information had been received correctly. I take ownership of that mistake. However, I was very disappointed that your office accepted no responsibility for what happened on your end. When I arrived for my appointment, I was simply told that my insurance was not accepted and that I would need to pay out of pocket. There was no empathy for the fact that I had waited months for this appointment, nor any acknowledgment that the situation was frustrating. When I asked why no one had contacted me, I was told that my phone number was not in my file. What confused me is that, as a new patient, I had clearly provided enough information for your office to have my mailing address. If there truly was no working phone number on file, why wasn't a letter mailed asking me to contact the office? Even a simple postcard or letter stating that there was an issue with my account would have allowed me to make an informed decision months ago. I could have chosen to pay out of pocket, provide updated insurance information, or schedule elsewhere instead of discovering the problem only after arriving for my appointment. Instead, I was repeatedly given the impression that the situation was entirely my fault because I had not provided the correct insurance information. While I understand that I made a mistake, I also believe there were several opportunities for your office to notify me before the day of my appointment. During our conversation, I was told that your office would never schedule a patient without insurance information. That statement surprised me because my appointment had, in fact, been scheduled months earlier. At that point, I became frustrated and raised my voice. Looking back, I regret the way I spoke, and I apologize for allowing my frustration to affect my tone. I should have handled that part of the conversation more respectfully. What disappointed me most was not the insurance issue itself—it was the lack of compassion and customer service. A response such as, "Mrs. Degon, it looks like mistakes were made on both sides. We understand how difficult it is to get an eye appointment right now, and we're sorry this happened. While we can't bill your insurance, we'd like to offer a discounted exam today because of the circumstances," would have completely changed my experience. Even if that solution wasn't possible, simply acknowledging the inconvenience and expressing genuine empathy would have gone a long way. Customer service is not always about solving every problem. Sometimes it is about making patients feel heard, respected, and valued. Unfortunately, I left your office feeling blamed rather than supported. I hope you will review your scheduling and patient communication procedures. If a patient cannot be reached by phone, perhaps another method of communi