May 6, 2022
Dr. Anderson,
I was in your office yesterday for a refraction. I choose to not get dilated or have a retina check because I regularly see Dr. Patton, MD, for my eyes.
You might have told me that if I did not get a full check up, my VSP insurance $15 copay couldn’t be used. If you didn’t know straight away you might have offered me the rest of the exam when you found out at time of payment. I paid $30 and didn’t make an issue of it. I’m really curious as to why you didn’t tell me.
You said you wouldn’t sell me glasses until I went to an eye doctor, which I did. Before leaving your parking lot I called Dr. Patton’s office and after explaining what you’d told me they worked me in. I saw him yesterday afternoon. He did a full exam with refraction and retinal scans, dilation and other things. He told me that your refraction and his were close enough and that I should have your prescription filled.
Today I called to order the lenses and spoke to Kurt. He said he wouldn’t sell me lenses because I needed to see an eye doctor. I told him I did and what the doctor said. He then said I needed a prescription from him. Doctor Anderson, you didn’t tell me that either. Yet, you did give me a prescription! So, I’m curious as to why you did that, too. Was it just to collect the $30? I tried explaining to Kurt that the prescription would cost me another $40 and I wasn’t about to do that. Kurt didn’t want to hear a single thing I had to say and talked over me. I asked for you. He refused, saying he’s the office manager and I had to deal with him. I again asked for you. He refused. I am a reasonable person, Doctor, but I do not take kindly to to people whom I am going to for a service talking over me - and repeatedly doing so. I got angry at his complete lack of willingness to listen and at my not being told by you that I would need a prescription from Dr. Patton. This was going to cost me more out of pocket money. I used one single profanity in my conversation with him - as an adjective. I absolutely did not call him a name. I know better than that. There’s a very big difference that apparently he is incapable of comprehending. Was I wrong to get frustrated? No. Was I wrong to curse. Sure. But had he listened instead of talking over me it wouldn’t have happened. He said I can’t talk to him like that. I said that I did not use profanity at him. He hung up on me. Don’t you think it would have been reasonable for a person in his position to have said something like, “Please don’t talk like that,” or maybe, “We can’t continue this conversation if you talk like that?” Apparently not. An office manager is supposed to resolve issues not exacerbate them. He did not care one iota for anything I had to say. How would you feel under these circumstances, Doctor? How would you have reacted?
The next time I called to try to get a positive response. No profanity, just trying to get my lenses ordered. He again talked over me and refused to listen to me. Instead he proceeded to tell me what happened as if he were there. He then said to me that he would not accept my business under any circumstances and if I called back again he would call the sheriff’s office and tell them it was harassment. What? The Sheriff’s office? Are you serious? If you are in a retail business customers get frustrated. It’s that person’s job to defuse the situation. If you have an office manager that doesn’t know this that person needs a new job.
I really can’t believe this is the outcome. I have no reason to lie about any of this as I won’t be coming back and I have no butt to cover. However, you share in the blame for this. Your office manager exacerbated it. Despite the fact that Dr. Patton, who told me the information you gave me about driving was wrong, I was still going to get my lenses from you. I have gotten my frames from you and 3 different sets of lenses from your office. I live in town. I support local businesses. I was actually willing to continue to do business with your office. Now, after being talked over and not listened to twice, hung twice, had to pay full price for a refraction that I should have been told about in advance, and was threatened with a call the sheriff’s office, that will never happen.
I hadn’t even considered reviewing your office until his threat. Now, you can thank Kurt for them. You just never know how much business is lost from a bad review. Prospective patients have the opportunity to know what they are getting these days. You and your manager should remember this. You can thank him, too, for the grievance I put in with VSP.
The ladies working there are all nice, but as an office manager, Kurt needs to grow up. You need to do better yourself, doctor.
In all sincerity and truth,
