A long time ago... this was a small smile in a horrible time. My dad died in a bad way and the first 24 hours were a blur of horror and admin. Dental records were needed for identification. I wasn't sure who his dentist was, so I was calling around clinics near where he lived to have the same short, sad conversation over and over. Thinking to myself that in the movies it always seems like a team of professionals appear out of nowhere to do this sort of crap, but real life was apparently very mundane and different.
One receptionist answered in a very bored and loud voice "McGuffins Dentistry, routine or emergency?" I said I wasn't sure, so she repeated very slowly "routine... or... emergency...?" in that special are-you-stupid way only a British jobsworth can. I said... well, emergency then. She sighed and asked if I was the patient. No. Even bigger sigh... Could she speak to the patient?... No, because... She cut me off and said she would have to put me on hold to deal with a customer, if I could please bring the patient to the phone in the meantime due to confeedensheealeeteee.
So I sat there on hold listening to plinky plonk music for a few minutes. I've been a receptionist myself, I know it's tough work. But I also know that "hold" is a tool of tiny power.
Eventually she reappeared with a dramatic sigh and "Is the patient ready to speak to me now?"
I calmly said no because he's deceased and the police need his dental records for identification by the coroner.
I could hear she was actually a bit annoyed that she hadn't "won" this round. She arranged for her manager to call me back.
If I'd had my head screwed on I probably would have complained about the receptionist, but honestly, who cared about their customer retention that day.
If this story made you sad, then I hope the "it's beginning to look like no contact" flair makes you laugh as much as it did me! My Dad would have laughed too. Miss you Dad. X