ommunication Challenge Writing Assignment #$4(5\%)$: Professional Messaging

You have been employed by MedMonitor, the medical testing services company, for five years, during which time you have risen to the position of Customer Service Director.

As part of their training process, you invite two of your Mohawk College co$-$op students to draft a reply to a complaint email from a dissatisfied customer, which you will then debrief with them.

The complaint reads as follows:

Date: May $26,2023$ @ $10$:$21$

To: MedMonitor Customer Service Department, Complaints

From: William Bob Thornton

Subject: pathetic and insulting service

To Whom It May Concern at MedMonitor,

My doctor recommended your organization for my blood work and x$-$rays, so I booked an appointment at your Brantford, Ontario location. My appointment was scheduled for $1230$pm on Friday, May $26.$ When I arrived at $1220,$ four people were already sitting in the waiting area of reception. The woman at the reception desk was pleasant and polite, and my initial check$-$in went smoothly enough, or so I thought, and she asked me to take a seat.

Five minutes later, a woman sitting beside me went to the receptionist and asked why she was still waiting for her $12$pm appointment and how much longer would it take. The receptionist was polite and congenial, and of course apologetic, but she also appeared quite frustrated or even annoyed. The receptionist told the woman to please be patient while she went to the back to check on the cause of the delay and hold up$.$ Shortly after going to the back room, there was a loud and uproarious burst of laughter. When she returned to reception, she had a smirk on her face, but she told the waiting women it would be about $5$ more minutes. Ten minutes later, the woman was called.

I waited for $30$ minutes past my appointment time, during which time another woman took over the reception desk, so at $1$pm I asked what was taking so long, and meanwhile $5$ more people had arrived while I was waiting. In answer to my question about the delay, the new receptionist said she could not find my paperwork, the referral from my doctor, and then she suggested that I hadn$$t register for my appointment in advance. So I showed her my printed out registration confirmation, which included my OHIP number and VISA payment confirmation. Her previous pleasant demeanour had turned annoyed. But, miracle of miracles, after a little paper shuffling on her desk she $$suddenly$$ found my documents and I was next, when a room became available of course.

Believe it or not, things got worse. While waiting, I watched and listened as a woman came out of a closed office twice to bark at reception staff $($and shaking papers in their faces$)$ to check they fully complete all billing reports before they release customers and to remind the staff of price increases for several services. How can any working professional be that oblivious to the presence of clients in the room? If the accountants need to remind staff of price changes, fair enough, that$$s part of business, but pick an appropriate place and time. Do it behind closed doors. Or schedule an off$-$hours staff meeting when people aren$$t in the waiting room.

And for all this fun, I paid $$273\mathrm{.}20$ plus HST$,$ so $$308\mathrm{.}72.$

Oh$,$ and one more important detail. The nurse did not take one of the required vials of blood, which means one the tests requisitioned by my doctor did not get done. I guess he missed that part of the requisition form or he $$forgot$.$ Either way, I now need to come back to have that sample taken.

So$,$ what is MedMonitor going to do to make my situation better? Might a refund be appropriate? And perhaps an accurately scheduled new appointment?

Signed, William Bob Thornton of Scotland, Ontario