Are they legally allowed to do this?
She said she would find out and ring me back. She then said ‘The same thing happened in October 2016’. This remark I found a bit strange as it didn’t have anything to do with my present situation.
Now, I like this surgery (which is why I haven’t gone for a local dentist). It’s modern and I find the staff professional and friendly. I have given them thousands of euro over the past few years. The last time I was there I paid €90 for a twenty minute treatment session.
While I fully appreciate that the hygienist probably depends on customer payments for her salary, I don’t think I should be penalised for something I had no control over.
ask yourself
how would they ever collect this cancellation charge? its a threat but wont ever come to anything because if they levy the charge you wont ever go back to them
Equally if professionals want to enforce a no show fee there should be discounts depending on how long you are kept waiting after the appointment time. I was at an appointment with a friend lately and she was kept waiting 1 hr 50 mins after appointment time, it's ridiculous, I fully intended to complain about the parking fee but as it happened it was actually quite cheap to park there.
Maybe they should leave more time between appointments.
It's a silly idea that penalties should apply both ways. You can never tell what complications or difficulties the patient ahead of you is experiencing and the dentist(or doctor) can't just chuck them out at the end of the allotted time. No-shows are a significant problem both in public and private sector. In the private sector, a dentist or GP can be left with a 20 minute space where your appointment should have been, costing them money. My own dentist is likely to appreciate a gap but only when they have 24 hrs notice to get someone else in. I often have to wait in the GP waiting room for 20-30 minutes past my appointment time but I appreciate someone else is getting the time they need. It will be my turn someday. It is embarrassing and seems unfair but you need to get over it and see the bigger picture.
How is a consumer ever going to be in a position to determine this with any authority, though?It depends though on whether they are jamming in too many appointments e.g. when they well know from experience that over the course of an hour they will only get through 4 people in the allotted time but have booked 5 appointments. In those circumstances, charging for a cancellation seems OTT!
How is a consumer ever going to be in a position to determine this with any authority, though?
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