Pushed out because I missed 2 appointments in 8 years. Feeling like the unwanted trash after being a patient for 10 years.
Is this big, uncompassionate corporation, churning through dentists, hygienists, technicians, and assistants incredibly fast, also holding themselves accountable for their mistakes or ever simply apologizing for something?
Do they mean the "how can we make you smile" question when you've been a patient for 10 years, recommended them to other people, brought your spouse there, put up with a few mistakes? And what do they owe you after 10 years other than keeping negative notes on you? They might have more than for somebody who has been there for only 5, right? Are they more lenient towards their own mistakes than they are towards yours? Do they care if you are crying on the phone? No, because you missed 2 appointments in the last 8 years.
Let's see what they've done and what I've done. While the basic service is good, they were less than perfect, which I put up with, because no one is ever perfect: they never informed me that I was no longer in network and thus paying more than I would have somewhere else, they kept a balance of a few hundred dollars for years without telling me about it or asking me if I wanted it refunded, they passed me to the newest doctor they hired maybe 4 times (once prompted by the time I asked for an appointment, so that was on me, but they have an incredibly high personnel turnover), a crown that is too yellow even per their assistants (I may have agreed to the color that was suggested, but how good do I see in that mirror), been told many years ago that my smile was not reversing to pre-braces but finally admitted in 2018 it was (I could have done something about it in that time to prevent it from getting worse!), recommended to see a dentist that could work with a muscle because those were also pulling to the side (in addition to the teeth reversing) but no one called me back with a name as promised. These are not fatal flaws and we are all human, so I continued to visit their practice. But never heard the word apology or sorry over any of them. How difficult can that be?? It is always the feeling they are always right and the client is always wrong.
Let's see what I've done. I've been a patient since 2011 and recommended them to multiple people because they have long hours, and even brought my husband here. I missed appointments (but always promptly paid the contractual fees) in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2019. Part of this is because I've been there for 10 years. In 2021 I had an 8am appointment in April, and because I typically have most of my appointments with them at 7pm, I forgot it was in the am not pm, so I missed it. It was my 2nd in 8 years and 5th in 10 years. I called immediately when I realized my mistake, but they refused to reschedule it. They want you to call every single morning to see if they have a cancellation that day (when their cancellation policy is 3 days, so making you wait till that morning is not necessary, just on purpose nearly impossible to do). They taunt you with text reminders that you are due for a visit, but they will not give you an appointment. Do you redeem yourself after you take the same number of their cancellations as you caused? No, because you are the only one accountable for your mistakes. And if you are in the middle of a personal medical crisis like I happened to be that April and cry because you are in distress on the phone, do they give you another appointment? No, because they do not really want to make you smile. It is not a written policy that you will not be allowed an appointment, but they do it because they don't feel they owe you anything for the inconveniences they caused. They taunt you with appointment reminders just to humiliate you when you call.
There was always the feeling that there was this big, impersonal, corporate hand running the show. They have an incredibly high turn over in dentists, hygienists and assistants too, which must say something about all their practices. Every year I look at the wall of portraits and I'm having a hard time finding any technician, hygienist or assistant I've had in the past. Yes, they do run on time, but there is always this feeling of big mechanical arms running the place behind the creepy "how can we make you smile" answering line. (I didn't mean to pick on it when I started this review, but this has been on my mind for sooo many years now: how has it never occurred to anyone that a dentist's office phone line, no matter how proficient, doesn't typically make people smile? And it contributes to the phony facade feeling.)
Yes, I can take my business somewhere else, but my first preference would be that they do not treat me harsher than they treat themselves. Shouldn't you expect that after 10 years? I am tempted to try to call mornings and document how long it will take to get a cleaning appointment to update the review with something concrete. read more