I've been a patient of this practice for more than 6 years now. I've always had a lovely experience with very sweet dental hygienists and easy doctor visits. This evening is nothing short of POOR business sense, appalling customer service, and total disregard for the patient/client. I have a very hectic work schedule and commute in and out of the city every day. Taking the latest appointment for a routine cleaning they can offer (6:15pm) is the best option, but still has me leaving 45 minutes early from work. What's more, getting that kind of late appointment means it's booked 6 months in advance, and this time, strategically so, as I'm getting married on May 20. Needless to say, with last-minute wedding planning coupled with a stressful job and commute, I don't have much spare time. I left my office in ample time to make my 6:15 appointment, but as Mondays will be, there was a long line at Port Authority for a bus. I called to tell them I'd be roughly 10-15 mins late, apologizing for the bus situation, which is out of my hands. Instead of saying, sure, thanks for calling, the receptionist replies that their policy is that I can't be any more than 10 minutes late. I said that I understand policy, but that I'm the last patient of the day, it's a routine cleaning, and I absolutely cannot reschedule. Her response is essentially that I need to be there by 6:25. At 6:25 I call them to say I'm two blocks away---the receptionist hangs up on me. At 6:27 I'm off the bus and physically RUNNING two blocks. ). I arrive and tell them my name. A few minutes later the dental hygienist calls my name only to tell me that she cannot do a full cleaning, all rooms are taken (which is impossible if they planned for me to be there 4 minutes earlier), and "everything is shut down." She offers me x-rays and an exam, as if that is sufficient in some way, and wouldn't require me to come back again. I asked her, "really?" because frankly, I could not believe what I was hearing. There was a patient in front of me, I could hear other employees and patients in the back. The door was open; the lights were on; I could hear the machines....yet, she tells me everything is "shut down". What's more, is that it was clear to me, to the hygienist, the to receptionists, and truthfully the the other patient checking out, what was really happening here. As the last appointment, everyone wanted to go home and couldn't be bothered to have their workday extended by 4 (FOUR) minutes. Instead of inconveniencing themselves for a mere 4 minutes, they would rather inconvenience a patient--someone who RAN to get there, will now have to use MORE PTO to get her teeth cleaned, three weeks before her wedding. And of course, there are NO late appointments (if you can even call 6:15 late) nor early appointments before my wedding. I very bluntly told them that I would expect some sense of customer/patient courtesy to be shown, but Nova Dental Center has made it very clear that they are not at their patients' service, but instead we are at their mercy.
Whether a doctor was involved in this decision is unknown, but if this practice wants to last, they need to show a little more respect for their patients. This is such a disgusting and blatant power play. Could they have taken me? Yes. But they didn't because they could. Yes, I am aware I was late. Yes I'm aware that everyone working there has lives and responsibilities and obligations just like I do. But this very fact is exactly why I would expect something more. Some sort of logic. Some understanding that this isn't someone purposefully disregarding their time, but someone who is asking them to respect hers. What could have been solved in a matter of minutes is now 10x more inconvenient. Time to start looking for a new dentist. read more