I have revised my original review because of two reasons. I made an appointment and went to this location the Monday following Thanksgiving. It was very busy, most likely due to the holiday and it took an hour or so to get done. One clerk was nice and was very professional. The other clerk was not as professional in the reception area, but she did make up for it when assisting me in the back office. She followed the procedures (they are posted on the wall) to a tee and was a little better with her customer service when we were in the exam room. They had trouble with the computer system as they had just installed a new program and I was their first appointment using that new system for this type of test. I knew how to fix their computer issue as it was just enabling add-ons, but they called their help desk support because they couldn't figure it out. They advised the results would be available by Wednesday and when I checked, the results had been reported as promised. The only reasons this was not a higher review are because of the lack of customer service but it seems that could be easily improved as I did witness it in the back office - just not the waiting rooms. My biggest issue with Quest is that they do not allow clients to talk to a live person when calling their number. They route you to an automated system or refer you to their website and there is no option to get to a real person unless you get in your car and drive there. That, to me shows they don't care enough about their clients to employ a call center or a staff receptionist at the locations to handle the front office and phones so technicians can focus on back office tasks. This is a big deal because those that are not tech savvy or are up in years and are very used to face-to-face interaction to get their business handled are left with no option other than to drive to the location. That is unacceptable. Quest needs to hire reception staff for the locations and call center staff for general questions. It would certainly show that they do care about their clients.
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Quest only offers automated appointment scheduling or you can make an appointment by utilizing their website. Neither option allows you to connect with a live person. The hours posted on the website are Monday through Friday, 9am - 4pm, PT. I arrived within the prescribed hours and signed in. No one was at the front desk for several minutes. Finally a woman comes out and upon seeing the type of test I was there for (pre-employment drug screen), she advised that "those type of tests" are only taken until 3pm. No where is this posted on the website or at the Quest office. In small print at the bottom of my paperwork, it does mention the hours for the test, but I missed that detail as it is not prominent on the form. I asked the clerk if they are in the office Friday and she said no, that I would have to come back Monday. I then asked if the Pinole Quest location was open and she replied, "No, they closed so you have to come here." I told her I tried to call the office but I couldn't get through and before I could finish my sentence, she interrupted me and said she was with a client. I began my sentence again and was able to tell her that the automated system does not allow you to connect with a live individual or office personnel at the locations. She looked at me and shrugged her shoulders uttering, "Oh well."
I feel this individual needs to be schooled in basic customer service, especially being associated with healthcare. The comments and body language that she displayed are unacceptable. I don't feel that Quest deserves the business. To employ individuals such as the clerk I encountered and to eliminate the ability for clients to contact a live person when they need to shows me that they don't care about their clients. What about people that are not tech-savvy or don't have computers or cell phones (such as my daughters' grandparents). What are they to do?
I wasted my time yesterday and now have to return on Monday. I have dealt with other labs such as LabCorp and Concentra and those establishments are very accommodating, professional, and quick to provide the services requested. If you have the choice of which lab to attend, do not use Quest. There are other providers more deserving of your business. read more