Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  18/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This clinic agreed to accepting payment after my child’s next appointment; when we arrived they insisted on changing the agreement and demanded payment prior to my 6 year olds appointment. Management was unwilling to help so I left a review. After the review was left, a we received a letter in the mail. Review: My experience started out amazing; but, unfortunately it seems this office is struggling to not only enforce, but also understand their own policies. In addition, when they’ve committed to a solution to correct the error/mistake, upon my arrival for the next appointment, it was like the conversation didn’t happen. I feel this dental clinic is poorly managed for its scale. While most of the service workers are competent, the underlying policies that would ensure an efficient experience are handicapped and predatory to say the least. When confronted about this, the manager projected blame on to me, rather than accept payment on the terms outlined previously. I will not be going back, or my family, until confidence is restored Update: after posing this review, I was sent a letter notifying me that rather than addressing my concerns, Dr. ***** would rather retaliate and dismiss me & my family. I have uploaded the letter to photos on their business page. Truly shameful conduct 1

  Business response

  19/10/2022

  September 2022, this patient was asked to put a mask on at payment desk, got upset and walked out.  I called them the next day, they apologized and agreed to pay over the phone by credit card.  Or if we could book another appointment within a few weeks, I offered that they could pay at that appointment.  We had a pleasant conversation, and I was happy with that.  Our policy is that payment is received whenever possible on the date of the appointment, but I made this exception.

  October 2022, I left a phone message for this patient to call me regarding the balance owing so I could remind them of the amount owing and tell them what to expect.  It had been 4 weeks since our last conversation.  They did not return my call. 

  The next day upon arriving at the office they were asked to pay the invoice from September 6th.  They refused to pay before the appointment.  Got upset and left.  I called and tried to talk about this.  I was sworn at and hung up on.  They called back and demanded an apology.  I asked if we could talk about what happened?  They said no and again demanded an apology.  I said I am not apologizing until we discuss the situation and was again hung up on.  
  

  October 12th a letter was sent to dismiss this family as patients and to request the payment for services on September 6th.

  Our policy is to collect payment at the end of every appointment, unless there is a balance owing from a previous appointment.  When this happens and the balance owing is over $100, we always collect before they have another appointment.  This is to protect ourselves from a larger amount owing (if someone was not to pay again).  In the future I will emphasize that they will be required to pay the balance owing before the next appointment.  There was clearly a misunderstanding about that in this situation and I was not able to talk with them about it.  

  I/we try very hard to make every visit a positive one and I tried to have a conversation but was hung up on.

  Thank you, *****

  Customer response

  21/10/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  While the request to put on a mask is true, it wasn't until after the procedure was completed and I was sitting in front of the payment clerk that she requested the mask be put on. As we spent an hour in the clinic with no direction from anyone else that a mask was needed/required, the impression that the requirement for a mask was assumed to only be this one staff members opinion. Rather than question why we weren't told about the "policy" earlier, we left as we had no interest in participating in their office politics/drama. I brought this concern up to management over the phone, and even offered to pay by CC during that call, however we ended up agreeing that we would be able to pay for this service, and the next service together at the end of the next appointment. This was the agreement, and I expected this upon arrival at the next appointment. I absolutely demanded an apology, and still do, as their conduct around how this has been handled is truly insulting. I am a veteran, with 100% coverage for myself, and no problems with my finances to forward payment for services rendered for my family. The fact that this clinic would rather loose a family of 4 as patience is dumbfounding, and shines a light on what they'd rather do over $400.

  Business response

  26/10/2022

  As of September 2022, when this happened, we did require patients and staff to wear masks in our office.  This was posted on our entrance door (see photo).  This person entered and was not asked to put on a mask until they were at the reception desk at the end of their appointment.  That should not have happened.  Someone here should have noticed and asked them to put a mask on.
  At the reception desk they were asked to put a mask on.  I was not there but was told they refused and walked out without paying their bill.

  
  The next day I talked to them on the phone, and I agreed that we should have asked them to put a mask on upon entry and they also said they saw the sign on our door.  We had a pleasant conversation and made plans to make another appointment and to pay their bill at that appointment.

  
  I understand they believe I said they could pay their bill at the end of their future appointment.  I disagree.  I would never tell anyone (with a balance of over $100) that they could pay at the end of their appointment.  Our policy is that patients never receive more treatment if they have a balance owing of more than $100.  This is something that our entire staff knows and abides by.  This is not something unique to this situation.  We do not allow anyone to incur more debt until previous debt is paid.  I am sorry for this misunderstanding.  I do wish we could have talked the day before the appointment, but my call was not returned.  I also wish we could have had a proper conversation after this last appointment.

  
  The dismissal was not issued because of money owing.   This person and their family was dismissed because they made it known to me personally and publicly that they are not happy with our office and our office is not ok with the way the staff and myself was treated.  I do not appreciate being sworn at or hung up on.  I hope this family will be happy with a new dentist.   
  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩