Who's at the Front?

  You may wonder what Doctors and Restaurants could possibly have in common. Listening to an interview the other day with Joan Hamburg on WOR radio and Todd English ( the renown Chef) got me thinking. Joan asked Todd, "who's at the front?" What she meant was who "mans" the phones for reservations and the reception desk as patrons enter his restaurants? She commented on her frustration of calling NYC restaurants and only being offered either a 6pm reservation or a 10:30pm reservation. "Unless you use pull, getting into the "hot" restaurants is difficult", she stated. And she is sick of it, and so am I. In this economy, you wouldn't think restaurants would turn away business but surely this happens ALL the time. The first impression you get can sour the whole experience for the rest of the evening. I would rather go to a restaurant that treats me well from beginning to end, then go to a four star establishment that has an attitude.
  I think the same is true for Doctor's offices. I have always based a great doctor not totally on his intelligence, but rather who he intelligently selects to service your needs at the front desk. If you are sick and need to get in that day, or if your child needs surgery asap and you need a referral as quickly as possible, you do not want to be greeted with an attitude or resistance. So many times a doctor can be a great diagnostician, compassionate, and spend quality time with his patients, but his front desk exhibits a nasty attitude and/or impatience. In those cases, it is just too stressful to deal with the staff ,and I can't endure the idea of going back to a doctor if I have to do battle with his staff time and again. Usually, I will  let the doctor know of my experience because he is not aware about what is going on  "at the front" while he is in an examining room being kind to his patients.
  The point being - Joe Shmo should have the same rights as Tom Hanks, whether it is at the doctor's office or at the chic new restaurant down the block. Slots should not be reserved for those that the staff at the front deems worthy.A kind welcome should be extended to each and every person that walks through their doors. After all, they are both (the doctors and restaurateurs) relying on their income, reputation and popularity solely from word of mouth. They should keep this in mind-it should be their mantra. The customer (and the patient) must always come first-not the staff.  We are all created equal and thus, should be treated that way at all times. Treat others with the respect that you would want shown to you.