Advice for MC Front Desk Receptionist?

ARIL

A less critical question than usual, but I am interested in your views:

This week I will have a meeting at my dad’s MC, and I will be asked a routine question about my experience as a frequent family visitor.

The facility has two receptionists. One is marvelous: kind, compassionate, genuine.

The other, newer person is irritating at best. It is necessary to interact when signing in. The irritating one says as I am heading inside, with a singsong chant: “Have a GREAT visit!” (Yeah, right, I am at an MCF…) When I am signing out, it’s “Did you have a good VIS-IT?!”

I have said, “Fine” or “It was OK.” Response: “That’s GREAT!” I have tried, “Not really.” Response, with an overly pained expression: “Oh, I am SO SORRY!” (Really? Do you even know my name?)

If I am going to mention this to the director at all, I would like to have some suggestions of a different, better approach.

What would you like someone to say to you in such a situation?

(The skilled receptionist takes the time to learn the names of residents and their frequent visitors. She says things like “Hello, [My Name].” She comments on the weather or an upcoming holiday. Sometimes she says, in what I hear as a genuinely caring tone, “How is your dad doing?” Or more often, just “How are you today?”)

The whole “GREAT visit” business is bugging me a lot, and as my dad declines further, this interaction is just going to get more and more annoying. Seriously, I can imagine going there when my dad is near death. I don’t need the GREAT visit shtick. I don’t need it now.

And yes, I feel petty for bringing it up. But I figure you’ll have ideas for how a family member wants to be treated in these circumstances.

H1235

I can definitely see your point. I imagine this person is just trying to be upbeat and positive. I think you might start by acknowledging this first. Maybe even point out that in another setting this interaction might be nice. Then follow that with an explanation of how uncomfortable/irritating these kinds of excessively upbeat interactions are in a sad depressing situation. I also have no patience for overly happy people in a sad sitting. Read the room people!

jen ht

Hi @ARIL

See how this lands for you…

https://www.planandcare.com/blog/front-desk-staff-quality-care-long-term-care-facilities

Could be a nugget or two to help with wording?

Wishing you well

Jen 💜

jen ht

I'll be curious to hear how your meeting goes. If you think of it, let us know how the conversation went. I hope they will be open to hearing this feedback.

Wishing you well,

Jen

ARIL

Thank you both for responding!

Alas, the meeting was not quite what I had imagined it would be. It was exclusively about my dad’s disease progression, and the facility director was not even there (I met with a nurse). It was a lot different from the meeting with the same title I had last year.

So this topic did not even get broached, and it seems like the sort of thing I would rather bundle into a broader discussion. There’s a danger of my seeming whiny, and there are certainly bigger issues to deal with day to day that are about my dad’s care rather than my experience in the lobby.

I do, however, now have ideas about how to approach the subject when the opportunity presents itself. Thank you.