Today I did something that I hadn't done in about 8 years (when I got out of the Air Force). I went to the dentist for a cleaning. I know, I know, I need to go more often. Part of the reason I waited so long was the lack of dental insurance and the other part is that I just never made it a priority. It's one of those "there's no pain so I ain't worried about it" things. I've also done some home cleanings with over the counter products.
After being "encouraged" by my wife for quite some time, I decided to make an appointment and go. Of course the first thing you do when you go to a new doctor of any sort is to fill out all of their paperwork. Most of it was pretty standard information, but when I got to the last page, a paragraph rubbed me the wrong way. Now, unlike most people I read most of what I sign and if there is something with which I do not agree, I am not inclined to take the path of least resistance. This would be no exception.
The paragraph in dispute stated that in the event that I failed to show up at an appointment or if I canceled the appointment on the same day, a no show fee would be charged to me. WHAT????
You think so highly of yourself and your business that you feel you can charge someone for doing nothing. I don't think so...at least not with me.
So, I calmly walked up to the front counter and said "I filled out the information that you need except for the last page." The dentist said "Well I need this signed before we can do anything." I said "we have a few choices in this matter. A) I can line though the last paragraph on the page about charging me for you doing nothing, B) I can simply not sign the paperwork and you can clean my teeth, or C) I can walk out and we just won't do the cleaning." She said "the reason we do this is so people will take the appointment seriously because if you don't show up then I've lost the opportunity of getting another person in your time slot and consequently loose money.
I told her that I understood her situation but as a business owner that is the calculated risk that one takes. As a Realtor, I have people "no-show" and cancel all the time, but I don't have the right to charge them money for a service that they never received. We went back and forth for a minute and finally she agreed to line out the paragraph about the no-show fee. We both initialed it and I signed the form to consent to the other information. I got the cleaning and a clean bill of health.
The moral of the story is two-fold. First, never sign something unless you read it. You never know what you will get yourself into. Second, never allow a person or a business to persuade you that you owe them money when no service has been performed. Remember you are the customer! Many businesses will push the envelope to see what they can get away with and unfortunately most people are unwilling to stand in opposition to a poor business practice.
Michael J. Johnson
Comments (10)Subscribe to CommentsComment