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View Full Version : Really Frustrated with Lab VENT! Refused to do OGTT!

EeyoreButterfly
10-09-2009, 03:00 PM
I am insanely frustrated with the lab in my doctor's building. My doctor is not affiliated with the lab. it just happens to be in the same building and is one lab in a larger conglomeration if that makes sense. I don't want it to seem like they are affiliated with my doctor in any way.

Anyway, on to what happened. My doctor ordered a Glucose Tolerance Test which is a 2 hour test that must be done after fasting. I am a teacher and was not willing to miss school to do the test, so I called and asked them if I came in after school, would they be able to do the test. I specifically asked if I was there at 3:00 would that be okay. And they repeated to me that as long as I was fasting it would be fine.

So I had not had anything to eat since 7:00pm last night when I ate dinner. As soon as teachers were dismissed I was out of there and signed in at the lab at 3:00pm. Nobody was there at the desk when I signed in. When they called me up at 3:10, they started giving me hassle about the test. I told the lady I had talked to somebody on the phone and they specifically told me it was okay.

She said she was not the closer and called the closer over and told her they had a 2 hour test. She flat out said, "I'm not staying late, she needs to go." I told them that I had been told over the phone that it would be okay and they still refused to honor what they told me. They said I would have to go to a different lab from the same company tomorrow. They said that person should not have told me that, and they even know who it was but it didn't matter.

I did get a number for the corporate office, and the manager I spoke to there was extremely apologetic and said he would talk to them about the incident. I was very grateful. Yeah, he may have just been placating me, but he sounded sincere and I felt like my voice was heard. I will say that I will never go to that particular lab again. I will use a different lab from the company since they have them all over the place.
Moonglo
10-09-2009, 03:12 PM
How frustrating! And especially when you're having to do something so nervewrecking as taking a GTT anyways... ugh. I hope you have better luck with the other lab.
foxl
10-09-2009, 07:09 PM
Oooh, that is mean.

I went to a lab appointment for a pelvic ultrasound once, which had to be done on a full bladder ... and I had drunk the water and walked the several blocks to the lab.

They insisted I had to have a written prescription, no not a fax, from my MD. I too refused to go back. EVER.
butterflykisses
10-09-2009, 07:13 PM
OMG! After starving yourself all that time?! That is just WRONG! So sorry for you. Are you going to get the test tomorrow?
jer.lawrence
10-09-2009, 07:15 PM
It's not LabCorp by chance, is it? We have had the worst service with them, and I see they are scattered all over the country.
EeyoreButterfly
10-09-2009, 08:47 PM
Quest Diagnostics. They have redeemed themselves though. I had spoken with a manager in the corporate office. About half an hour later, the supervisor for that lab called me. She wanted to make sure that I knew about the labs that had Saturday hours (the branch I went to did not, but I would not have gone anyway.) She asked me which one I was planning to go to, and she said she would call them so they knew to expect and I wouldn't have to wait as long. I thought that was a nice touch. I really didn't expect anything from them. I mean, it's a medical lab. It's not like I can return a product or get money back or something. I mostly just wanted to be heard and to make sure nobody else has this problem.
foxl
10-10-2009, 08:31 AM
I mean, it's a medical lab. It's not like I can return a product or get money back or something. I mostly just wanted to be heard and to make sure nobody else has this problem.


TRUE ... but they are beginning to catch on to customer service ... and the fact that people like US can spread word, good or bad, quite rapidly! :D :D :D :D

BTW I work in an academic library, we have absolutely no profit to gain from being nice, but we too are still under pressure to provide effective and efficient customer service, and to satisfactorily resolve conflicts.

My MDs also use Quest, I will keep your experiences in mind, both good AND bad.
EeyoreButterfly
10-10-2009, 05:14 PM
The people at the lab this morning were a million times more professional than the ones at the other lab. I will be going to them from now on.

I obviously don't have the results yet, but I was checking with my own meter, and unless my meter is incredibly inaccurate, I think the doctor will be forced to take me seriously now. My one hour on my meter was 257 and my 2 hour was 233.

While not good, at the same time it's nice to that what I've been seeing (and saying all along) is now repeated under lab conditions. Hopefully they can't blow me off anymore now that they know I am telling the truth.
GeishaGirl
10-11-2009, 07:44 AM
Quest Diagnostics.

Ack! RUN! Run far away! I despise, loathe, and revile Quest! First, their MO is to keep everyone waiting for hours -- literally. Every time I used their lab, I was there for 2+ hours for a simple blood draw. Second, they never listen when they say I have to have blood taken from my hand, because the veins in my arms are horrible -- so they hurt me all the time. Third, and this is the worst in my opinion, they don't take my insurance AND THEY DIDN'T TELL ME! They took my insurance card, nodded, made appropriate noises, and let me come in for tests for a YEAR before I got a letter saying they stopped accepting my insurance the year before.

So I had a bill for around $800, at Christmastime, with absolutely no recourse because, according to them, they had an itty bitty little sign on their counter (and who can GET to their counter with the huge amount of people anyway??) saying they no longer accept Empire. This was the only situation where my insurance company refused to pay.

See if you can find Enzo labs -- very nice people, no wait, lab on premesis, so no sending the stuff out.
foxl
10-11-2009, 09:42 AM
... While not good, at the same time it's nice to that what I've been seeing (and saying all along) is now repeated under lab conditions. Hopefully they can't blow me off anymore now that they know I am telling the truth.

Well, it must be some kind of relief, to have your suspicions (KNOWLEDGE, really!) validated. I am certain they are missing SO MANY cases ... some by using FBG, and some by using
A1c, only.

I hope you get the right meds soon!
slipperyelm
10-11-2009, 03:54 PM
Quest has the lab concession in my MD's office and has had the same employee for twenty something years. She is professional and gets the job done but used to seem so miserable, grouchy, and burdened. Then, one summer she was out for a few months. I had to go to another lab; the one in my MD's office was just closed. When she returned she was bright as sunshine. I think maybe she got treatment for depression or got rid of a bad home situation, or something. I'm happy for her. She has seemed like a new person ever since.
Funnygrl
10-11-2009, 04:11 PM
Third, and this is the worst in my opinion, they don't take my insurance AND THEY DIDN'T TELL ME! They took my insurance card, nodded, made appropriate noises, and let me come in for tests for a YEAR before I got a letter saying they stopped accepting my insurance the year before.

So I had a bill for around $800, at Christmastime, with absolutely no recourse because, according to them, they had an itty bitty little sign on their counter (and who can GET to their counter with the huge amount of people anyway??) saying they no longer accept Empire. This was the only situation where my insurance company refused to pay.

See if you can find Enzo labs -- very nice people, no wait, lab on premesis, so no sending the stuff out.

They had big signs when I went saying they don't accept NYSHIP/EMPIRE PLAN.

I'm covered under one NYSHIP's HMOs. I told the lady as she was entering my insurance that that was a NYSHIP plan, and do they take it?

She told me "NYSHIP is for medicaid people, this is private insurance, you're good. It has nothing to do with you."

I was like, oh boy. Time will tell if I got screwed or not.
EeyoreButterfly
10-11-2009, 07:41 PM
Well, Quest is the lab that has no deductible for me, so they're the ones I go with. This is my first experience with them. The first place the people were just rude and something about their appearance and demeanor just screamed unprofessional to me. My mom is a lab worker/microbiologist. I have alot of respect for people in that profession, and their antics would not have flown at her lab.

The people at the second lab were much more professional. They had no problem with me wanting to watch the vials be labelled. They were much cleaner in appearance and just friendlier over all.
GeishaGirl
10-12-2009, 12:51 PM
Well, Quest is the lab that has no deductible for me, so they're the ones I go with. This is my first experience with them. The first place the people were just rude and something about their appearance and demeanor just screamed unprofessional to me. My mom is a lab worker/microbiologist. I have alot of respect for people in that profession, and their antics would not have flown at her lab.

The people at the second lab were much more professional. They had no problem with me wanting to watch the vials be labelled. They were much cleaner in appearance and just friendlier over all.

I'm glad you found a good one :) I just know they have a horrible rep around here. I've been through two labs since then (the first one, my fave ever, closed, darnit) and with both I make sure to ask how long the average wait is at the time I want to come in. They all say "about 15 minutes, 20 max". I then laugh and say "at my last lab, the wait was over 2 hours!"

Their response, "Quest, right?"