This week’s small (okay, maybe not so small) frustration was trying to make a routine doctor’s appointment and getting caught in an automated phone-system maze. Press one for this, say a few words for that, listen carefully because the menu has changed.  And then, somehow right back where I started.

I had one simple follow-up question that the menu could not anticipate. After several attempts to find a human being, I gave up and sent a message through the patient portal instead. Convenient? Maybe. Efficient?  Not at all. Immediate? Not quite.

I appreciate that automated systems help offices manage busy days, but it is reassuring to hear a live voice say, “How can I help you? For now, I am waiting on that portal reply—and hoping it arrives before my appointment does.