The Dental Office Manager Digest column “Dear Boss” is designed for office managers to be able to speak their minds by anonymously writing a “letter” to their boss. Send your letters to [email protected]. Depending on how many are received, your letter may take a while to appear in DOMD.
Dear Doctor,
I fear that writing this with my name attached will only cause retaliation from your goon wife. So I have taken the time to write this hoping one of you will see it and understand how bad things are in the office.
You hired me in 2002, and for the last 20 years or so, I have been by your side, running your day-to-day schedule and assisting in the back when I can. You have taught me a lot in my many years, and I have learned a great deal on my own. It is only lately that you have turned against me and made me feel alienated from the practice.
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Your new wife of three years entered the practice a month ago and since then she has become a nuisance. You told me she would be joining us to help around the office, but all she does is complain about her life. First-world problems like how she couldn’t book her vacation because there was no direct flight to Turks and Caicos, or her how her Pomeranian couldn’t get his grooming done because you had to work late.
She questions why things are the way they are and does nothing to help. She asks why I am talking to patients—who I have known for a very long time—about their normal lives. She has no clue that I have built trust and relationships with these people and they get a sense of comfort from talking with me. This has created a great environment in the office that helps us all thrive. Recently, I was talking with a patient who had just gone through a divorce. She was also scheduling her next dental checkup, and just as another phone call came in, I put her on hold. Lo and behold, your wife takes the call and tells her that I cannot continue my discussion with her because it’s not related to dentistry, then abruptly hangs up. This was the straw that broke the camel's back, for me.
Who in the world does she think she is? Is this what I have to deal with now that she will be in the office?
If so, I will consider leaving the practice before this witch tears it apart.
Sincerely
The office manager
