Your boundaries are important!
If you are feeling trapped by a someone at the front desk, leave the desk and get Stef or Lisa.
To get away, you can say:
- “Excuse me while I check on the treatment room”
- “I think our practitioner can better address your concerns, I’ll go check in with her”
If you don’t know what to say to Stef or Lisa, you can hand them a blank post it note.
The safety and well-being of our volunteers is a top priority; please don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Here are some phrases you can use to to disengage with patients:
- “Well, I’ve got to go do the filing, see you later.”
- “I’m going to head out to the washroom, see you later.”
- “I’ve got some tidying to do in the back room, see you later.”
- “I’ve got to go tidy a chair, see you later.”
- “I think that someone else is waiting to use the receipt station/ask me a question/book an appointment.” (Obviously this only works if there is actually someone else waiting for your attention.)
If you have an overwhelming/difficult front desk experience, feel free to talk to Lisa, Stef, or Maya about it at any time (even just to say “That was messed up!”)