Disappointed and Frustrated by…
Disappointed and Frustrated by Completely Inflexible Policy
I had an 11:00am evaluation scheduled and, due to unavoidable circumstances, I arrived at 11:04am—just four minutes late. I completely understand the importance of punctuality, and I had every intention of being on time. However, life happens—traffic, parking, unforeseen delays—especially for early morning appointments. Still, with only a 4-minute delay, I was shocked that Sherri refused to see me for my evaluation.
There was no grace period, no consideration, and no effort to be understanding of the situation. The receptionist simply told me that because I was past the 11:00am mark, I had missed the appointment and would need to reschedule—at a cost of $75. Let me be clear: this was not a no-show, not someone casually strolling in late with no regard for others’ time. I was there, barely four minutes past the scheduled time, fully prepared and apologetic, yet was turned away without any flexibility.
What’s even more disappointing is the tone in which the situation was handled. There was no empathy, no attempt to look at the schedule to see if there was a possible short adjustment or a brief delay for one client. I understand if I had been 15 or 20 minutes late, but 4 minutes? It felt incredibly rigid and impersonal. The policy may be clear somewhere in fine print, but applying it so harshly to someone barely late—especially for a first-time evaluation—is a poor reflection of their values.
Being charged $75 to reschedule made the experience even more frustrating. It came across less like a scheduling conflict and more like a penalty with no room for human understanding.
I believe policies are important, but so is discretion, and there should be reasonable flexibility for clients who make a sincere effort to arrive on time. If punctuality is treated as binary—either you're there at exactly 11:00am or you're discarded and fined—it doesn't leave much space for real life to happen around appointments.
This experience left me feeling more like a number than a person. I tried reaching out afterward to see if anything could be done, and there was no willingness to accommodate or even offer partial resolution.
For any future patients considering this provider, be warned: if you're even 1 minute late, they may refuse to see you and still charge you. Whether it’s your first or tenth visit, don’t expect understanding or flexibility.
