Interesting topic, chain restaurants. The consumer has no idea what they are actually eating at these popular restaurants. My family never eats at a chain unless we are forced to while on vacation or traveling. For one these places doesn't have a chef preparing the foods using fresh ingredients, no, these restuarants receive their foods frozen and then simply heat them up or finish them off. Another issue with accepting poor service, or poor quality food, if you complain and send your food back, the scenario played out in many movies, having your food molested while its out of view.
I worked at a restaurant, a fast food chain in 1985-1986, and remember the place having mice, and well, never mind. Lets just say I never, ever eat fast food, as I can only imagine what takes place today.
The scenario with the medical care you and your family received in the past is just unacceptable. My mother-in-law and wife see an M.D. and it is always a number of hours to get through the appt. as he is always way behind schedule. Its like a cattle farm, get them, and let them wait. My Chiropractor used to do the same thing, overschedule, back up the office, and you would spend an hour waiting. Well its called the waiting room. I just found his set-up so disgusting. After a competitior opened an office across the road, well, no more waiting to see my chiropractor.
No one complains because they are the great doctors. Many are good, some suck. I too travel nearly 62 miles to see my medical care provider. She is great, spends time, and is always available via email, or text if their is an issue. She even called me a few weeks ago to check on me. She is however a PA-C, and she is a hottie. It didn't make having to get my prostate checked a few months ago any easier, but I thought that was a good thing.
The medical center is also a teaching hospital that I have been visiting for over 20 years, and the good thing, they are always on time, and if you have the need to be seen on any day, the staff can accomodiate you. That is the best.
Hi Rick
Yeah...I am not so fond of chain restaurants. I always want them to be halfway good but...they usually are not. If I am going to spend money eating out I would rather save it and go somewhere nice. We probably would all be shocked to know what went on behind the scenes of some restaurants...I don't know if I want to know.
"Cattle farm" is an apt description of some hospitals and medical practices. Yes...this was our experience and it is also a prescription mill. I keep going with the reason that..."they know us." But this is far from the truth in that they never have a chance to get to know us because they are too busy pushing us out the door. It is a very unsettling experience and dare I say...not good for one's mental health. So I am happy we are switching doctors and medical sites.
It just seems like so much trouble to change docs but it really isn't in reality.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. I am glad to hear you have good people taking care of you.
I think there are some things that are okay to tolerate because they're not important enough to waste energy on them, but when it comes to health care, I won't do it. I know sometimes you have to wait a long time at a doctor's office because they're overbooked, which is partly the fault of HMOs who require them to see X number of patients in an hour. I took my son to a psychiatrist once who was abominably incompetent to the point where I couldn't believe what he said. I reported it to his boss, which got me a half-assed apology letter that didn't even own up to the thing he said and I was told by my insurance that they couldn't do too much about him because there was a shortage of child psychiatrists. He's been in and out of several places since then and I've heard that he's finally got a bad enough reputation that no one wants to hire him. But I feel sorry for the children who are unfortunate enough to have to see him.
Sometimes I think we put up with mediocrity because we don't think we can expect any better, or that we don't have a choice. I see that happen with people my parents' age who never question their doctors or even consider finding someone else because they think all doctors are God. Well, at least in the US, we usually have choices and we can complain to our insurance companies, if nothing else. Sometimes, too, I think people just get so tired of looking and looking for the answers to what is wrong with them that they resign themselves to whatever they get.
Yeah, restaurants - some of them are a rip-off. I don't think all chains are bad and in some places I've been, I've welcomed them because the local choices were totally unappealing.
I drive 25 miles one way to see my therapist and nearly that to see my psychiatrist because I know they're good and it's worth it to me - and I live in a metropolitan area, so there probably are good ones that are closer, but I'm sticking with the sure things!
Hey Judy
I totally agree with you. It is worth the time and energy to find a good doc and especially for your child. Sometimes you think there are no choices (mainly because someone tells you there are no choices) but then you discover as I did that you can get someone better.
I am proud of myself that I finally said no to bad health care. It is too important. I felt immediately relieved when I made the call to switch docs.
It seems there is a consensus here in the responses that...it is really important to find good health care even if you have to drive a long way to find it. In our case...we are doing the opposite...good health care is closer to us but we didn't know it!
Thanks Judy for your comment.
After my father left the hospital (he was there for 2 months for a hospital-caused staph infection) I called the number that is posted in every room. The one you're supposed to call if you don't think you are being treated right. So I called to complain about my dad's infection-control doctor. The guy was a total pig. Their response? "Dr. S. has never had any complaints before; I'd be surprised if this were really true." So, in other words, they didn't believe me so I must have been lying, right? God forbid the doctor might have said some things that were totally uncalled for and unprofessional.
That is terrible Donna.
If they didn't want feedback...they should not ask for it. I think most people don't say anything because they don't realize they can. I am glad you did speak up despite the fact that you were not listened to.
Good to see you. I hope you are continuing to have good luck with your new med. I see you have written something new...I will have to check it out!
Here the hospitals for sure has bad bacteria. Hospitals are dirty and naturally they can cause infections. That is why doctors don't want people to stay in the hospital too long. It is really hard to sue them esp. a particular doctor if it is a widespread problem. Here the health dept. tries to watch the hospital closely. It is red tape... Maybe it is about it so they don't want to deal with it. Glad that your Dad is OK now.
Regards,
NC
I went to the Cheesecake Factory in Seattle the other day and was really disappointed as well with the food and service. Very popular I hear people talk about it all the time. I have only been there once and won't be going back unless dragged there via rope.
The Cheesecake Factory: We were seated and given menus. Ordinary restaurant stuff. The prices were ridiculous so we thought maybe the food would be real good. Haha, no such luck. I ordered a Cobe Burger and it wasn't good for 15 dollars. My sis ordered the "famous" factory burger. it was on a hard roll that she could hardly bite through. Our friends each ordered some Chinese food so I can't comment on them but neither finished their food. The waiter we had was constantly bugging us asking if things are to our liking. I felt like saying "No, This waiter keeps bothering me and the food sucks" That place was a joke. When my best friend was visiting from job corps we went out to lunch at a place by the commons called Black Bear. Very good! Much less expensive. And we had a good waitress that didn't bother us every 5 minutes. Servings were larger than life but you could eat 1 meal twice if you take it home so it was a good thing.
Actually I think the answer is pretty simple. We accept mediocrity because we are taught to be in with the crowd instead of one of the crowd. Silence is encouraged, almost demanded in school hidden behind a veil that there is not enough time in the classroom to pursue discussion. We are made to pass generic tests that fit all and discouraged from stepping outside the block. Try living under an umbrella of fear of ones own shadow and a general premise that you are not good enough to go it alone and it's no wonder there are so many depressed adults. And for every reason I can give there probably are hundeds more. Let's face it: this is not the 60's. We are taught and made to conform, simple as that. Looking for a villain? Try religion. And if that doesn't work how about politics? Throw in the power of money and even the mightiest will fall prey. We have been turned against one another in a time when only the strongest will survive. A three class society? Think again: There's the rich and the poor, and guess who'll come out on top.
Of course it is an individual choice of who one wants to be.
Hello Merely Me:
I think you proved your own point while answering your question.
Having stopped just short of naming the restaurant you also have fallen to mediocrity. Although naming the restaurant was not your point, why mention the partial description at all? Isn't that sort of sprinkling salt on the wound?
I think you're capeable of stirring the pot with use of a dagger.
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Merely Me. I am constantly asked by friends and family that know of my difficulty with depression and PTSD, why I drive as far as I do for my treaters.( I drive about an hour and fifteen min. each way.) I live in an area where there is little to no specialized mental health treatment and what is in the area believe that a change in medication every month till you find the right one is the way to go. One of these "professionals caused my bi-polar son to end up rehospitalized becaused he changed a medication that was working but he had to order blood work for it every month. Needless to say, he travels now also.
I travel to an area that has many teaching hospitals, including a Mental Health hospital and the difference in the quality of care is enormous. I am going to be sixty this year and can drive myself but when I am older, if I can not drive, I have already found out that there are trains etc. that I can access to get me where i need to go.
Illness of any kind is difficult enough to deal with, we deserve to get the best help that is out that we can.I was fortunate and was introduced to good help from the beginning of this battle and in turn have introduced others to it as well.It has been life saving.
Hi there
It sounds like it is well worth the drive! The thing is for us...there is a drive to this hospital...it is not close by. But fortunately I did find a new doctor who is but blocks away from where we live. I would have never found this doctor except for a good friend who recommended him. I take my son to see him in April and I can't wait. I feel like it is a fresh start.
I am very glad to hear you have found good care. It is such a blessing when you find the right doctor.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us.
I am so glad you have found someone new, good and so close. I can't even imagine how frustrated I would be when I couldn't get what I needed for my son. ( My son is an adult that I spoke of). I hope it all works outs for both of you and you can actually talk to a human being when you have to call, that shows at least the ability to have some understanding if not compassion. Let us know how it works out. It could give others dealing with this type of difficulty some hope.
Thanks Nanypat
Yeah it has been a terribly frustrating situation and one of the things which amazed me but should have about the new place is that a real person actually answered the phone...there was no "push one for this" and "push 4 for that" only to talk into an answering machine. I was so grateful to talk to a human being and I wonder...how rare this is becoming.
Yes I will let everyone know how it goes. Thanks so much for your support.
Just as a quick note about a real person picking up the phone, the few times I have had to call my new pmd, he actually answered the phone. Was I ever shock! He is really big on e-mail and encourages me to write whenever if I feel I want to. He always answers even if it is to say I got your message, or I hear you. I have never had this before and it is really helful for those tough times.