Waiting rooms are, more often than not, grim affairs. It is a difficult place to be regardless of having friends or family there. Sometimes, the already stressful waits are magnified with rude and belligerent patrons. People openly complaining about waiting times worsens this already painful environment. To create a more peaceful space, encouraging people to act appropriately can help. Below are a few tips that waiting room staff could try out, in a bid to make waiting rooms a bit more hospitable for their guests.
KEEP IT ON SILENT
Creating a calming atmosphere in waiting rooms should be a top priority. Some guests are anxious, tired or unwell, and distractions are a catalyst for these unwanted feelings. Try to remember this when using mobile devices – keep it on silent. If you’re listening to music, be sure to use headphones and keep it at a reasonable volume. These distractions and loud, jarring noises are more than a nuisance in a waiting room, they breed a bad environment. Even a conversation can become too much if you’re speaking loudly or in a heated manner, so be courteous and keep your noise levels to a minimum.
BE CIVIL WITH COMPLAINTS
It is an inevitability that some people will be tense and aggravated about certain aspects of their visit. Whether it’s a long waiting time or a busy waiting room, it’s understandable that this might irk someone. However, loudly complaining about these problems does not resolve the issue. In fact, it makes it an awkward and more stressful environment. Be polite, enquire with the waiting room staff about your concerns. Do not loudly bemoan your problem to the rest of the room, it helps nothing.
BE RESPECTFUL
Whether it is other visitors or the staff at the waiting room, be respectful. This one shouldn’t be difficult, but time spent in waiting rooms has shown that people that are under stress lose the social graces they once had. However, belligerence and disrespectful behaviour is childish and only helps to make matters worse. If you see a doctor consulting with another patient, do not harass them about your troubles. They are trying to do their job – a difficult one at times. Don’t badger the waiting room staff about your problems, either. They are there to help facilitate your stay, not treat you. Just try to remember that most of the people at these waiting rooms would rather not be there. So, try to make it easier for them by being a respectful individual.
