Trying to reach you. Yoo hoo.

Have you ever experienced the frustration of people you really want to hear from, not getting back to you? I have a malpractice matter going and a certain doctor was recommended to me as my would be expert.  Due to her expertise in a sub specialty she was reportedly it.  This physician unfortunately is extremely busy and hard to get hold of.

I sent her a couple of letters which went unanswered.  Follow ups with her assistant and a voicemail message or two did not do the trick.  It came to my attention from a colleague that a couple of other lawyers seeking her services virtually threatened to report her to the College of Physicians for not responding to them. 

As I needed her help not her head, I thought I would use a different approach.  I sent her a letter along these lines:

“Dear Dr X (that’s her actual name!)

As you may know I have been trying to reach you for a while regarding your thoughts on the above captioned matter.  I know you are extremely busy during office hours. If it would make your life easier please feel free to call me at home in the evening. If however my wife answers the phone and I am not in, please tell her that it is about a medical legal matter as otherwise if you just say Dr X. is calling for your husband, she will think there is something terribly wrong with me and she will freak out.”

Guess what. She called me back a couple of days later saying I made her laugh and she needed that as a relief for the hectic time she was having.  She is now on board. Mission accomplished. Bingo.