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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/DefaultAnthony on 2024-02-18 05:01:50.

About 6 months ago I got a referral from my Dr. to a medical clinic to check on a minor thing that he was not worried about but was bothering me. He wrote out the referral but couldn’t refer me anywhere specific. I did some research online and found a clinic near my house. I followed their process to book an appointment and sent a picture of the referral using their online form. It took 5 months for them to find any availability but I finally got an appointment. But after 6 months I couldn’t find the referral form anywhere. Knowing that if I started from scratch it would take another 6 months to get an appointment I decided to chance it.

Somewhat predictably as soon as I got to the office they asked for the referral form, I asked them if they had the copy I sent in with appointment request. They did, but this was not sufficient because it was an electronic copy. And I quote “Appointments can only be held if we have the original referral or the doctors office faxes it to us.” I stared at the receptionist for a moment or two dumbfounded by such a stupid policy. Then I asked for 10 minutes to work this out. I hustled out to my car and called my Dr.'s office. I got the receptionist and explained the situation. Then I grabbed a copy of the picture I had taken of my referral form (the same one that they already had) and emailed it to her, she confirmed she would fax it to the clinic right away.

I went back into the clinic and could barely suppress my smirk. I told the receptionist that there should be a fax from my Dr.'s office. As soon as she received it she compared it the picture she already had. “But this is the same picture that we already have.” “Yes but it was faxed from my Dr.'s office like you requested.” Slow Pikachu face for her, big smirk for me. She called over the “supervisor” who cracked up and said OK.

I got in to my appointment and it turns out my doctor was right, it was nothing. But I do have my pride at outsmarting their stupid system.