A few years ago I had an issue with my brain. For months I would find myself in a variety of doctors offices, or more accurately, doctors offices waiting rooms. This happened in Seattle, but it could have been anywhere. I would show up early for the testing and I would be shuffled to a waiting room, often in the cancer ward screening area. For the first part of these tests, I always felt out of place, because I had all my hair and was in decent health. The others waiting did not usually look so happy.
What we all had in common was the sense that this waiting room was a place for us to get our thoughts together, a time to focus on the reason we were all there, waiting. Not a single time was I led back to a doctor or testing procedure anywhere near the time that was scheduled. I am imagining that every other patient had the same experience. Really, when you think about it, how often is anyone on time?
Which brings me to the above link (click on the title). Basically Paul McCrudden (ironic name if ever there was one) is billing companies of all sorts for his time. He has even received a check for one of his bills and of course, he has been billed for the time spent reading his bill to another business. First, I like the idea of putting a value on time spent waiting. I also like the idea that there are probably some businesses so accustomed to paperwork, that they would naturally just pay the statement. Now, I am no longer visiting medical facilities on a daily/weekly basis, but it got me thinking of the days spent waiting in waiting rooms.
Which also got me thinking of all the times I have been somewhere, waiting to interview someone, or talking on the phone to an idiot from almost any company, and wondering how much time I am expected to sit on hold while an outsourced knuckle dragger finishes off his donut or yogurt.
Recently I was interviewing a lawyer and at some point, I asked him how much he charges a client for calling him with a question. It all depends, he said, but his hours are broken up into tenths. Which means that at the very least you are charged for 6 minutes for any sort of contact. He charges 300 dollars an hour, so that 6 minutes of calling your attorney to ask if you should wear a suit and tie to a deposition costs you 30 dollars.
Why do lawyers charge such high fees for their services? Because they can. Trust me, if you were a prostitute, you too would like to charge 300 dollars an hour, although less likely would be the 6 minute minimum, if you know what I mean. But this has all got me thinking, maybe it is time that most people who find others wasting their valuable time, set up some sort of billing system. You plug in the time, the persons contact information, and some computer somewhere sends out a monthly billing statement.
This is not a business plan I am going to develop, but if one does develop, I will certainly be the first customer, sitting in their cluttered waiting room, waiting my turn to sign up and start the process.
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