预约时间听错了

The receptionist looked at the computer. She said, “Your appointment was yesterday, not today.” What? I got the time wrong! I’m Xiaoyue. Today I want to tell you about going to the dentist but remembering the wrong appointment time. You’ll learn how to confirm a date, a time, and an appointment.

Recently, a tooth on my right side had been hurting a little. At first, it only felt uncomfortable when I drank cold water. Later, it also hurt when I ate. I had planned to wait a few more days, but my tooth started hurting again before bed. I decided to call the dental clinic the next day.

After the call connected, I said, “Hello, I’d like to make a dental appointment.” The receptionist asked what was bothering me. I told her my tooth hurt on the right side, especially when I had something cold. She said, “Okay, the dentist is available at three on Wednesday afternoon. Does that work?”

Just then, a customer came into the shop, and it was a little noisy by the door. I only clearly heard “week” and “three.” I thought she had said three on Thursday afternoon, so I immediately answered, “Yes, thank you.” The receptionist said one more thing, but I didn’t hear it completely.

After hanging up, I wrote on my phone: Thursday at three, dentist. I also set a reminder for myself. I thought that since I had written down the time, there should be no problem. But I didn’t call again to confirm. I also didn’t read the text message the clinic sent later.

On Thursday afternoon, I closed the shop a little early. I brushed my teeth, took my phone and ID, and then rode the bus to the clinic. Traffic was a little slow, and I kept checking the time because I was afraid of being late. It was two fifty when I reached the clinic. I even thought I had arrived quite early.

I walked to reception and said, “Hello, I have a three o’clock dental appointment.” The receptionist asked for my name and then searched on the computer. After looking for a moment, she asked, “Are you sure it’s today?” I nodded and said, “Yes, Thursday at three in the afternoon.”

She turned the computer slightly toward me. She told me, “Your appointment was yesterday, Wednesday at three in the afternoon.” “The dentist has no time left this afternoon.” All at once, I didn’t know what to say. It turned out that the “three” on the phone meant Wednesday, not Thursday.

I felt very embarrassed. I said, “I’m sorry. I heard it wrong.” “Is it really impossible to see the dentist today?” The receptionist said all of today’s appointments were full, but she could ask the dentist for me. I sat nearby and waited, feeling both anxious and regretful. My tooth seemed to hurt even more at that moment.

A few minutes later, the receptionist came back and told me one patient would arrive a little late. The dentist could give my tooth a quick look first. But there wasn’t much time. If I needed many examinations, I would have to make another appointment. I immediately said, “That’s fine. Thank you for asking.”

The dentist checked my tooth and said there was no serious problem. There was just one small area that needed treatment. She first cleaned it for me. She also told me not to eat things that were too cold or too sweet for the next few days. I would need to come back next week for a more careful examination.

This time, I didn’t listen only once. The receptionist said, “Next Tuesday at ten thirty in the morning.” I slowly repeated, “Next Tuesday at ten thirty in the morning, right?” She said, “Right.” I asked again, “Not this week, but next week, right?” She smiled and nodded.

The receptionist also wrote the appointment on a small card. I took out my phone and copied the date and time from the card, one character at a time. Before going home, I also read the text message from the clinic. It was written very clearly: Tuesday at ten thirty in the morning. This time, I finally felt relieved.

Please remember these sentences today. I’d like to make a dental appointment. It’s Wednesday at three in the afternoon, right? Please say that again. Not this week, but next week, right? If you don’t hear clearly on the phone, don’t just say “okay.” Repeat it once and confirm it clearly, and you can avoid making a wasted trip. Have you ever misheard an important time? See you next time!