I think someone got out of the wrong side of the bed

I’m not sure what the OP wanted the receptionist to say in the first place. Is there something wrong with asking if you’re exempt?

I sometimes have to go into my bank branch and I know that if a particular women serves me she will not fail to be curt, roll her eyes at me and sigh. The local pharmacy employs a similar woman. Both establishments display the zero tolerance of rudeness sign.

The other day a bus driver told me off for not making eye contact with him when I tapped my bus pass. I had muttered 'thank you' but apparently that was not enough. Of course I smiled at him and apologised.

Our dental surgery has several young women working as receptionists and they're a strange lot. They don't seem to have the empathy or manners that people had in the past. They almost seem robotic. They all have extremely thick false eyelashes, which I find really odd to wear at work every day.

One day I had an extraction and came out feeling a bit faint as I was still bleeding. I stood in the corridor near the reception area holding my mouth, but no-one seemed to notice. It was as if they were all turned away and actually trying not to notice me. I could have done with someone just saying 'are you okay?' but it never happened.

I've worked in such environments back in the day and we would have stepped in to help any client or customer who looked a little lost or unwell.