Is bad communication a red flag?

[louisianatransplant]

Hi all,

I have been continuing conducting research after posting here a few weeks back, and was steered away from a would-be bad decision. I have been using this forum as a resource to only look into doctors that have proven results. I have been interested in a doctor in Turkey, and have been in communication with their office. I am interested in this clinic due to their results (the patients before pictures are similar to my own hair situation, and I am impressed with the outcome), affordability, and attestations on this site. Also, this clinic is forum-recommended. My biggest qualm has been distance, but that is a fear I know I will have to get over.

 

Anyway, the communication is almost nonexistent, and I wanted to know if this is just kind of how it is when dealing with Turkish clinics, or if this is an issue that I should be concerned about. All communication occurs via WhatsApp, which I don't love, and it seems very... tenuous? One word responses, choppy grammar, often going days without a response, lack of typical formalities ("thank you", "please", etc.). I do not feel like I am communicating with professional clinic, or a person really. It does not seem like they even want my business, as often I am saying .....okay, what comes next?

 

Anyway, does anyone have input on this? I understand that there exists a language barrier, and perhaps this is just the way it is. I'm just shocked that this is the communication from a forum-recommended clinic, and it does not provide me with confidence in traveling overseas for such an operation.

[Ajamilo]

6 minutes ago, louisianatransplant said:

Hi all,

I have been continuing conducting research after posting here a few weeks back, and was steered away from a would-be bad decision. I have been using this forum as a resource to only look into doctors that have proven results. I have been interested in a doctor in Turkey, and have been in communication with their office. I am interested in this clinic due to their results (the patients before pictures are similar to my own hair situation, and I am impressed with the outcome), affordability, and attestations on this site. Also, this clinic is forum-recommended. My biggest qualm has been distance, but that is a fear I know I will have to get over.

 

Anyway, the communication is almost nonexistent, and I wanted to know if this is just kind of how it is when dealing with Turkish clinics, or if this is an issue that I should be concerned about. All communication occurs via WhatsApp, which I don't love, and it seems very... tenuous? One word responses, choppy grammar, often going days without a response, lack of typical formalities ("thank you", "please", etc.). I do not feel like I am communicating with professional clinic, or a person really. It does not seem like they even want my business, as often I am saying .....okay, what comes next?

 

Anyway, does anyone have input on this? I understand that there exists a language barrier, and perhaps this is just the way it is. I'm just shocked that this is the communication from a forum-recommended clinic, and it does not provide me with confidence in traveling overseas for such an operation.

Is it HLC? lol
Edit: They are not recommended here i think. But anyway do not be dependent on them. Talk to other interesting clinics that you like and that are recommended here

Edited December 27, 2021 by Ajamilo

[louisianatransplant]

16 minutes ago, Ajamilo said:

Is it HLC? lol
Edit: They are not recommended here i think. But anyway do not be dependent on them. Talk to other interesting clinics that you like and that are recommended here

It is not HLC.

[HappyMan2021]

yes I consider bad or lack of communication to be a red flag. What other service would you be ok spending $5-$20k (with no guarantee of success mind you), and be ok with bad communication?

The fact this is another country shouldn't be an excuse either. In Turkey and I'm sure all countries of the world, people expect prompt, accurate, and personalized communication whenever there are thousands and thousands of dollars at stake. 

That being said, if the communication answers all your questions, and the only issue is a delay in getting back to you, keep in mind that this clinic probably sees thousands of patients a year, and you being one random prospective patient in their pipeline, they may not be able to give you an extreme dedicated amount of attention.

Edited December 27, 2021 by SadMan2021

[digi23]

59 minutes ago, louisianatransplant said:

Hi all,

I have been continuing conducting research after posting here a few weeks back, and was steered away from a would-be bad decision. I have been using this forum as a resource to only look into doctors that have proven results. I have been interested in a doctor in Turkey, and have been in communication with their office. I am interested in this clinic due to their results (the patients before pictures are similar to my own hair situation, and I am impressed with the outcome), affordability, and attestations on this site. Also, this clinic is forum-recommended. My biggest qualm has been distance, but that is a fear I know I will have to get over.

 

Anyway, the communication is almost nonexistent, and I wanted to know if this is just kind of how it is when dealing with Turkish clinics, or if this is an issue that I should be concerned about. All communication occurs via WhatsApp, which I don't love, and it seems very... tenuous? One word responses, choppy grammar, often going days without a response, lack of typical formalities ("thank you", "please", etc.). I do not feel like I am communicating with professional clinic, or a person really. It does not seem like they even want my business, as often I am saying .....okay, what comes next?

 

Anyway, does anyone have input on this? I understand that there exists a language barrier, and perhaps this is just the way it is. I'm just shocked that this is the communication from a forum-recommended clinic, and it does not provide me with confidence in traveling overseas for such an operation.

It can be Dr Resul Yaman I assume? They recently changed coordinator, Fikret is no longer working there, he was really good at english. Now they have someone named Ihsan, who dont speak english I think. 

I had a hair transplant with them in September, now when I write they dont even answer, before Fikret answered me very fast.

I think its pretty normal though for short quick answers, they dont have time to waste. They probably get 100+ messages everyday from potential new patients. 

I know Dr Bicer is one of the very best on post-op care.

Edited December 27, 2021 by digi23

[SamV7]

If it's Dr. Bicer, my experience is reverse! It was difficult to get a hold of her assistant before surgery, and the response time was usually 1-2 days, and you would usually get really short answers back. I had a bad feeling as a result of that, but post operation care has been really good so far. Dr. Bicer usually calls me within 15 min when I message her. Her Assistant Ozen is also very responsive.

[louisianatransplant]

50 minutes ago, SamV7 said:

If it's Dr. Bicer, my experience is reverse! It was difficult to get a hold of her assistant before surgery, and the response time was usually 1-2 days, and you would usually get really short answers back. I had a bad feeling as a result of that, but post operation care has been really good so far. Dr. Bicer usually calls me within 15 min when I message her. Her Assistant Ozen is also very responsive.

This is how I am feeling. Perhaps it is due to the above poster -- I am just one of many, many prospective person and it would be impractical to dedicate all that time to all prospective people. This makes me feel better.

[SamV7]

28 minutes ago, louisianatransplant said:

This is how I am feeling. Perhaps it is due to the above poster -- I am just one of many, many prospective person and it would be impractical to dedicate all that time to all prospective people. This makes me feel better.

That definitely is one the main reasons. But aftercare has been pretty good so far, I appreciate the fact that she calls and do a 5 min video call to check up on you. 

[deeznuts]

I want say yes but I also want say no.

Being able to transplant good doesn't necessarily mean you're good at talking to patients. 

But on the flip side, most doctors should be with you the entire way because that's what you would expect from a hair transplant especially if there are complications. I feel like a good clinic would have reps at the very least that can address your concerns and allow you to address your issues.

So it's a red flag in the case that you're dealing with complications but I think the preoperative might also be different from the postoperative so it's hard to say

[Melvin- Admin]

You can’t expect people from different countries to have perfect grammar or English. Obviously, there’s some trade off to traveling abroad. I’d be more concerned if they stop answering after your surgery. 

[Gatsby]

Communication is key IMHO (language barriers aside). Who is the surgeon in Turkey you chose?

[Fue3361]

In my personal opinion of n=1, the communication was quite slow when I was asking questions.  Then I paid the 10% deposit for surgery and was treated to much swifter responses.

 

 I’d assume some clinics are simply swamped with tons of messages, and are already booked for a few months + of surgeries, so they simply neglect their attention to answering questions of non clients.

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

Louisianatransplant,

When you say that communication is almost non-existent, can you be more specific?  Is the clinic you are communicating with dropping the ball and not getting back to you at all when you have crucial questions or are they just replying with only a few words?

While most clinics do their best to communicate efficiently with prospective and actual patients, there are cases where ongoing communication becomes difficult or ineffective.  For starters, technical issues can sometimes create problems where an individual never receives a message and thus, it appears that they haven't replied when they did.  Always check your spam/junk mail folder for emails.  On the other hand, many clinics are very busy and may not have time to indulge in ongoing conversation above and beyond answering any questions related to surgery, booking surgery, postoperative concerns/questions, etc.  If you truly need to get a hold of a particular clinic, sometimes picking up the phone and calling them is the best way.  That way, they are sure to receive your inquiry and get back to you in a timely manner.

All the best,

Rahal Hair Transplant

[Overthinker]

13 minutes ago, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

Louisianatransplant,

When you say that communication is almost non-existent, can you be more specific?  Is the clinic you are communicating with dropping the ball and not getting back to you at all when you have crucial questions or are they just replying with only a few words?

While most clinics do their best to communicate efficiently with prospective and actual patients, there are cases where ongoing communication becomes difficult or ineffective.  For starters, technical issues can sometimes create problems where an individual never receives a message and thus, it appears that they haven't replied when they did.  Always check your spam/junk mail folder for emails.  On the other hand, many clinics are very busy and may not have time to indulge in ongoing conversation above and beyond answering any questions related to surgery, booking surgery, postoperative concerns/questions, etc.  If you truly need to get a hold of a particular clinic, sometimes picking up the phone and calling them is the best way.  That way, they are sure to receive your inquiry and get back to you in a timely manner.

All the best,

Rahal Hair Transplant

That’s a nice way to explain the situation. But I disagree in some points as from personal experience . Let me also explain what I mean.

I contacted recently two of the top clinics in the Europe. I totally understand how busy it is and especially this season the number of consultations, emails and phone numbers they have to deal with. But i really find it disturbing about the time we have to wait to get a simple reply on an email. And by time I don’t mean some weeks , I mean months . So recently one of the two clinics replied to me 3 times and offered me a consultation date in only 2 days after I sent the first email. 
the second one , I have contacted them by email by WhatsApp (2 numbers) by personal message here , and I didn’t receive a reply so far , only at my first email 2.5 months back to tell me to send pictures and details for an evaluation. After that they basically disappeared. 
 

but as I said I’m totally ok with being busy , but when you ghost people it raises their concerns about future as well. I really respect dr Couto’s clinic , for replying me with en email that at the moment they don’t accept any more patients because they are closed for a year , and even for a consultation I have to ask them again in a year. The difference is they updated me and I know where I’m standing and what to expect. 
 

that’s why any top tier clinic has its own communication department, and we have ti remember that clients have made every clinic a top tier , so the least I expect is a “medium” communication , not great , not either good , but medium !  Ghosting feels just wrong for me and makes me very sad. 
If you can’t manage any more applications or procedures or consultations for a period , just let the rest people know.

the reason I am saying all these it’s because when you have decided a certain surgeon’s work is for you after a long period of researching and when you try to contact them you hit a wall , it’s just double psychological effort and all the way again from where you started . I hope you understand me 

 

[louisianatransplant]

2 hours ago, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

Louisianatransplant,

When you say that communication is almost non-existent, can you be more specific?  Is the clinic you are communicating with dropping the ball and not getting back to you at all when you have crucial questions or are they just replying with only a few words?

While most clinics do their best to communicate efficiently with prospective and actual patients, there are cases where ongoing communication becomes difficult or ineffective.  For starters, technical issues can sometimes create problems where an individual never receives a message and thus, it appears that they haven't replied when they did.  Always check your spam/junk mail folder for emails.  On the other hand, many clinics are very busy and may not have time to indulge in ongoing conversation above and beyond answering any questions related to surgery, booking surgery, postoperative concerns/questions, etc.  If you truly need to get a hold of a particular clinic, sometimes picking up the phone and calling them is the best way.  That way, they are sure to receive your inquiry and get back to you in a timely manner.

All the best,

Rahal Hair Transplant

It just feels like I'm communicating with nothing. It is via WhatsApp. I do get responses, but they are one words. Very brief. Not indicative of the kind of person I want to send money to for an operation. I understand that is a translation issue and busy-ness of course, but still.

 

On 12/28/2021 at 12:25 AM, Gatsby said:

Communication is key IMHO (language barriers aside). Who is the surgeon in Turkey you chose?

Dr. Bicer.

[louisianatransplant]

Also, weeks of tenuous conversation leads to a message saying "here is the bank account, wire X euros to hold your spot" ...? What? It's a WhatsApp conversation, and a document was typed up on a Word Processor using Comic Sans. Am I wrong for being uncomfortable? Does anyone have experience with this kind of situation when looking abroad?

[HappyMan2021]

38 minutes ago, louisianatransplant said:

It just feels like I'm communicating with nothing. It is via WhatsApp. I do get responses, but they are one words. Very brief. Not indicative of the kind of person I want to send money to for an operation. I understand that is a translation issue and busy-ness of course, but still.

 

trust your gut. 

[saadarif]

I had my procedure with Dr. Bicer around 6 weeks back. In my case, the initial communication was actually quite decent and the doctor's assistant shared Dr. Bicer's number with me so that I can call her before making my mind. So, I think it just depends on how busy the clinic is and you would have to factor in the language barrier element as well. 

One thing is for certain that their post-op care is top notch. For instance, at one month post-op, I messaged Dr. Bicer that I would like to discuss a few things over call and she called me up in 10 mins.

[ANDYMAL]

On 12/28/2021 at 6:18 AM, louisianatransplant said:

Hi all,

I have been continuing conducting research after posting here a few weeks back, and was steered away from a would-be bad decision. I have been using this forum as a resource to only look into doctors that have proven results. I have been interested in a doctor in Turkey, and have been in communication with their office. I am interested in this clinic due to their results (the patients before pictures are similar to my own hair situation, and I am impressed with the outcome), affordability, and attestations on this site. Also, this clinic is forum-recommended. My biggest qualm has been distance, but that is a fear I know I will have to get over.

 

Anyway, the communication is almost nonexistent, and I wanted to know if this is just kind of how it is when dealing with Turkish clinics, or if this is an issue that I should be concerned about. All communication occurs via WhatsApp, which I don't love, and it seems very... tenuous? One word responses, choppy grammar, often going days without a response, lack of typical formalities ("thank you", "please", etc.). I do not feel like I am communicating with professional clinic, or a person really. It does not seem like they even want my business, as often I am saying .....okay, what comes next?

 

Anyway, does anyone have input on this? I understand that there exists a language barrier, and perhaps this is just the way it is. I'm just shocked that this is the communication from a forum-recommended clinic, and it does not provide me with confidence in traveling overseas for such an operation.

Totally agree. I am in my early stages of reviewing Turkish TP clinics and hate the Whats App communication method, preferring email. My distance of 24 hours by plane from them means i need to also be seriously sure i've got the right Doctor, and clinic. They go missing for weeks without communication, and replies to my pressing questions. Important pictures i send for comments go unnoticed or ignored-it's like what am i doing wrong here. No politeness either, quite harsh. Not sure if this is cultural, or they are so busy, and dollar driven, that if you are not committing to them ASAP after only one conversation, then you are out on the wood pile. Still sorting these clinics out, so if anyone here has good feedbacks on Turkish clinics would appreciate it. I am looking to go mid April, so not much time remaining. Best of luck Louisiana.