Calgary Laboratory Services

I’ve spent my last few reviews complaining about this lab, now for the first time. i will write a good review. I’ve been to this lab for 5.5 years. Recently, I have switched to north hill, the one near SAIT. But now I figured that since I don’t have any breaks between classes, and going there after school, and having to walk through the entire mall to get to the lab. is tedious. Plus, north hill missed one of the tests on my requestion, so i figure this time i would go back to the my former lab to be safe, because this is a larger facility, and people have been working there for a long time, more experience.
So anyway, a tip for anyone going to this lab is to go on Sundays. As great and spacious as the lab is… it is one of the busiest. Known for late appointments. Which is still better than dropping in. because the first time i went there… my dad had this genius idea of dropping in on saturday, and the lineup was out the door, it took me two hours to get in on that day. Which isn’t good for someone who is having their first blood test and scared to death. Anyway, on Sunday there are fewer people, about half the waiting room was full. Even if you walk in on Sunday, which I didn’t, it would maybe be an hour wait tops. So avoid the first 6 days of the week, if possible, unless you have an appointment but be aware that even weekday appointments can run half hour late. Today my appointment was 12:30, I was in the bloodwork room at 12:40 i believe so 10 min extra wait, which was ok. Another tip is that weekend appointments fill up fast, so either book, like 10 days in advance. Or just randomly log into the appointments section on the website and check for cancellations. Last Friday, there was no appointments avaliable for today, then on Saturday someone dropped the 2:20 appointment, last one of the day, so i took that. Then this morning I wanted to go earlier, so i checked again and due to the crappy weather keeping everyone indoors, there were 2 appointment at 12:30 and 12:40, so there you go, the rules of the appointment game.
Anyway, enough about the rules of the game. I shall talk about my experience today. Now in the past, Ive dealt with a lot, I’ve dealt really nice techs, and techs who weren’t so nice. Today I got a nice tech, and not only was she nice, she was also Chinese like me. I could tell, when she called my name, she pronounced it correctly, and no foriegner could ever do that. Then we went inside, and made pleasant talk about where we were from in China etc. I trusted her from the beginning, because my dad has seen her before at this lab, said she was good, and she was. anytime when i only get poked once, is a good visit, if i get poked twice. then i get sad for the rest of the day. over the experience. Because that’s never supposed to happen, definitely not in China. not here either. She was really cheerful and called me «honey» and yes at the age of 21, i proudly admit that no one other than my parents have called me that in about 10 years.
So, i was pleased with this experience, and will come back on a sunday next month, hopeful for another nice tech and a good experience.

Calgary Lab Services’ «self service» model is an ordeal, and unfortunately, as a government monopoly, the only game in town. Attempts to talk to the bureaucrats that run this broken system result only in frustration. My largest frustration is in booking appointments — this used to be done by the family doctor’s offices, seamlessly. This is now offloaded onto the patients themselves. Great, if you know what all the tests are. The form is littered with acronyms and medical terminology. You either phone the lab or go on the website — where the menu choices don’t match the Community General Requisition. Did anyone think of maybe just numbering the choices so you could easily select the tests you need to take right on the website? The site unfortunately bears no relation to the requisition so you have no idea if you are registering for the right tests.
Worse, there are only vague instructions on lab prep. If you phone the lab to ask about details (i.e. do I have to fast for a particular test?) you get the ‘helpful’ recorded advice to ask your family doctor, and the phone hangs up on you. My doctor tells me I need to fast, but didn’t say for how long, or what items were acceptable during my fast. Can I still have fruit juice? Who can I ask? Are all the tests the same?
For my annual physical I need eight different tests — trying to communicate it all with the lab is time consuming and difficult, especially when I can’t even pronounce half the names. Surely there must be a better way.
I’ve been to this location a number of times and customer service ranges from good to dreadful. Service attendants are always busy but usually friendly. Those drawing blood are generally cool and detached, sometimes seem unskilled or unsure of themselves. English seems to be a second language for many of them, and many are plain rude. Often you don’t get simple directions as to what you are doing or how to do things. I don’t doubt their jobs are mind-​numbing routine, but they seem to lose sight of the fact that each visitor is unique and unsure of what their routine is. Given that people’s health and lives are in cases related to the accurate collection of samples, one is easily disappointed by an apparent lack of interest or attention to their duties.
Would love to see the appointments process cleaned up, if by no other method than simply adding numbers to the tests and making the website match the form. Add the specific fasting requirements right on the site, linked to each individual test so there is no confusion.

Calgary Laboratory Services is located in the south entrance of South Calgary Health Center in Sundance on the second floor.
I am no stranger to getting blood taken. I have had a monthly standing order for bloodwork for the better part of 20 years. For reasons I cant explain, today is the first time I tried booking an appointment for bloodwork. Typically, I make a spontaneous decision to get my blood taken, and then I wait forever in a crowded waiting room.
The reason I chose South Calgary for this appointment booking is because I had a fasting blood appointment, and the only thing standing betweeb myself and breakfast is this bloodwork being completed. Also, i am getting this done before work, so I am imvested in having this done quickly so I can get into the office.
When i walked in, there was no grabbing a number. I walked up to the counter and they took my requisitions right away. The wait from there was another 15 minutes to be called. However, I am not complaining, because it is typically much, much longer.
South Calgary has a lot of staff, which is fantastic! I was processed quickly and they were constantly processing patients.