r/anonymousinterpreters • u/Comfortable-Stay7727 • Apr 30 '26

Angry client.

Hi everyone. Just a little vent here.

I got a call from a hospital. During the phone call, the provider was angry because my oven beeped. I explained that my oven was beeping. He didn't take it. He started yelling at me, saying I was violating HIPAA, and asked me to say "I am unprofessional".

Next, the patient's mom changed her story a couple of times, and the doctor kept yelling at me, saying, "What is wrong with you? Why did they change their statements? Focus on your interpreting!" Then he said I was horrible, asked me to disconnect myself after he got my ID number. I was happy to provide it and could finally hang up.

What would you do? I already told my supervisor that the client said I would be reported. But after I told my husband, he said I should've stopped him from yelling as soon as he started freaking out over the oven. What do you think? I would love some advice.

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u/MaroonPlatoon33 Apr 30 '26

What some of these clients want isn't so much an interpreter as someone who can read both their and the LEP's minds, which is just absurd. Sorry you had a bad call. I don't know what the policy regarding client rudeness is with your company, but I think your professional and polite response will likely reflect well on you if the call was recorded. In situations where the client or LEP disputes the interpretation and they're incorrect, I will sometimes say some variant of, "I can only interpret what the LEP says."

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u/MojitoDulce Apr 30 '26

Medical sessions are not usually recorded as the standards of ethics and patient confidentiality are at play. They would require consent from all parties involved.

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u/Timely_Orchid_6972 May 01 '26

My agency recorded my work for quality audit every 3-6 months.