Whether You Want Me or Not

If you want a housecall in Los Angeles, you’re likely to get me even if you don’t ask for me.

I don’t have a web site, but searching the internet turns up several agencies and a few individuals that promise to send a doctor at a moment’s notice. Many rely on me.

They also solicit hotels. Recently a national housecall service informed me that a guest at the Marina International wanted a doctor. The Marina International is one of my regulars.

After I phoned the guest, he asked me to come. I made a mental calculation before quoting the fee. The housecall service took forty percent, so I added forty percent.

Since those who call directly pay less, you might wonder why hotels don’t make sure guests get the best price. The answer, of course, is that hotels don’t know what doctors charge, nor do they care. Guests regularly ask me, but hotels never do.