Screening Phone Calls

Let it be known that I'm a telephone call screener. If I catch an incoming call and I don't recognize the telephone number, I typically will let that call go to voicemail. If I have had a long day and just can't muster up the strength to talk at length with you (yes, YOU), I'll typically let it go to voicemail.
That, however, did not happen this morning. This morning, I simply missed a call and voicemail.
Fast forward to this afternoon.
I was standing in front of the reception desk at my doctor's office and the receptionist advised me that my doctor had to cancel my appointment due to an emergency. "We had called you this morning and left a message," she said. I tell her that I did not get said message.

Sidenote: I reside in Rhode Island and my doctor's office is in Western Massachusetts. I have no long, complicated story to go along with that fact. When I moved to Rhode Island in 2004, I tried to find a new doctor and dentist but I was unable to find one that was accepting new patients. I now just use these appointments as an excuse to score long weekends.
Okay. Back to my story.
I let her know that I just traveled across state lines to be there and, although there was nothing she could do about it, she showed her sympathy, which I appreciated. As the receptionist's face dropped, I looked at my phone and saw the missed call and voicemail icons on the screen. Whoops.
She called another area and tried to squeeze me in with another doctor but he was booked for the day. Kudos to her for, at least, trying.
I rescheduled my appointment and got back into my car.
As I drove away, I was torn between, "I feel they should be required to speak with the patient directly to cancel an appointment" and "Why can't I just retrieve my voicemails?"
Oh, well. Don't feel too badly for me. My trip wasn't a total bust. I did take care of a dental exam, enjoyed lunch and dinner with friends, and took advantage of free laundry at Mom's.
Better luck next time.