Either the best or worst customer service ever

So, I have to get a blood test to check how my thyroid's doing (or, more accurately, how the hormones I take to make up for my deadbeat thyroid are doing). Thanks to our new insurance plan, my endocrinologist wasn't allowed to actually take my blood at his office; instead, I have to go to one of the vampire shops where all they do all day is take people's blood and ship it off to various testing facilities. So I called the nearest location today to make an appointment for my test. Turns out, you can't actually schedule your appointment with the person who answers the phone. There's a special number for that, or you can schedule your appointment yourself ONLINE.

Wha?

So I went to the website and very easily chose - and reserved - my very own appointment time. I got a confirmation page to print and everything. No going back and forth with the person on the phone about what time might work or not. No settling for an odd appointment time just because I didn't feel like digging into a more convenient option. But also, no actual person.

I'm leaning toward thinking this is a fantastic development in medical care...but part of me thinks you ought to be able to just call the place you want to go and talk to someone about when you want to come in. Is this awesome, super-convenient service, or just a cop-out so they don't have to pay someone to answer the phone and make appointments?

And if the person AT the testing office doesn't schedule appointments, why does that person even need to answer the phone? Why else would anyone be calling?

This is simultaneously terrific and perplexing.