1.   I dunno, there's plenty of stuff in the way it's done that doesn't necessarily look necessary.   But they have to have standard procedures.  And yes, people do change insurance providers, places of employment, and residences since the last visit even if it was very recently.   It's a helluva lot harder for them to unwind something done wrong than to just take a minute to ask the questions and check the boxes...

2.  I'm sure if they are making some calls on their personal phones, it's not an attempt to annoy the clientele....   Also, landline systems sometimes have problems, computer systems crash, possibly things are really busy at the moment and there isn't a landline business phone at hand to use.   Guess you could try asking why if you think this is a problem...

3.  My better-looking half is an assistant manager for a large and very busy cardiologist office.   Much of what she does is appointment scheduling and dealing with insurance billing.   (Not to mention pre-auths and other fun stuff that goes with).   You wouldn't believe how much time they spend re-scheduling things, often at the last minute.   Blizzard hit Des Moines and a doc who was supposed to be coming down cancels the trip?    Reschedule.   EKG tech calls in with the flu or a sick kid at 7am?   Reschedule.   Maybe while a patient just went down and has to take a helo ride.   Maybe on the same day that somebody comes in with bedbugs- call exterminator and wait for fumigation.   

It would blow your mind what they have to deal with on a daily basis dealing with the public.