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instances, the practice team did not/may not have
done anything wrong but you want to let the client
know you’re sorry they have been inconvenienced.
Seek to Connect
People want to be heard. Clients appreciate team
members who listen and express empathy. Listening is an active process. Body posture and facial
expressions are important if you want to convey
interest and a genuine desire to help. Lean forward
slightly, nod, and maintain eye contact. Convey
empathy with statements such as, “I know this was
an unexpected illness and how much Sophie
means to you,” or “I bet it was frustrating to go
through that experience.”
Always attempt to validate clients’ emotions. You
can do this by saying, “I understand that you are
angry” or “I know this is an upsetting situation” or
“I realize this is a difficult time for you.”
Problem-Solve
When people are unhappy about service, they want
someone to take action to resolve the problem. Clients don’t want to hear excuses or details about
your policies. Even if you’re unsure how you can
solve a client’s problem, start by responding with
a phrase such as, “Let me see what I can do,”
which confirms a desire to help. Even if you
cannot give all clients what they want, thank them
for their feedback and offer reassurance that you
will do your best to provide assistance. Here are
helpful phrases to use:
• “We appreciate your feedback.”
• “Thanks for bringing this to my attention.”
• “What I’ll do is…”
• “I’ll take action right away.”
The next step if at all possible is to take action to
assist clients. This may be by getting additional
information for them or you may need to tell them
what you can do to help them. For example, if a
client is upset that the doctor has not called them
back, you may be able to offer an explanation and
assure them that you will do everything you can to
facilitate the return phone call. You may also be
able to get some information from the technician
that will satisfy the client pending the return
phone call from the doctor. Be sure to set realistic
expectations for clients. For example, don’t
promise a quick return phone call unless you’re
certain the veterinarian will call the client right
away.
If the client’s anger escalates, even with your best
efforts to help them, confront them politely about
their behavior. It’s appropriate to say, “Mr.
Smith, I’d like to help you but the level of your
anger is making it difficult for us to work together
to resolve this issue.” You can also ask the client
what they want or what will make them happy.
You can say, “Mrs. Clark, we value you as a
client. What can I do to help you?”
Remember that everyone has a bad day occasionally and you may just be in the line of fire on that
day. And people love their pets so they may be
under considerable stress in a veterinary hospital.
Teams that can defuse clients’ anger help raise the
level of service and can even help pets get the care
they deserve.
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