What is the biggest problem with clients?

RE: What is the biggest problem with clients?

Louise B — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:44:05 GMT

I cannot say I found clients that much of a problem on an individual basis. Even the really challenging ones were fun BUT it is when the problems are en masse and/or time is very restricted because e.g. the consults are running late so every client is now grumpy, etc that the pressure starts to kick in. I think then because it is trigger stacking, one potential stressor is manageable, but if you are still dealing with the first one, then it just becomes more and more stressful until even someone being irritated because you called their dog the wrong sex makes you feel like they are a pain in the ass. I think that is one of the reasons why it is so challenging now, particularly because clients are probably also exposed to the same stressors of being rushed, not having a enough time, having repeated interactions with people that are also stressed from meeting other grumpy people, etc. Everyone feeds off of a collective mood.

I personally found hamster owners most challenging - just because I am terrified of hamsters but just cannot get the balance right between appearing to love hamsters and wanting a large cage size vetbed to restrain them (the hamster, not the owner).

RE: What is the biggest problem with clients?

Sal the 1st — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 01:19:09 GMT

[quote userid="2637" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32234/what-is-the-biggest-problem-with-clients/177403#177403"]I just worry they're to high up the castle to see all the barrels and asses ;) [/quote]

my concern also

RE: What is the biggest problem with clients?

Ben Ogden — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 13:44:31 GMT

Sal the 1st I agree with you 100%.

We've been bent over a barrel shaking our asses for so long and now that our pants have fallen down (lack of staff, too many clients, too much demand).

Now the profession is a hot mess; we have practices that will continue to shake those bare cheeks (burnt out staff, but lets keep getting in new clients), practices trying to pull the pants back up (lets get more staff whilst we get more clients) and thankfully practices getting rid of the barrel and setting new terms on the Owner/Vet dynamic (we'll register new clients when we're ready, lets fix the staff issue first).

The RCVS symposium NEEDS to start the ball rolling at how the Owner/Vet Practice relationship should be in the future, I just worry they're to high up the castle to see all the barrels and asses ;)

RE: What is the biggest problem with clients?

Sal the 1st — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 04:31:14 GMT

bit simplisitic but this is how I see it

past - vets needing clients more than clients needed vets

present - clients need vets more than vets need clients - there are more clients/animals that can be dealt with

so - for the love of God why are we still pushing we must be all things to everybody when it just isnt possible anymore. We need to move on, we need to reach some agreement on what is and isnt possible, we need to be realistic, we cannot carry on with the tail wagging the dog. The RCVS consultation on this , I am really hoping that they listen (and hear) people working at ground zero and act on their views rather than just taking on board the thoughts and opinions of those heading the organisations because those at the top often have a very unhealthy disconnect with those working below them.

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/news/rcvs-to-hold-major-summit-on-veterinary-workforce-issues-this/?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RCVS&fbclid=IwAR3XzFPGznqQ87bNyr7Xmq5uJgGefg7bmbG7iEJwvnaTzx2gggQfKG9knnk

RE: What is the biggest problem with clients?

V E S — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 20:44:21 GMT

I agree the googling clients can be the most difficult. Most recently had one tell me I was wrong or i must have been confused because I told them they don't need to regularly use panacur on their rabbit !! As it turns out Dr Google said that you should worm your rabbit several times a year so obviously the veterinary professional with a small mammal cert working in sole exotics practice who you asked for advice is definitely wrong.... All in all I think its clients don't listen to what you have to say. I think it is because they put up a guard or blinkers when their pet is unwell and they listen only to what they want to hear. Then usually their pet is even more unwell because they didn't listen and that is of course the vet practice fault!

I work in a very small practice and we do not get many complaints. The ones we do get we generally sort out so the client is happy, because usually it is a misunderstanding in some way or another. It happens, we are all human.

I have had many people rude on the phone at how expensive our service is. We are exotic specialist practice, we are charging for the wealth of knowledge and skills the team has to treat your exotic pet. Owning a pet has financial responsibility with it, whether a hamster, dog or horse. We are not money grabbing, vet fees funds the practice to provide the skills to treat your pet. If we didn't charge we wouldn't exist and then what !

RE: What is the biggest problem with clients?

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:06:49 GMT

[quote userid="4565" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32234/what-is-the-biggest-problem-with-clients/177391#177391"]The G.V.M 's (Googler's of Vet Medicine) can be tricky.[/quote]

Emma Daw Laughed out loud :) I'm a regular G.H.M, and have self-diagnosed all manner of weird and wonderful diseases which I seem to have spontaneously recovered from!

[quote userid="4565" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32234/what-is-the-biggest-problem-with-clients/177391#177391"]Rudeness is definitely an issue too. Clients threatening to write bad reviews of the practice if they don't get their own way. Also being told that we don't care about animals when charging for services.[/quote]

This I think is a common theme - and SO DREADFUL to blackmail with a bad social media review. Is that a really common thing being told you don't care for animals because you charge?

[quote userid="4565" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32234/what-is-the-biggest-problem-with-clients/177391#177391"]Generally, clients are more likely to be rude on the phone or via email than face to face.[/quote]

Stands to reason. For most people it is easier to throw stones from a distance.

[quote userid="2240" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32234/what-is-the-biggest-problem-with-clients/177392#177392"]All that time spent client grabbing and now we are doing the opposite - there are too many clients, far too many clients to be seen and a burnt out workforce that doesn't want to see them, and the reason you have a burnt out work force is because of everything we have done or had to do to keep the clients in our building rather than anybody elses.[/quote]

Well, not sure it is down to client grabbing as much as it is to the vast increase in pet ownership because of the pandemic. Millions more animals, with only a few thousand practices to look after them all. But yes, I do agree that the race to get clients at any cost probably doesn't help.

Someone remarked to me the other day that they could think of no other profession which would complain about having too many customers! The problem, it seems, is that you're each trying to service too many of them.

[quote userid="2240" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32234/what-is-the-biggest-problem-with-clients/177392#177392"]At a previous practice we had a particularly nasty review saying how we had refused to see a kitten and it had died as a result.[/quote]

This is one of the things that I think a film could help with. ie a short generic film which explains why it is inappropriate to make or respond to complaints on social media, which could be used by any practice in response to this kind of thing.

[quote userid="2240" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32234/what-is-the-biggest-problem-with-clients/177392#177392"]Rudeness - its pretty much everywhere at the minute from the supermarket check out, customer services and yes in vet practice. [/quote]

Is it? I guess I don't get out often enough. All seems fairly pleasant at the village shop here in Mells!!

Joking aside, yes, I think there has been a decline in manners (probably every generation says that), but I think rudeness to a medical professional (vet or human) is particularly awful, because people who have chosen to be carers I think take it very hard. And it seems particularly out of order when 99 times out of 100, they are only trying to help.

[quote userid="2240" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32234/what-is-the-biggest-problem-with-clients/177392#177392"]A lot of our problems we have created - it isn't always the client that is the problem but the system and if we don't make system updates when needed it is never going to change[/quote]

Sal the 1st Thought provoking ... seems to me that the single biggest systemic problem at the moment is the lack of staff (alongside chronic undercharging for GP stuff which results in the overwork /burnout).

RE: What is the biggest problem with clients?

Sal the 1st — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 04:28:35 GMT

the client isnt the problem if I'm honest - its the way they are handled, and the problem goes back a long way.

For years the veterinary profession had a race to the bottom on prices and client grabbing and in the attempt to garner the most clients we have all kowtowed. It doesn't matter if you are independent, corporate, referral - you name it we have done it..... and now the game has changed. Good as were were getting the message out that we would cater to every whim to get them in the building we aren't so good at getting the message out now that we are inundated. Its a confused mess. On one hand we still have companies out there pushing the 'keep every client at any price and we will show you how to do it' line and on the other the majority of practices so chronically understaffed that to send somebody on one of these courses leaves everybody back at the practice just a bit more frazzled for no good reason. All that time spent client grabbing and now we are doing the opposite - there are too many clients, far too many clients to be seen and a burnt out workforce that doesn't want to see them, and the reason you have a burnt out work force is because of everything we have done or had to do to keep the clients in our building rather than anybody elses. Sunday opening hours? yep we will do those for you, late nights you say ? of course we will open till 10. Christmas day vaccination for new puppy? Yes not a problem. - stack em high sell em low mentality has created a working environment that people just don't want to work in anymore. It has become a vicious circle of increasing availabilty to clients and losing staff.

Social media is a bit of a double edged sword - good reviews are nice, public complaints a night mare. At a previous practice we had a particularly nasty review saying how we had refused to see a kitten and it had died as a result. Didn't mention at all that they had been offered several appointments that day which they had refused as not convenient, weren't even registered with us but at another practice that 'they couldn't get to' (later transpired they were bad debt ).

Rudeness - its pretty much everywhere at the minute from the supermarket check out, customer services and yes in vet practice. Unless people make it personal I don't take it personally anymore, and I don't let people play to an audience. Unless I feel it would be dangerous to do so, given the chance, I usually get the grumbler into a room and listen to what their complaint is - it pretty much takes the wind out of their sails - but do listen to what they have to say, don't fob them off and if its something you cannot deal with then do pass it on to somebody who can. If you think its going to be a he said /she said scenario then at least have somebody else within earshot.

People bringing in sick pets later than they should - yes its happening quite a bit , some of it lack of funds but some of it down to not having appointments to offer because the world and its dog wants vaccinations, nail clips, monthly anal glands emptying, dental checks - ie all the stuff we have been pushing for years that we now cannot provide.

A lot of our problems we have created - it isn't always the client that is the problem but the system and if we don't make system updates when needed it is never going to change

RE: What is the biggest problem with clients?

Emma Daw — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 21:57:07 GMT

The G.V.M 's (Googler's of Vet Medicine) can be tricky. They tell the vet what is wrong according to Dr Google and what they think the treatment should be. They appear to put more trust in their own findings than the vet !

Rudeness is definitely an issue too. Clients threatening to write bad reviews of the practice if they don't get their own way. Also being told that we don't care about animals when charging for services. Generally, clients are more likely to be rude on the phone or via email than face to face. But you get a few that like to cause a scene in reception !