{"id":1100,"date":"2017-10-01T00:00:18","date_gmt":"2017-10-01T00:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phosdev.com\/todaysveterinarybusiness\/?p=1100"},"modified":"2022-03-17T20:34:01","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T20:34:01","slug":"the-calm-after-the-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/the-calm-after-the-storm\/","title":{"rendered":"The Calm After the Storm"},"content":{"rendered":"

When faced with an angry client, veterinary team members tend to have two default responses: They either become defensive or suffer in silence. Unfortunately, neither response makes an unhappy client feel any better.<\/p>\n

While no one likes to be confronted by a livid pet owner, team members who are trained to respond with compassion will find these encounters less stressful and will be better able to reach a positive outcome.<\/p>\n

Here are steps all team members can use with a disgruntled client.<\/p>\n

Stay Calm<\/h3>\n

Clients sometimes take out their anger on employees even though no one in the practice did anything wrong. In these instances, it\u2019s human nature to feel unjustly accused or insulted. Your first tendency may be to react with argumentative or defensive comments as well as nonverbal body language such as an irritated expression.<\/p>\n

To avoid escalating tensions, try to respond to angry clients by keeping a calm demeanor. Focus on taking deep breaths and controlling your emotions. Remember, staying calm is not the same as being silent. In fact, silence can be aggravating to clients who seek solutions to their problems or want to feel heard.<\/p>\n

Try to Understand<\/h3>\n

Striving to understand why a pet owner is angry is the most critical step in the process of communicating with these clients. Anger is often referred to as a \u201csecondary emotion\u201d because it\u2019s a protective mechanism for people who are experiencing painful primary emotions, such as fear, sadness or grief. Appreciating this concept makes it easier to respond with kindness to irate clients.<\/p>\n

To identify possible underlying emotions triggering anger, allow clients to vent their frustrations and thoroughly explain why they\u2019re upset. Avoid interrupting someone too quickly, as this may exacerbate the anger. Listen carefully to clearly determine causes for the client\u2019s anger. Do they have legitimate complaints? Are they under stress? Are they afraid their pet may die? Are they grieving the loss of a pet? Do they seek attention or reassurance?<\/p>\n

When you correctly identify underlying motivators for behavior, you\u2019re more likely to respond appropriately. Another way to uncover the client\u2019s feelings is to ask open-ended questions, which help to avoid assumptions and ensure you discover all the reasons the client is distressed.<\/p>\n

Here are examples of excellent questions to ask:<\/p>\n