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Special [spesh’-uhl] – adjective. Distinguished or different from what is ordinary or usual.
Look in any dictionary and this is one of the first of many definitions you will see. Therefore, it must be determined what is meant by “different” from the “ordinary or usual” patient. I am not referring to the type of patient who brings you homemade cookies or a Christmas gift. |
The kind of patient I am talking about is best embodied in the person of David Cory (obviously this is not the real name of the real patient I am about to describe. In fact, it is the name of a dear childhood friend). I met Mr. Cory for the second time a few years ago while working on the front lines of my dispensary. I had first met him more than 15 years ago at a different optical shop 25 miles away. I had not seen him for 15 years. He was impressed when he walked through my door 15 years later and I greeted him with, “Good afternoon, Mr. Cory, how may I help you today?” He was flabbergasted. “How on earth did you remember my name? Did you hear that Marge [his wife], I haven’t seen this guy in over 10 years and he remembered my name!” I just smiled and thanked him for his praise. What I did not tell him was that the reason I remembered him was that he was one of the rudest, most unreasonable, disrespectful, difficult patient/customers I have ever had the (dis)pleasure of encountering.
Now let’s be clear. We all have a “challenging” patient from time to time. This type of patient is an unfortunate fact of life. In fact, the Mr. Cory types should represent fewer than one in a thousand – literally. Any more than that, and I would recommend a good look in the mirror. How you deal with the Mr. Corys in your life is up to you. As for me, I simply release them from my care (that, by the way is a euphemism for kicking them out of my practice and out my door – for good). Life is too short, and coincidentally, so was Mr. Cory.
The point of this article is to make it easier to deal with some of the challenging and difficult ones. Not Cory-esque by any stretch, these are normal, decent patients who – due to circumstances – have a momentary lapse of normalcy. While there are dozens of manifestations of this momentary lapse of normalcy, let’s look at four of my personal favorites. See if you recognize any of them.
One of the most challenging patients, especially in these short-staffed times, is the “Indecisive Myope.” Not to pick on the nearsighted, because hyperopes can be just as wishy-washy. This type of patient just cannot make up her mind. She quickly finds a frame that fits and feels great and looks fabulous. She then spends the next hour-and-a-half trying on all of the other frames in the store. Ninety minutes and ninety questions later she settles on the original frame. There are a couple of approaches that might make this one a bit more manageable. First, if possible, indulge her. So what if she wants to try on every frame? Why not use the extra time to build your relationship with that patient and turn her into a customer for life. Maybe you can turn it into a multiple-pair sale. Of course, circumstances sometimes dictate that you should do something to expedite a decision. Three mini suggestions here: Use the patient’s name, some mild humor, and ask a closed-end question. For example, you might say, “Excuse me, Ms. Williams, you can try on every other frame in this store but none of them will look as great as that one…do you want me to write up the order for you?”
Another challenging patient is the “Chronic Complainer.” You know the kind: rather than simply asking you for a screw, he gives you the history of every other repair and every other adjustment that has been required on this and every other pair of eyeglasses he has owned since 1957. The best advice for this one is wait until he is finished ranting (I promise he will eventually exhaust himself) and then throw him a few “F” words. No, not those F-words; the ones you will need are Feel, Felt, and Found. Wait for this guy to take a breath, and reply to his complaint with something like the following. “You know Mr. Jones, I can understand how you would feel frustrated…other customers who have had this happen have felt the same way…and I’ve found that if I replace these screws with new ones and coat them with Loctite, they never have the problem again.” Phew!
One of my favorite challenges is dealing with the “Walking Wounded.” Woe is me perfectly describes this one. This woman feels it necessary to share with you every detail of her hard-luck life, leading up to needing glasses or contacts for the first time. If possible, try not to interrupt. (In fact the more you indulge this one, the more your life, by comparison, starts to seem extraordinarily wonderful!) Once she finishes her biography, it is best to acknowledge the bad…then quickly stress the good. With this patient, you might find yourself saying, “I’m sorry that happened to you…you know though, you’re lucky because we’re having a sale on the exact kind of lenses your doctor prescribed.” Two additional thoughts: First, I used the sale on lenses only as an example – make sure the “good” is real. Second, notice the acknowledgement was not followed with a “but.” If you said, “I’m sorry that happened to you, but…” it tends to call into question what you said just prior to the “but.”
Finally, at one time or another we have all had to deal with an “Angry_________.” Well, you fill in the blank. All kidding aside, there is nothing more challenging than dealing with someone who is truly, visibly, and vocally upset. The true optical professional is able to separate herself from the tirade and quickly and effectively turn the situation around. Despite the fact that the patient is communicating in an irritating and inappropriate manner, he usually has a point. Someone or something has pushed him near, if not over, the edge. The quicker you can form a ‘team’ with this patient, the quicker he will calm down. The inexperienced optician approaches it as “you against me.” The seasoned professional approaches it as “you and me against this nasty problem.” Acknowledge, apologize, and quickly move into problem solving. You might find yourself saying, “I’m sorry Mr. Kennedy, you should have been called about the delay. Here’s five dollars for the gas you had to use to get here today. Now let’s you and me figure out how we can get these glasses on your face where they belong!”
Once you do deal with this event and the patient leaves your office, it is not time to celebrate. It is time to write yourself a note to remind you to call him on the phone in an hour or two to apologize again, inform him of the status of the problem, and assure him that you have taken steps so this kind of thing never happens to him – or anyone else – again. It might sound ludicrous, but I have found that if an upset customer is made to feel that he has played an advocacy role in your practice it fosters a sense of loyalty. I cannot explain the phenomenon, but I have seen it many times.
Here are a few final pointers in dealing with upset customers. First, humor is almost always a bad idea, especially sarcasm. Do not touch an irate customer. Either of these approaches will usually exacerbate the situation. Avoid the word “policy,” even if a policy is the “reason” for the upset. Phrases like “that’s usually how this is handled,” or “I’ve always been taught to do it that way,” (which by the way, mean policy) will not enflame an upset person as much as the “P” word will.
Remember, it is always better to feel foolish than be sorry. If a client is truly outraged or verging on violence, or if you feel threatened in any way, tactfully excuse yourself (“Excuse me, Mr. Smith, let me go pull your file…”) and call mall security, your manager, or even 911.
Are there some “special” patients you would like suggestion on how to deal with? If so, e-mail me at
anthonydrecord@gmail.com
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