Every so often you may encounter a patient who is upset about something.
They might call your office to rant on the phone for fifteen minutes. Or worse, corner you at your office and take the issue up in front of other patients.
In this post, I want to share some advice for how to handle a disgruntled patient.
I’ll answer questions like:
- How do you get an angry patient under control?
- What can you say to make them feel better?
- How do you arrive at a fair solution?
Let’s jump right in.
Keep a good perspective
Remind yourself, in the heat of the moment, that the anger being displayed isn’t about you.
They may be displeased with the service that was provided, but often their anger is based upon a lot of other outside factors. So, don’t take it personally.
People are dealing with a lot right now. They may be laid off from work. Or perhaps they’re working from home while simultaneously trying to help their kids do school on their iPad.
Their issue with your business might just be the tipping point in their frustration.
Keeping a calm and empathetic perspective will go a long way to providing a positive resolution.
Stay safe
If you feel that you or your staff member are being put into a situation where the patient may do harm or be verbally abusive, try to diffuse the tension.
Ask the patient to sit down with you while you talk. Or politely request that they lower their voice if they’re yelling on the phone. Show them that you are committed to listening to their grievances.
Try your best to maintain control over your own emotions. Don’t match their anger. Instead, try to remain calm and put the patient at ease.
Explain to them that you cannot help them unless they’re willing to have a productive conversation.
Listen actively
The patient’s complaint may be legitimate or maybe totally unreasonable. You will not know unless you let the patient speak.
The goal is to get to the real source of the concern so that you can discuss options for a resolution. The way to get to a solution is to listen carefully. Let the patient vent and hear them out.
When they are done talking, summarize what you heard by repeating it back to them. Then ask them if you missed something.
Listening, carefully, and in an active manner, will help defuse the situation and put you in a better place to reach a resolution with the patient.
Show empathy
Determining whether the patient is right or wrong will never resolve the issue on its own.
The key is showing empathy.
Start by offering a graceful apology such as, “I’m sorry that you are not happy. Let’s see what we can do together to resolve this matter.”
Diffuse the tension by turning your adversary into a partner. Communicate that you intend to work together towards a positive resolution.
Find a solution and educate
Once you have a clear understanding of the problem, it’s time to find a solution.
You might begin by asking the patient what he/she feels should be done. Find out what’s fair in their eyes before presenting your own ideas.
When the issue involves financial matters, educate the patient on your financial policy. And if you don’t have a financial arrangement with the patient, take the time to put one in place.
A lot of financial mishaps are based upon either not having a clear understanding of how things work or when your office doesn’t follow through with the policies in place.
Bonus: Have a Klondike bar
Remember the catchy ad, “What would you do for Klondike Bar?”
After watching a stressful situation unfold on a house remodeling project recently, I reached for a package of Klondike Bars and handed them out to the construction workers. That small treat went a long way to restoring everyone’s frame of mind.
I’m not suggesting that you have a stash of ice-cream bars available to hand to your patients. But I do suggest that after working with a disgruntled patient that you treat yourself.
If a chocolate ice-cream bar isn’t your thing, then go for a walk or take a break. Do whatever you need to do to give yourself with a small respite so that you are ready to continue your day caring for your patients.
Conclusion
Now I’d like to hear from you.
How do you handle disgruntled patients at your practice?
Let me know in the comments below.
Looking for more?
Here are some additional things to consider when working with patients that I have posted in the past:
Leave a Reply