Handling Difficult Patients
Welcome to our continuing series of Credit Educations Courses for Opticians.
This course has been approved for one hour of credit by the American Board of Opticianry. No fee is required for ABO credit.
Learning Outcomes:This course is presented at a beginner level for dispensers involved in dispensing and/or managing staff. It is also an excellent basis for a training session covering customer service as well as handling patients. At the conclusion of the article, the participant should be able to:
1. Identify the various kinds of difficult patients--intimidators, ramblers, etc.
2. Understand the motivators behind most patient problems so that they can be addressed AND resolved.
3. Know what NOT to do that will simply inflame an already difficult situation.
4. Role play various scenarios with other staff members in a training situation that can be based on this course.
5. Know the specifics of what makes a good listener, and what makes an ineffective one.
Test procedures: Read the article and then click on the "Take The Test" button at the bottom of the page. This will open a new window with a test consisting of 15 questions. To receive ABO continuing education credit, respondents must correctly answer 12 of 15 test questions. Simply click on the best answer for each question and click the submit button at the end of the test. Your test answers will be automatically sent to Seiko Optical and we will send your CEC or notify you of test failure within 7 to 10 business days.
Note: Some states do not accept home study courses for continuing education credit. Check with the licensing board in your state to see if this course qualifies.
Handling Difficult Patients
Introduction
Continuing Education course takes a look at a way to grow a business or practice that doesn't involve product selection, pricing, or merchandising. It involves your most valuable commodity--you.
This course will take you through some real-life customer service "nightmares" and show you ways to effectively handle them. It will give you some tools to use that will also help you avoid getting into a difficult situation in the first place.
As you go through the course, I'm sure many of your own actual experiences will come to mind. We have all encountered the types of people described in the scenarios in this course. And, "hindsight being 20/20," we may have been able to handle the situation better.
We hope this course helps you over those "rough spots," and allows patients to remember and recommend you because of the outstanding service they receive.
This course will review the single component that can make or break a practice--customer service. How hard to please patients are handled can have a direct effect on the bottom line of a practice or business. In fact, studies have shown that 96 percent of patients dissatisfied with the service they get do not complain, they simply find a different source for the service. Unfortunately, unhappy customers will usually pass on the information about their less than satisfactory experience to between 10 and 20 other people, greatly reducing the chances of those prospective patients ever coming through the door. Eliminating difficult patients is not possible, but this course will show how their dissatisfaction can be handled in a positive manner.
What Makes Patients Difficult?
There are numerous reasons why patients become difficult to satisfy. The reasons include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Inability to communicate their needs to the eyecare professional
- A professional unwilling to understand and accept their needs
- Fear
- Bad experience in the past
- Having to wait for service
- Feeling ignored or overlooked
- Receiving no apology for inconveniences they believe they suffered.
Recognizing why patients are being difficult is usually the first step in solving the problem. Specific cases of typical situations follow, along with examples of appropriate ways the same unhappy patient can end up impressed with outstanding service.
So, how do you handle these difficult patients? Here are several difficult situations and ways you can respond to them.
Case 1: The Intimidator
SCENARIO: A 50-year-old male patient has been examined and found to be presbyopic. He selected a new frame prior to the exam, and it turns out to be too small for a progressive lens. He is only willing to purchase one pair of eyewear and insists on using this frame. He becomes agitated over a suggestion to look at other, more appropriate frames.
RESPONSE: This type of patient tries to get his way by repeatedly insisting on what he wants. Taking an argumentative approach only further agitates him. Remember that in this situation, you are the authority, and you have his best interests at heart.
Also remember that none of this is personal, and there may be other reasons for the patient's adverse reaction. When speaking to the patient, use his name repeatedly as a way to personalize your service.
Ask the patient to sit while you remain standing in a non-aggressive position. To do that, stand with arms at your side or take notes on a notepad. Be sure to look directly at the patient while he is speaking. By leaning slightly toward the patient, he will get the sense that you are being more attentive. Avoid being distracted by anything else going on in the room. Make certain you focus on what the patient is saying without trying to formulate an answer while he is speaking.
When he finishes expressing his complaint, repeat or paraphrase what he just said. Use words such as, "If I understand you correctly..." or "What I hear you say is..." when restating the patient's comments back to them. After restating the patient's complaint, you should state the pertinent facts tactfully, but also forcefully.
In response to the above scenario, for example, you can say, "I understand you really like the style of this frame, but the proper lenses for your prescription cannot be made for this size frame." Be clear in explaining why the lenses will not work in the frame the patient has selected.
Sketching out a diagram on a notepad will help him better understand. Be prepared to offer alternatives. It could be a second pair or simply a different frame style. Don't let yourself be drawn into an argument by this type of difficult customer.
Offer to go with him to the frame display and help choose a more suitable choice in a style close to the one he liked. Become an active participant in the solution, but let the patient to make the final choice. Stand up to the patient in a non-threatening way, and you will diffuse the situation while providing him what he requires. Remember that you are the authority in this situation.
Case 2: Unrealistic Expectations
SCENARIO: This female patient has ordered a rimless mount with AR-coated progressive lenses and insists on getting them back the same day. She says that if you can't do this, she will find someone who can and now requests her money back.
RESPONSES: Unrealistic patients are demanding, forceful, and often want things no one can provide. Unrealistic patients fall into two categories. The first type knows exactly what he or she wants and will negotiate to get it. The second type is one who is dissatisfied, but doesn't know what he or she should ask for.
When patients make an unrealistic demand.
This first type of dissatisfied patient could be the patient in the scenario outlined above. In this situation, you can't meet her expectation, so it is up to you to negotiate a workable solution. Some options can include offering rush service, which will get the lenses back in two days rather than the normal five days, explaining that there may be an additional charge for expedited service. It is important to explain why certain lenses cannot be provided the same day.
When patients don't know what to ask for.
Here's how to deal with this second type of unrealistic patient--one who is dissatisfied, but doesn't know what to ask for. These patients will tell you over and over that they are not pleased and are frustrated, but they don't have a possible solution in mind. Listen carefully to what they say, and then try to manage their demands. In dealing with unrealistic demands, follow the plan that can lead to a workable solution.
First, listen and determine if the request is unrealistic. If they want something beyond what you are empowered to provide, seek the help of a manager or supervisor who has authority to deal with the request. If you conclude a patient's request is totally unrealistic, there are ways to help diffuse the situation.
Diffusing the situation.
Here are a couple of ways to try and diffuse the situation. One way is to begin by acknowledging that the customer is dissatisfied. This is where you begin by repeating their requests and then adding, "I know you are frustrated" or "I understand that you are angry."
Keep in mind that while you acknowledge a patient's emotional state, you must not let your own emotions become involved. The patient's frustration is not with you; she is frustrated over the situation.
You should empathize, and one way is to say something like, "I understand that you're frustrated that your new glasses can't be ready today because you'd like to wear them to your dinner meeting later this evening." Another way to diffuse the situation is to explain to the patient why their expectations are unrealistic. It helps to explain that trying to meet her expectation will result in consequences. For example, in trying to fabricate progressive lenses in one day, the AR coating would have to be eliminated. She would, therefore, lose the benefits of AR, leaving her with no help for driving at night or working at her computer.
Also, it always helps to offer alternatives. For example, you could suggest the patient purchase a pair of ready made readers to use until her progressive eyewear is completed. In offering an alternative, you are providing a short-term solution to the problem, and this is usually enough to diffuse the situation.
In this scenario, be sure to conclude by assuring the patient that you will do all you can to ensure she gets her new eyewear as quickly as possible without compromising quality. Then, make sure you follow through on your promise.
Case 3: The Ambiguous Patient
SCENARIO: You spend a lengthy period of time helping the patient pick out a frame and lenses. He can't seem to make up his mind about either of these and finally ask which ones you like best. You offer your opinion, and two days following delivery of the eyewear, the patient is back complaining about not liking the new eyewear and asking to speak with the doctor.
RESPONSE: Ambiguous patients avoid responsibility for their own decisions by asking others to make decisions for them. Then, if someone disagrees with the choice or they have reason to regret their decision, they blame it all on the one they asked to make the decision. They are usually more hostile with dispensers than with the doctor.
When you suspect you are dealing with this type of patient, support the opinions you offer with facts. For example, explain why the frame you are suggesting is good for his face shape. Explain the benefits provided by each of the different lenses that can be used for a prescription.
Another useful thing to remember about ambiguous patients is that problems can often be solved before the doctor gets involved. How? By simply letting the patients get it off their chests. Reassure them regarding their decision by restating the facts you gave them when they selected the eyewear. This way, if they still insist on talking to the doctor, the discussion is less likely to be confrontational because they will have already blown off most of their steam in their interaction with you.
Case 4: The Rambler Patient
SCENARIO: It is a busy Saturday at the dispensary. Every staff member is with a patient, and more are waiting to be seen. Your patient has a problem with his glasses, but as he starts explaining the problem, he interrupts himself by saying, "That reminds me, let me tell you about the great vacation I just went on...."
RESPONSE: You don't want to be abrupt or rude, but you need to help keep this "rambler" patient focused so his problem can be resolved. One of the keys in dealing with ramblers is to listen carefully. They may be boring you with details of their latest vacation, but they are also providing a clue as to why they came to see you.
It is also important to acknowledge the subject of the conversation, even if it does not apply to their problem. You might say, "It sounds like you had a good time." This way you are meeting the patients' psychological needs while letting them know you are listening.
Quickly, before they have a chance to start rambling again, ask a series of open-ended and close-ended questions about the problem that brought them into the office today. Here's how to do it.
Open-ended question. Once you have acknowledged the patient's conversation, follow up with an open-ended question about his problem. This could be, "How may we help you today?" or "You mentioned that you had a problem with your glasses on vacation; what happened?"
After you get this question answered, the customer may start to ramble again. When he stops to take a breath, again acknowledge what he is talking about, but interject another open-ended question about the problem. This time it might be, "What exactly were you doing when you noticed the problem with your glasses?"
Close-ended question. After asking that second open-ended question, immediately follow up with a close-ended question that can be answered with one word, like "yes" or "no." An example would be, "Did you try to have the glasses fixed while you were away?" This keeps the interaction on track and focused on resolving the problem.
You may have to let him wander occasionally in the conversation, but the trick is to quickly get him back to the subject at hand. Once you determine the exact problem, try to offer a resolution as quickly as possible to limit further rambling. This way, you effectively service the patient while also freeing yourself to help others who are waiting.
Key to Good Service
Good service begins with a good attitude. People with a good attitude toward a job are better able to manage complaints and problems. This is because your attitude is reflected in everything you do and is quickly apparent to every patient with whom you deal. You may say all the right things, but how you say it can be as important as what you say.
Your body language can sometimes reflect a bad attitude. For example, listening to a patient's problem while standing very straight with arms folded in front of you comes across as a defensive posture. Right away, the patient will think you are not open to what he is saying, and this can make him argumentative.
On the other hand, sitting with your elbow on the table and your head resting on one palm leads the patient to conclude you are bored or disinterested. (See Listening Skills sidebar on page 5.) Instead, follow the basic rules for good customer service and make sure you're knowledgeable about the topic under debate, always try to see the patient's perspective, and, finally, always respond appropriately. (See Customer Service Strategies sidebar below.)
Finally, after a situation is resolved, be certain that you take the time to clear your mind and regain your cool. Handling difficult patients can be very stressful. You need to make sure you maintain a calm, positive attitude for the rest of the patients you see that day. This might even require withdrawing to the back of the dispensary for a few minutes to take a quick break.
Take care of yourself so you will be better able to service the next patients, and keep them coming back for the great service they expect from you.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Case, Gary and Rhodes-Baum, Patrice. How to Handle Difficult Customers. Colorado Springs, CO: Help Desk Institute, 1994.
Slowik, Dr. Donald W. Upset Citizens & Customers: how to deal with the Angry, Difficult, Demanding Public (2nd ed.). Evergreen, CO: Evergreen Press, 2000.
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