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Veterinary Practice News Editorial Blog:
Thursday, August 20, 2009
What We Had Here Was Failure to Communicate
By Marilyn Iturri
Editor of VeterinaryPracticeNews.com and Veterinary Practice News
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How hard should it be for a client to point out an error to your staff? Especially when correcting it benefits the clinic, should it take five attempts for the person behind the counter to get it?
We all have bad days, and I’ve had probably more than my share. Maybe the technician helping me that day was having her own bad day. But I was particularly frustrated recently when I picked up medication and was presented a bill for just over $13.
Too low.
The medication cost almost $90 so I knew the bill was wrong. The complicating factor was that I had prepaid for a number of Adequan treatments for my senior cocker spaniel, and every transaction since that prepayment had confused the heck out of every staffer who checked me out after an appointment.
The credit was supposed to be reduced every time the dog got an injection, but instead it provided billing hurdles when other transactions were made. (Have I made it clear that I spend a lot of time at my veterinarian’s?)
Now the tech checking me out was insisting that I still had a credit of $70-something for two remaining Adequan injections, and that my bill was only $13.
No one else was in the front office, either clients or staffers. I kept trying to explain the problem from a different angle, every time being assured that I did have a credit for two more injections.
Finally, I asked her to look at the cost of the medication I was picking up. Then she got it. She was apologetic and grateful, and immediately adjusted the paperwork to correctly reflect charges, payments and credits.
Then I realized she hadn’t charged me for the treats I wanted to buy.
“I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think you charged me for these treats.”
She smiled.
“I didn’t,” she said. “But take them anyway.”
It was a small act of kindness that went a long way toward assuaging my irritation. I just hope she doesn’t get in trouble for her act of good will.
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What We Had Here Was Failure to Communicate
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