It’s no secret that sometimes clients drive you insane. Thousand of words have been written about the struggle. Just check out Dr. Phil Zeltzman’s Marketing 101: Open Letter To New (and Existing) Clients, and bathe in the sarcasm. One highlight? “[Feel free to] insist that we follow your breeder’s recommendations, especially about anesthesia or vaccine protocols. Our schooling and veterinary journals really don't teach us anything of value, so we appreciate the guidance.” Andy Roark, DVM, DS, host of the YouTube show Cone of Shame, along with VetStreet.com decided to turn the tables on clients with the video, “Tips to Help Vets Lose Their Minds.” Watch it below: Dr. Roark's five tips for his clients to drive him insane? "No matter what, it's an emergency." "The best time to be seen is closing time." "No matter what, answer your phone." "Have the doctor talk to everyone you know." "Don't do anything the vet recommends and tell him." It’s no secret we can drive our clients insane too, as Wendy S. Myer’s points out in her article, “5 Statements That Secretly Irritate Your Veterinary Clients.” One line they hate? “Please hold, [click].” While everyone experiences hold time, Myers points out a client with a medical emergency doesn’t want to be on hold. They want immediate medical assistance. Myers recommends changing what you say to this instead: “Say, ‘Thank you for calling [Your veterinary hospital]. This is [your name]. Is this a medical emergency, or are you able to hold?’ Use the phrase ‘medical emergency’ rather than ‘emergency’ because some high-maintenance clients may assume that requesting prescription refills are emergencies. A caller with a medical emergency will need immediate assistance.” So how do clients drive you nuts? (And if you’re a pet owner, how do veterinarians drive you nuts?) Let us know in the comments.
