Is it my turn yet?

Is it my turn yet?

Oh the waiting room.  Have you ever found yourself at your doctor’s office waiting for many moons to be called into an exam room? Finally the nurse calls out your name as if you just won best picture at the Oscars. With an ear to ear smile you are whisked away to an exam room only to wait, again.  There is no clock in the room much like a casino so you have no concept of time.  You strain to hear what is going on just outside your door waiting with baited breath for the sound of the doctor perusing your chart and finally opening the door.  For some odd reason clients in the veterinary world have no recollection of what it is like at the human doctor’s office when they are waiting for “Peppers” annual visit.  Many times the receptionists (the front line in any animal hospital) are subject to the non-stop stares and glares of anxious or perturbed owners waiting to be called into a room.  So what to do?

• First off try to chat with them if you have the time to do so.  Most people like to talk about their pets, their health, good or bad, or just things in general.  It will make them feel attended to and make the time seem to pass more quickly.  If they are focused and involved on a conversation with you they will stop watching the clock so much.
• Offer their pet a bowl of water or a very small treat (if they are not in for vomiting etc, or have food allergies).
• If you have it set up, offer them some tea, coffee, or water.    If they have children offer them juice boxes or coloring books after parental permission of course.
• If the patient is nervous or animal aggressive try to put them in an available examination room until the doctor is ready to see them.
• If the owner is very concerned about the issue with their pet, asking a technician to come up and assess them will help qualm their worries a little bit.
• Explain what the wait is for in a nice way.  Don’t throw the previous client under the bus because she was late from work and had to pick her kids up from school and the dog threw up in her car, etc.  If you talk ill of another client you will be sending a distinct message that you talk this way about ALL of your clients.  Not a good idea.  I always start with an apology and usually explain that the doctor is running behind due to an emergency.  I always throw in “Thank goodness it’s not (insert patient’s name here) for the emergency, whew!” 🙂  Always try to make it a positive, not a negative.
• When they do finally get called in always thank them for waiting so patiently.  Thank them again and apologize for the previous wait when they are on the way out too.

What I always find funny and somewhat annoying is that the clients can complain so much about the wait, but when they see that white coat all of their frustration seems to just melt away. What techniques do you use in your clinic to diffuse a frustrated and waiting client?