Over the past few years, the veterinary profession has seen an increase in the levels of abuse staff are receiving. Abuse can be very difficult to handle as a veterinary receptionist because we are often the first people to receive it, whether online, over the phone or in person.
Abuse in practice can vary from verbal abuse to clients becoming so aggravated they bang on the desk and pace up and down, visually showing their anger. New veterinary receptionists often find themselves unsure of how to handle abusive situations and uncertain about which way to turn and what to do for the best. Equally, it can also be daunting for experienced veterinary receptionists when a client becomes abusive.
The impact on mental health
Client abuse, not just towards veterinary receptionists but towards veterinary teams as a whole, impacts job satisfaction in the industry and contributes to the high staff turnover that many practices are experiencing.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased pressure on veterinary services. With the increase in the number of pets in the UK needing care, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis, it has become a battle for veterinary teams who want to do their very best for their patients. Clients can become very aggravated when finances determine the treatment option for their pet; this is when abuse towards the veterinary team often starts.
Clients can become very aggravated when finances determine the treatment option for their pet; this is when abuse towards the veterinary team often starts
As a result of these increased pressures, we are seeing members of the team suffering burnout, which takes a toll on mental health. This, coupled with the abuse from clients, can be hard to handle.
What can we do?
Many practices that I have spoken to have a zero-tolerance policy towards abuse of their staff. If a client is found to be abusive, the directors or senior vets will step in and take steps to rectify the behaviour or, in certain cases, consider ending the registration of the client. It can be difficult to ascertain the right level of action to take on different types of abuse as everyone handles it differently. However, it is vital that, as a practice, the management team have a set policy or protocol that can be followed to make sure abuse isn’t ignored, as clients must be aware it will not be tolerated.
It is vital that, as a practice, the management team have a set policy or protocol that can be followed to make sure abuse isn’t ignored, as clients must be aware it will not be tolerated
Practices often display signs stating they won’t tolerate abuse of their staff in the waiting area and consult rooms. These are great visual aids to remind clients of your practice’s policy while providing staff with a statement to refer to if cases of abuse occur. Practices have also been seen to implement zero-tolerance policies into their terms and conditions at registration.
Another way of supporting staff and tackling abuse is to have panic buttons installed behind the reception desk if you don’t already have them. We recently installed these at our practice, and it has offered a valuable level of support to the client care team. The team can press the button when they are concerned about a situation, and the call centre can listen in and raise the alarm to a practice director or even call the police if they feel this is the appropriate action to take. This could even be implemented internally in a similar format, wherein the receptionist can ring a bell linked to the back of the practice which requests assistance from a colleague when the button is pushed.
Final thoughts
As veterinary receptionists, we have the power to positively impact the client journey and are best placed to handle situations to prevent tensions from rising. We can also encourage positive relationships with our customers. We, of course, should not be abused (if this is the case, this should be fed back to your practice managers and directors), but turning any negative situations around before things escalate can prevent the abuse before it starts.
There are many situations where you can pick up on a client’s discontent with something, such as the bill being higher than expected or when they have come in to collect medication that isn’t ready. In these situations, communication is the key to turning negative feelings into positive ones. It is important that these situations are addressed directly with the client to prevent further issues developing.
Turning any negative situations around before things escalate can prevent the abuse before it starts
After experiencing any form of abuse, the whole team should come together to discuss the incident and debrief. Of course, after dealing with abuse, team members are likely to take the experience home with them, so it is important to check in with each other.
If it is found there is something that could have been done to stop the situation from arising in the first place, protocols need to be developed to stop it from happening again. Recent feedback from veterinary receptionists shows that practices are developing protocols to handle abuse situations better and that they feel they have support to be able to speak up and take a stand against abuse together as a practice team.
