Ok… so lets dive in some more. Just keep in mind I can come up with topics all day long, but it just might turn into a talk about cattle or diesel trucks, which I am sure will be a small audience.

The title here doesn’t mean we condone difficult or down right mean behavior; however, we do understand where it comes from in most cases. Also, keep in mind that what to come in this post is just generalities, and likely what motivates people in stressful situations is different and likely a combination of several factors…. here we go!

Money- as previously discussed, this factor appears to top most lists when it comes to pet care, and honestly it should. We understand this all too well. After all, we might pay off our student loans just before we have to start paying for our youngest daughter’s college tuition. Costs of goods and services continue to increase for customer service and health care fields and that’s why your electric bill is not the same as it was last year! This is no different for us.

Please know, most veterinarians are extremely frugal by nature. Often we are trying to talk ourselves into saving the client money (at times leading to substandard medicine); However, the more distrust a client shows, the more likely we will not withhold recommendations. This is strictly a legal matter. We will attempt to cover as many bases as possible, leaving no stone unturned, so as not to mis-diagnose and create even more distrust or set ourselves up for a potential lawsuit. Ultimately, it is imperative for you to know that what we recommend is just that, a recommendation. There is no need to feel guilty about not taking a recommendation. After all, you brought you pet in, and that is more than a lot of people would do.

I can still remember my dad saying, as I spent four years of my life in veterinary school that we never took our dogs to vet; they lived or they died (please no judgement as this was a different time). Just like with your own healthcare, it is up to you to decide what is right for your fur family.

On another note, there is no excuse to be surprised by a bill. We offer up estimates with request and often times without request. We had a disgruntled client just yesterday, who called in 3 days after the visit and said she did not know the cost of flea and tick prevention she purchased and wanted her money back. Invoices are discussed and itemized at check out in most every clinic, including ours, and totals are given as well. I feel that was an unreasonable request, and also against pharmacy law, as it is illegal to take a medication back after being dispensed.

Services are never free at all places of business. It is simple high school economics, “there is no such thing as a free lunch”. Nothing is free, even if it is labeled as such. Why? Overhead…We have weekly payroll, phones, internet, monthly electric, sewer/water, trash, mortgage, health insurance for doctors and staff, insurance for the physical plant and supplies, malpractice and liability insurance, taxes taxes taxes, license fees (pharmacy and doctors), computers, computer programs, IT support, various equipment, repairs to the building, consumable goods, and the cost of sellable goods. I know I am missing more than a few things…

I have heard similar complaints over my career so far; “my pets healthcare cost more than my own!” Can this really be true?!?! No. My wife had a scheduled C-section this past year. The cost was a factor of 150 times more than what we charge for the same procedure, even on emergency. Now, we did pay that amount out of pocket? No. Why? Health insurance. Point being, anything seems more expensive than a $20 co-pay. Now we will shoulder the blame for some of this cost. The more we know in our field, the more we can do! This is great for animal health, but yes, it does come at a cost.

What have we done to help this expense so that care can be afforded? We currently offer Care Credit as a payment option (interest free for several months) and are looking into starting wellness plans or subscriptions within the next 6-12 months. This would be a monthly charge to a credit or debit care for their pets’ care. Also, pet health insurance is always an option. We recommended Trupanion or ASPCA plans. Some even have coverage for wellness/vaccine visits.

Emotion- Our clinic mission statement reads “Enrich the human animal bond-Always”. It is our goal that pets are healthy not only for their longevity but their owner’s wellbeing too. When they are sick or are diagnosed with a disease, it is often difficult for an owner to take in the news. It can also be hard when we are working on just finding a diagnosis. Most people have had the stress of waiting for results from blood panel or biopsy. When we make these furry creatures part of the family, that is bound to come with stress and anxiety when they are not well. We see this stress and recognize this as human nature as we are pet owners too! Sometimes it can be hard for us to determine if people are truly upset with the service being rendered or the current situation their pet is going through. Please know our only goal is make animals better! At times, that comes with some basic testing and basic treatment; In my experience, leading to a very content client. Other times providing the correct treatment can take some work up….

Recently we had a patient with sneezing fits that did not resolve with some basic therapy. We could tell there was frustration on the owners part; however, this was less monetary and more emotional… “why isn’t this fixed?” This case required more workup. We did get to a diagnosis, however, not a good one. Just please keep in mind it is not ethical for veterinarians to draw out a work up or run unnecessary tests for a profit. As previously mentioned, when pressed with a client who is distrustful, we will cut no corners, but we also will recommend the same steps with clients who wish to take them! We are in customer service after all, and like previously mentioned, the faster we get to a diagnosis the better off the pet is, the happier their family’s are, and the more economical the work up. It’s a lot easier to treat something if you know what you’re treating!

Timing- as I was waiting at my family doctors a few months back, I recalled the time I was 5 minutes late and they insisted I reschedule. I just found this ironic as I was currently there 5 minutes early and had been waiting for 35 minutes. Please know our goal is to be as far from human medicine as possible. We try to get clients in and out, we try to get results the same day if not the next, and we always try to be nice! We fall short on the first point at times, typically because of the numerous roles our clinic plays on a given day (as discussed on the last post). Also, we try to accommodate our clients, including when an appointment shows up 5-10 minutes late, one on time, and one 20 minutes early. I find we can never win in this situation even if we inform the early client they are early, any wait time is still unacceptable. We do not like making people reschedule (again we do not want to be like human medicine), nor do we like to make people wait. Sometimes, unfortunately, we have no choice. I find people expect this wait with their human doctor, but the tolerance is cut in half towards most veterinary clinics if not less. This is not a fair standard (please reference the my first post as to how veterinary clinics function at any point in time).

Now there are certainly more than these three reasons people get frustrated; however, when we start to mix and match two or more of these issues, or throw in a side of something else troublesome in life, it can be volatile. (eg. someone strapped for cash, uses their pet for emotional support, and has to get to work in 30 minutes). We are not miracle workers, nor do we have a magic test or algorithm that can solve some problems in 30 minutes or less for $40 dollars. This is unfair to expect. We don’t deliver pizza. Also, it is unfair to expect us to have more emotional attachment to your pet than you do. That is, do not expect free work up because we are easy targets…(though I assure you we are because we don’t want to see a pet suffer…)

Lastly, we expect to be treated professionally, which is how we treat all of our clients. I have a buddy with a veterinary practice that has been in his family for years. That comes with a lot of wisdom. They have posted in their office…”If we catch a staff member mistreating your pet, they will be fired, If we catch a client mistreating our staff members, you will be fired”. I like this saying; though it is a little strong, it proves a point….We are here to help and will do so as much we are allowed to do so.

Please know this is a gross generalization of human nature in a customer service/medical field. These are causal observations and not all days or weeks are difficult, and honestly a majority of our clients are reasonable and a complete joy to work with, however, when the negativity and unreasonable expectations stack up, it can quickly lead to “compassion fatigue,” a note too well understood in all health care professionals. If you are not familiar with this term, please look it up as it is very real and contributes to the suicide rate previously eluded to in the previous post.