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Patience with Patients

Karlen McLean

Over the course of my career in optical shops and practices, I’ve dealt with many difficult and frustrated patients. Through my experiences, I have learned that in spite of how terrible they might behave, clients have a reason for acting out. There’s a point to bad behavior and a beginning and (sweet relief!) an end.

Recalling my past experiences, I wondered how other ECPs handled their toughest clients. Here are some answers—a combination of tales and tips to help you in similar situations.

TYPES, TRIGGERS, AND TRUST

People you deal with on a daily basis have two types of triggers, according to David H. Hettler, BS, OD, of Drs. May, Hettler & Associates Doctors of Optometry, with seven locations in northern Virginia.

“There are two kinds of problems: outside and inside,” he says. “Outside problems, like a flat tire, you can’t fix. But inside problems, like patients not liking their glasses, you can do something about.”

Maintaining relationships and building trust, especially in the face of challenges, encourages constructive conversation. That’s true with customers of all ages.

SENIOR MOMENTS

“Older people may have the beginnings of dementia,” says Richard Homeier, ABOM, of Optical Perspectives in Estes Park, CO, recalling the patient who “asked what I could do about his scratched lenses.

“I explained we didn’t make those glasses and that he must have another pair at home. He left, unsure I was telling the truth, but called an hour later to tell me he did find the other and that they were working fine.”

SOLUTION: “The situation required patience, good records, and the willingness to go over the same facts several times without becoming upset,” says Homeier.

KIDS AND PARENTS

Uncontrollable kids with distracted or detached parents can be difficult to handle.

“When I have an out-of-control child, I often notice that the parent is apprehensive about taking action,” observes Kip Orbeck, OD, of Blanco Eyeworks in San Antonio, TX.

SOLUTION: “I’ll ask the parent to take [the child] to the restroom or another room. Or I’ll step out of the exam room and close the door, which sends a message that I will let [the parent] handle the situation as [he or she] would at home. The kid doesn’t want that and usually settles down.”

MULTIPLE ISSUES

When facing multiple challenges at once—a difficult patient, parents, and expectations—a client-centric approach can foster cooperation.

“A special needs patient was +7.00 OU and new complications left the family sensitive and defensive about the care he required,” relates Paul Garcia, ABOC, with Charlotte’s Optical, Inc., in Colorado Springs, CO. “The parents gave me a frame purchased elsewhere they deemed the only possible choice. After discussing lens-to-frame issues, they chose to proceed. I was reluctant, but fabricated the glasses after fulfilling legal and obligatory guidelines. As I expected, upon dispensing, the parents were dissatisfied with lens thickness, claiming we had tried to shave costs by not giving them the thin lenses they paid for.”

SOLUTION: “I explained that in children’s cases we were limited in lens material and index choices. The situation seemed impossible until we agreed on a solution that included a new frame that was better suited to the lenses. My duty as caretaker to a patient with special needs may not have meant multiple dollar signs that day, but seeing a successful outcome in clinical fashion was even more rewarding,” says Garcia.

SAY GOOD-BYE

When all else fails, there is no solution better than telling a toughie to depart. “I recently fired my first patient in my 25 years of practice,” recalls Orbeck. “Every year he comes in and wants everything free with his third-party plan, carrying on about insurance pricing. I finally got to the point that retaining this patient wasn’t worth the aggravation.”

SOLUTION: “I told him, ‘You’re firing me, and I’m firing you. My staff and I can’t satisfy you. Thank you for your time, good-bye.’” EB