The complaint resolution work undertaken by the Veterinary Client Mediation Service (VCMS) provides a helicopter view of trends and shifts in the complaints received by veterinary practices from their clients. This insight is invested in helping to resolve complaints arising in individual practices, to share issues for reflection and to provide mediation-inspired guidance to help minimise and resolve complaints at the front line.
Throughout the pandemic, the VCMS team has continued to provide advice to practices where they needed it most. By analysing client feedback, it has been possible to gain and share a clearer and more nuanced understanding of the most common complaint circumstances which have emerged during the pandemic, lockdowns and other social measures that have deeply affected animal owners and practice teams. Keen to distribute their insights, the VCMS team has shared analysis and articles which outline the latest trends, supporting practices to remain resilient and adaptive in the face of “the new normal”.
By analysing client feedback, it has been possible to gain and share a clearer and more nuanced understanding of the most common complaint circumstances which have emerged during the pandemic, lockdowns and other social measures that have deeply affected animal owners and practice teams
The VCMS remains committed to providing timely updates that allow professionals to invest in client relationship management as part of a wider quality improvement strategy to minimise complaints and unnecessary escalation. The subjects of these updates range from identifying a reduction in the willingness to consider goodwill gestures, to more specific issues relating to client care and the expectations of veterinary care. It is with this strategy in mind that they have compiled a list of the latest insights into some of the frequent complaint scenarios mediated by the VCMS team.
Overview of the frequent complaint scenarios
While there are some common complaints which are not directly connected to the pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on the sector still remains highly visible and presents unique challenges that require careful attention. Chief among the latest round of popular complaint types are those which involve dosage and administrative errors. As a particularly emotive challenge to overcome, and with the possibility of a fatal outcome, it seems more vital than ever that practices develop and apply robust procedures to ensure there are no such errors.
Anecdotal reflections suggest that, on top of the uncertainty of the post-pandemic world, we have seen an increase in pet ownership coupled with practice capacity issues. These all coincide to place the client/practice relationship under pressure
When reflecting on the last year, VCMS data shows the number of mediations conducted rose by a third. In itself, the data cannot confirm whether this represents an increased use of the VCMS service or whether it reflects an increase in client/practice conflict. Anecdotal reflections suggest that, on top of the uncertainty of the post-pandemic world, we have seen an increase in pet ownership coupled with practice capacity issues. These all coincide to place the client/practice relationship under pressure, and have led to an increase in complaint numbers (not necessarily as a proportion of all client/practice interactions) and less opportunity for resolution at an early stage. VCMS resolution managers have reflected on some complaint areas which feel more prevalent or entrenched in recent months.
Complaints involving dosage issues
Though not unique to 2021, complaints involving dosage issues can be highly emotive due to their potentially significant consequences and the “what if” feeling experienced by the client. With practice teams under pressure, whether through staff shortages and recruitment problems illness or the impact of COVID-19 self-isolation, the risk of mistakes when administering or dispensing dosages is a live one. It appears, however, that such incidents or the perceived issues have been more prevalent in recent months.
Animal owners have an expectation that medication errors should not occur and, reasonably, can fear that harm has been caused. For practice teams, the implications vary. At one end of the scale, there are situations where a client believes there has been an incident, but no actual overdose or no risk of harm has occurred. In these scenarios, re-establishing client trust is the key first step that practices should take to explain what has happened and how it has happened. Once this has been accomplished, it is then crucial that practices provide reassurance to the owner.
Re-establishing client trust is the key first step that practices should take to explain what has happened and how it has happened
Without re-establishing trust, animal owners may interpret explanations and reassurances that no harm has been caused as defensive and dismissive. Client feedback in mediations also suggests that some clients struggle to understand what difference this makes to their feelings of distress. This will likely lead to them becoming far more defensive and emotive themselves. In such cases it can be useful to have a resolution process in place where an empathetic and active mediator can ensure that the owner feels heard and that their feelings are suitably acknowledged. Where possible, many practices are revisiting their protocols and the measures they have put in place to minimise the risks of the human factor, as prevention is better than a cure in these situations.
Clients often have less patience
Clearly the pandemic has generated an incredible amount of stress across society, and everyone is having to deal with the impact of that stress. Heightened by an uncertain economy, a general frustration at not being able to go about their daily lives in the same way and “the new normal” of public health measures and personal risk assessments, clients appear to be less willing to take time to resolve a complaint with the practice. Instead they are far more impatient.
This poses a significant challenge for veterinary professionals as they may face difficulties in creating the space and opportunity to address concerns quickly and contemporaneously. It can also be difficult to respond to the complaint within the client’s expected timeframe. Then, when the practice does seek to address the complaint, they face a client who is unwilling to listen and who does not respond in a measured and fair way.
There is no simple route to overcoming impatience, and practices should instead be realistic in their expectations and the support offered to their staff. Specifically, practices should review their processes
There is no simple route to overcoming impatience, and practices should instead be realistic in their expectations and the support offered to their staff. Specifically, practices should review their processes and procedures to ensure that teams are doing as much as possible to communicate in a way that reduces the likelihood of a misunderstanding both clinically and, importantly, in terms of complaint handling, realistic timelines and the available outcomes.
Unreasonable expectations or miscommunication?
While practices will be acutely aware of all the changes that have taken place in the veterinary sector over the past year and a half, clients may not be as familiar with what “the new normal” looks like for veterinary practices. Naturally, this presents a problem as many clients expect to receive care in the same way they did pre-pandemic.
While practices will be acutely aware of all the changes that have taken place in the veterinary sector over the past year and a half, clients may not be as familiar with what “the new normal” looks like
Practice feedback indicates that many feel that client expectations cannot be met. One example is the way in which social distancing measures meant that clients were not always able to attend the full examination of their pet, which increased anxiety for many owners. This was coupled with the loss of other services that clients have become used to and which are now expected as part of “the norm” or even seen as necessary. These assumptions create the potential for a dispute to arise from unmet expectations.
Determining whether expectations are reasonable or unreasonable will not reduce the resulting stress for clients or veterinary professionals. It is, however, useful when considering how to approach a complaint situation and minimise escalation. A positive and constructive approach is to consider how to best inform and empower clients to understand what is happening, when it is likely to happen, how to make decisions and how to be better prepared for what will come next. When walking through arrangements, processes and conversations from a client perspective, look for where the practice knows what they mean but where there is scope for misinterpretation.
Practices may be able to mitigate these types of complaints by doing as much as possible to bring attention to their latest processes and procedures, and highlighting why these changes were made
In terms of the post-pandemic world, practices may be able to mitigate these types of complaints by doing as much as possible to bring attention to their latest processes and procedures, and highlighting why these changes were made. It is also important to remember that some clients will be new to your practice or to any veterinary practice, or they may not have attended for some time. Keeping up the momentum when providing accessible and regular information or reference to trusted sources can help with this.
Complaint mediation suggests that where dialogue can flow and when clients feel able to ask questions, it is more likely that clients will set far more achievable expectations and the practice team feel more confident that these can be met or even exceeded.
Round-up
Certain scenarios are more likely to result in complaints; for practices, reviewing complaints to look for trends and where “quick wins” or small changes can be effective can help to resolve complaints that have arisen. It can even help to avoid complaints in the future. By working through these scenarios, practices can offset the risk of a complaint through accessible and considered communication on service standards, as well as clinical care or condition management.
The complaints identified in this piece by no means form an exhaustive list, but instead share an impartial perspective to encourage practices to apply complaint insights from across the profession.
