How to ‘retire’ those painful patients
Dr Fern White
Principal Dentist @ Beacon Cove Dental, Melbourne Keynote Speaker, Coach and Mentor for Dental Women ????
A good friend told me that one of her potential patients (who took up a free 10min consult) was an absolute pain in the butt.
She had the worst attitude about her health and whether my friend could actually help her.
On top of that, she was already complaining about price.
??????, ?????????????????? ???? ???? ???????? ???????? ???? ???????????? ???? ?????????? ????????????????.
Try to please them.
And convince them you are somehow different from the 10s of other clinicians they’ve slandered.
Easy to feel intimidated and minimalised by these patients.
???????????????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ????.
Because they are testing you.
???????? ???????? ???????????? ?? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??????????????.
But what if you reversed it?
What if you stood up to your worth, and reversed the frame, and asked them to prove ???? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????
Forget about the money for now, you can always make that back.
?????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ????????, ?????????? ???????????????? ?????? ???? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????, ?????????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????????????????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ????????????.
You know those patients I’m talking about right?
The ones you see on your day sheet and you cringe.
The ones you go to bed worrying about, and then wake up worrying about.
The ones you eventually wish you had never taken on because they are nothing more than trouble.
To the point that you would gladly pay just to be rid of them.
Well, here’s your chance.
Right at the start of the interaction, the connection.
Right here, where it starts.
So, I said to my girlfriend -
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?????? ???? ???????????? ?????? ???? ???????? ????. ?????? ??????’???? ??????????.
Speak your truth in a loving way.
And protect your boundaries - fiercely.
So, what could you say to her as she is busy speaking at you, being irritable? Entitled? Full of attitude and negativity?
(And if you’ve gone limbic in the middle of this conversation because somehow she triggered the insecure ‘inner child’ part of you, then remember you are a full-grown woman here now).
???????? ???????? ???????? - ?????? ?????????????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????????? ?????????? ????’?? ???????? ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???????????????? ???? ?????? ????????.
It’s your time.
So, with due respect, you say you hear her.
?????? ?????????? ?????? ??????????, ?????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ??????????????.
And you say that in order for you to help your patients at the highest levels you can (because you know you can), there are a few conditions around how you work and what you expect from the patients.
A, B, C.
Whatever they are for you (respect, coming on time, not cancelling appts, trusting in the process, etc).
And you let her know the truth:
??????????’?? ?????? ?????????????????????? ???????? ?????? ???????????????????????? ??????????’?? ??????, ?????? ???? ???? ??????????’?? ???????? ?????????? ???? ??????’?? ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????? ???? ????.
In that case, I’m happy to refer you on to someone else who you may gel more with (refer them to your worse competitor… just joking, but not really
??????’?? ???? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ????.
It will open up the room for someone better to come along and be blessed by your skill and care and connection.
If right now, you are constantly butting heads against the same old type of patients (or any people in your life for that matter), realise it is the universe working in your favour.
How could this be possible Fern?!! You exclaim
????????, ?????? ???????????????? ?????????? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ????, ??????????, ?????? ????????.
And that means speaking up, having those uncomfortable conversations, and protecting your boundaries.
In doing so, you pay yourself the greatest respect.
And that will be your proudest moment when you look back in time.
So, go for it.
There are, no doubt, a lot of people out there waiting for you to step up and practice healthy boundary setting.
Love,
Fern
PS.
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Dentolegal Consultant at Dental Protection Limited Australia and General Dental Practitioner.
4 年Great article and something I think many of us only learn by hard-earned experiences.