Written by: Roger P. Levin, DDS
In a recent study from the Pew Research Center, nearly half (47%) of U.S. adults say that public behavior is ruder today than five years ago. Dental professionals and team members deal with people all day, every day, so this is our reality—and we have to deal with it.
We have often heard that if a patient is consistently rude to staff, they should be “fired” from the practice. Do we really want to kick patients out of our practice because they have a bad moment—or even a bad personality?
Dentistry is a service business. People in a service business will occasionally encounter rudeness. How do we handle it? Do not attack. Do not be rude back. Absorb it without emotion. Attempt to simply identify that this is rude and requires an appropriate response. People who can do this are emotionally mature. They do not simply react out of a need to defend themselves. There is no real benefit to returning rudeness with rudeness, being snappy, or shutting down. The responsible and productive reaction is to focus on the topic and move forward. For example: “No, Mrs. Smith, I’m so sorry, but Tuesday is simply not available, as other patients have already scheduled.” Or: “I can certainly understand how you feel about the cost of dentistry, but the benefit is that you have excellent, high-quality care, and we work to help you keep your teeth for a lifetime.“
And most importantly, don’t let a rude interaction ruin your day—or even your hour or minute. Someone else’s rude behavior doesn’t have to become part of you. As the expression goes, “Why would you let this other person rent space in your head for free?”
Simply observe it from an outside perspective. Rudeness will happen from time to time.
Don’t be taken by surprise or caught off guard—and don’t get upset. It happens. It would be nice if every patient reacted properly, but when someone is rude, you should simply satisfy the situation and move on to your next action or activity.
Are more people rude today than in the past? Perhaps. But poor behavior has been with us forever, and we will occasionally encounter miserable people. Don’t let it get to you. Don’t react emotionally to rudeness. Manage it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the CEO and Founder of Levin Group, a leading practice management consulting firm that has worked with over 30,000 clients to increase production. A recognized expert on dental practice management and marketing, he has written more than 60 books and over 4,000 articles and regularly presents seminars in the U.S. and around the world.
To contact Dr. Levin or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit www.levingroup.com or email [email protected].
FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: CandyBox Images/Shutterstock.com.
