What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Chris Milligan — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 23:26:33 GMT

I work in Canada now and get an optimistic "Hey Doc" every single time from clients as they arrive - and I have to say it strikes the perfect balance between friendly informality and professional respect. Maybe now the RCVS has seen fit to anoint everyone with the Doctorate That Is Not A Doctorate it could become a staple of consults at home? :D

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Lazy Bee — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 22:56:56 GMT

To the ubiquitous "Mate" and/or "Yoroi?" greeting - the frozen face and an enquiry along the lines: "Good morning/afternoon/evening Mr Smith - How long has Fang/Diesel/similarly inappropriate name - been unwell? Better still, if possible, make a real effort to mispronounce the fashionable nom-de-guerre of his unfortunate choice of status dog. (They usually are.)

Regarding pre-Xmas stories, mine's actually Christmas Day, and as they say, you couldn't make it up. It's the late 1970s and we're living in a big flat over the shop. Just finishing carving the Turkey about 3.30pm, and the front door bell rings (there's a pub down the road and we expected merry japes involving ringing the bell and walking off on a daily basis, so I ignored it. 5 minutes more and the bell rings again, so I open the window and look down to see a wooly hat and a sensible coat holding a box. So I go down stairs. I am greeted by the sight of old Mrs Smith who is a monthly attendee with her budgie for beak & claws. I get her in out of the rain and ask her what the problem is? Mrs Smith wants his beak & claws clipping - - I am just about capable of speech - so I ask her why such a procedure is necessary on Christmas afternoon? I am informed that the pair of them are off to stay with her son on Boxing Day until New Year and that would be too long a delay for his routine clip. So beak & claws were duly clipped in a strained silence - now in those days such services were 50p for my pensioner clients ( a loss leader ) - so I asked her for a quid. As the old bag left she informed me that if I was going to charge that just for a little job on Christmas Day I needn't expect to see her again! To my shame my reply was: "Good. Happy Christmas." --- And she never did come back.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 11:52:06 GMT

he was being so condescending calling me Chicky and wanting to be on first name chummy terms. Instead of just being rude to him I deliberately used the wrong name Martin. People like that hate to think they are not memorable. It's a subtle retaliation rather than telling a client to eff off or coming across as a hypersensitive reactionary feminist.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Mark Hedberg — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 10:15:31 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

[quote user="Clare Tapsfield-Wright"]

I had a client who said " call me Chris , Chicky" so I used to call him Tim deliberately.

[/quote]????? please explain or am I being nice but dim?

[/quote]

I understood - Clare, you're far nicer than I am! :)

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 10:01:01 GMT

[quote user="Clare Tapsfield-Wright"]

I had a client who said " call me Chris , Chicky" so I used to call him Tim deliberately.

[/quote]????? please explain or am I being nice but dim?

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 22:17:42 GMT

I had a client who said " call me Chris , Chicky" so I used to call him Tim deliberately.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Mark Hedberg — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 10:23:05 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]

I'd have used that 10 minutes to phone the police. Whether that would do any good, I don't know, because our uselessly feeble laws don't exterminate that sort.

Wynne

[/quote]

We get it, Hannah, enough with the genocide comments, please!

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 09:49:20 GMT

[quote user="Wren"]I struggle with the modern and ubiquitous 'hun'. I bloody hate it. And from a client it seems ludicrously overfamiliar.[/quote]

You'd struggle in Bristol. Everyone is 'love', 'lover' or 'babber'. Was a bit disconcerting as a student until you got used to it!

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Wren — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 08:46:05 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]but I just don't like being called 'Mate' by someone I don't know[/quote]

I struggle with the modern and ubiquitous 'hun'. I bloody hate it. And from a client it seems ludicrously overfamiliar.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 18:03:06 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]Would you call your medical consultant who you've never met before 'Mate' ?[/quote]He probably wouldn't but he'd think the consultant was arrogant if he/she was slightly offended.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

bob lehner — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 17:17:52 GMT

[quote user="John Wessels"]Have you forgotten you' re a simple human being like the rest of the population?[/quote]

Oh dear - I have many faults - but I don't think arrogance is one of them. Of course I've never actually said those words to anyone - but I just don't like being called 'Mate' by someone I don't know - equally I don't like being called 'Bob' (or even worse 'Robert' by unsolicited telephone callers trying to sell me something I don't want.

To me it is just an indication of modern 'dumbing-down' and the general decline in good manners.

Would you call your medical consultant who you've never met before 'Mate' ?????

[quote user="John Wessels"]The trick with veterinary consults is to adapt to the level of the clients. A arrogant attitude will get you nowhere but an early retirement. [/quote]

Thanks for that bit of advice. I'm glad to say (very modestly)- that I was able to take early retirement at the age of 55 out of choice, having made a reasonable financial success of being a GP vet.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

John Wessels — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:19:28 GMT

In that case I am a saint.

Amen.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:59:25 GMT

[quote user="John Wessels"]

Have you forgotten you' re a simple human being like the rest of the population?

Have and show a bit more modesty.

[/quote]Dear, dear, Mr Self Righteous, getting stuck in for a newbie aren't we? Its usually me getting a bollocking for being over-critical of newbies. Maybe you should learn to walk before you run.

John, I think the clue was in the phrase, 'To which the correct response was..' This does not imply he actually said it. You need to recognise someone playing devils' advocate. If there has never been a time you felt like responding in a similar way, albeit held your breath, you truly are a saint.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Stephanie Wellings — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:04:01 GMT

I actually like it that my regular clients are quite familiar (the best ones answer the phone to me 'oh hi Steph'...), and realistically how professional/formal is it possible to look when you have just been wrestled to the floor by a St Bernard/expressed anal glands up the wall/prised a kitten from your face?

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

John Wessels — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 14:57:18 GMT

''Indeed - my absolute pet hate when I worked in darkest Essex was the regular tattood skin-head chav client with a SBT who came thro' the consulting room door saying 'Y'orright mate?'

To which the correct response was 'No Sir, I'm not your mate - nor ever likely to be'.''

Well well, why doesn't that surprise me.

The trick with veterinary consults is to adapt to the level of the clients. A arrogant attitude will get you nowhere but an early retirement.

Have you forgotten you' re a simple human being like the rest of the population?

Have and show a bit more modesty.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

David Mills — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 23:59:08 GMT

Goodness me. Anyone wonder why grumpy old men was axed from the box a couple of years ago?

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

bob lehner — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 17:26:25 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

I would never address a client with "Hi...."

[/quote]

Indeed - my absolute pet hate when I worked in darkest Essex was the regular tattood skin-head chav client with a SBT who came thro' the consulting room door saying 'Y'orright mate?'

To which the correct response was 'No Sir, I'm not your mate - nor ever likely to be'.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 01:15:36 GMT

I would never address a client with "Hi...."

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 13:15:06 GMT

[quote user="John Wessels"]For 35 years or so a simple: ''Hi Mr/Mrs Smith, what can we do for Lucky today?[/quote]

I generally say that too..but nothing is fool proof. You still get the 'well I told the receptionist....didn't she tell you???' Making you look very inefficient!

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 11:40:44 GMT

I've had the opposite problem to many of you. Two owners who have hung on too long, because they wanted one last Christmas with the dog,

Wynne

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Joyce Whitehead — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 22:30:23 GMT

I'm a "What seems to be the trouble" person....

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

John Wessels — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 18:23:20 GMT

For 35 years or so a simple: ''Hi Mr/Mrs Smith, what can we do for Lucky today? works fine for me, despite the fact I usually know very well what Lucky is in for.

Life as a vet can be so simple and rewarding but modvets are stifled by fear.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Clive Ansell — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 16:57:55 GMT

[quote user="John Wessels"]

''Had a similar one yesterday; I ask "what's wrong with her" ''

If you start your consults like that you are asking for trouble...

[/quote]

What do you say?

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 16:39:05 GMT

[quote user="John Wessels"]

''Had a similar one yesterday; I ask "what's wrong with her" ''

If you start your consults like that you are asking for trouble...

[/quote]

It's quite hard to know what to say, especially with the clam-like client.

When I were in Yorkshire (West Riding) it were easy: I would just say "Now then" in a brisk sort of tone. When I moved to Softy Sussex by the Sea, the first time I said that the poor lady looked shocked and scared, as if I were about to give her a telling off.

I've settled now for "What can I do for you?" which is fairly neutral, although it still occasionally draws the oh-so-witty answer.

RE: What's the very best consult to have at the end of Friday evening surgery just before Xmas?

John Wessels — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 11:31:12 GMT

''Had a similar one yesterday; I ask "what's wrong with her" ''

If you start your consults like that you are asking for trouble...