https://www.vetsurgeon.org/f/non-clinical-questions/28022/negative-media-influences [quote user=&quot;Arlo Guthrie&quot;]I wonder ... there&#39;s this distinction between &#39;depressed&#39; and &#39;clinical depression&#39;. Does anyone know of any research showing a link between the two. What I mean is ... We all get &#39;depressed&#39;, in the loosest sense of the worden-USTelligent Community 10https://www.vetsurgeon.org/thread/208935?ContentTypeID=1Tue, 12 Mar 2019 01:10:03 GMT146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:ac9968da-1160-4635-bcce-6fc4b2d454bcbevs2251<p>[quote user=&quot;Liz Barton&quot;]If the practice backs down and gives them a discount to stop the situation developing are we not inadvertently perpetuating this behaviour? Does it not also make the practice complicit in the undervaluation of staff negatively impacting both morale and self-esteem of the team?[/quote]</p> <p>Absolutely. Waiving fees and giving discounts can also backfire into vet board complaints (as happened to me). Owner sees that as an admission that the vet is at fault. Another stressor to add to the myriad of others.</p> <p>Bogan clients moaning about vet fees when they have cigarette packets rolled up into their t-shirt sleeves, saying &quot;Don&#39;t you care about animals ? You should help us&quot;. Something I faced as a new grad, but having come from a poor family without much, I wasn&#39;t taken in by these sob stories. As a bolshie 25 year old, I told them to give up smoking and drinking and then they might be able to pay for their pets&#39; treatments !! The (chickensh.t) boss had allocated these people to me as they had a massive bad debt that he wanted me (!!!) to try and recover ! They didn&#39;t get any freebies from me but that left a sour taste in my mouth from then on as to client (and boss) manipulation.&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div>