Handling Patient Objections

	When you work with the public, things don't always go as scripted. That's true for the use of videos, opting not to adjust on the first visit, demanding that patients pay for their care and dozens of other procedural or policy issues.

Realize that with every patient interchange, especially at the beginning, you're setting precedence for the rest of your relationship. (Once you allow someone to compromise your standards or values, it rarely flourishes into a long-term relationship.)

Here are some reasons patients might balk. How will you respond when these situations come up? It's always best to decide in advance and make sure your staff understands and shares your philosophy:

In too much pain. If the patient is antalgic or so distracted by their symptoms they can't concentrate 4½ minutes, you have more problems on your hands than whether they follow your standard new patient protocol and watch an introductory video!

Strategy #1: No problem. Videos aren't supposed to create stress; they're supposed to reduce it. Bypass the video and accommodate the patient the best you can.

Strategy #2: Sorry, we're not an emergency room. This is how we do it here. Don't want to watch our videos? No problem. The chiropractor down the street doesn't use video. May we secure an appointment for you with them?

Strategy #3: No problem. Process the patient as if you didn't use video. Show the first visit orientation video while their X-rays are drying.

Strategy #4: No problem. We'll reschedule the showing of our patient education videos for a subsequent visit when you can give us your attention.

Been there, done that. Increasingly this has become a legitimate objection, especially with the proliferation of patient education videos. Or, the patient is new in town but has been under care for years somewhere else. The challenge is what kind of care have they been getting for years? A "crack" every couple of years or so when their back "went out"? It's surprising how poorly educated many patients, even experienced patients, really are! Here are a couple of strategies that you may want to consider.

Strategy #1: "That's great. We're glad to hear that your previous chiropractor was as committed to patient education as we are. With your experience, you'll be in a great position to judge whether our videos are better than the ones you've seen before. Ours our certainly shorter, and our new patients really enjoy them."

Strategy #2: "That's great. Since our office is different from other offices, the doctor has discovered that our patients get better results when they have a better understanding how our office works. I'll get you started, and you tell me if you've seen it before."

Strategy #3: "Oh I get it, you want to 'test out' of watching our videos. No problem. Let's just see. If you vomit are you sick or well?" (Patient answers.) "What's more common, a pinched nerve or an irritated nerve?" (Patient answers) "Okay, a bonus question, how old do you have to be before you can benefit from chiropractic care?" (Patient answers) "Hmmm. Based on your answers, it sounds like you'd really enjoy our videos."

I'm in charge here. This is usually a Type A personality that isn't used to being told what to do. Many of the suggestions apply here. The key is to decide as a team in advance.

I don't have time. This usually means that the patient wasn't warned how much time to reserve for their visit. On the telephone, it's probably not necessary to list all the office activities, but do be sure to let each new patient know how long to plan for their visit. This can avoid nervous clock watching and keep the patient mentally present for the entire visit.