Familiarity breeds contentment
Regular readers will know that Onswitch work with clients all around the world. We are very often in a different time zone to the people reading our emails or attending an online workshop. So it wasn’t that unusual that Alison (in Brisbane) was recently delivering webinars for clients on the other side of the world in Canada.
Normally this situation wouldn’t faze Team Onswitch in the slightest. But on this occasion the webinars were being hosted on a platform that was not only new to Alison, but also to the clients. Nothing was where anyone expected it to be on screen, so dealing with all the typical little gripes such as unmuting microphones, switching on cameras, toggling screens and sharing views were all made that little bit harder. And whilst we always like to plan and prepare beforehand, in this situation it just wasn’t possible to have a trial run with the technology.
Of course, it all worked out OK. Both parties had been a little anxious about whether it would be alright, and so were equally happy to cut everyone a bit of slack until the gremlins were ironed out. But it got us thinking about how important familiarity is in the workplace. How stress levels increase when we’re out of our comfort zones, dealing with something new and different. We like normal. We are comfortable with familiar. Consistency is our friend.
Push? Or pull?
Think about your veterinary practice. When you arrive, you already know if and where you’ll be able to park. You know that the door opens inwards, so if you’re carrying heavy boxes you can push through. You’re greeted by the heady aroma of pine floor cleaner and the cheery face of the head nurse as she turns on the weighing scales, and you know exactly where to go to dump your things and grab a coffee.
Now think about it from the perspective of a new client. They enter the building a bit hot and sweaty as they missed the turn into the car park and then could only get a very small space next to a wall so the car door wouldn’t open fully. Wrestling out the cat carrier, they looked around for the main entrance and tried to pull open a door that wanted to be pushed. Stumbling into the building they take in the clinical smells and scan around for someone to check in with. There is nobody at the desk and the one person wearing anything vaguely medical-looking is busy cursing at a metal panel in the floor.
You get the picture – our familiar environment is anything but to someone who hasn’t visited before. And if that person is already worried about their sick pet or hoping desperately for a bill under £100 as the kids need new school shoes, again, then anxiety levels will undoubtedly be running high. Then we get to the funny little syringes to deliver the newly prescribed NSAIDs and that’s a whole new level of unfamiliar for even the most unflappable client.
Observable consistency
What’s needed here, as is so often the case in veterinary practice, is empathy. Put yourself in your client’s position and look for the places and ways in which you can give some clarity and consistency. Simple, practical things you can do at your practice to help reduce anxiety and unfamiliarity might include:
- Large signs outside the building and on access roads
- ‘Welcome’ and ‘Push’ / ‘Pull’ signs on the front door
- Separate waiting areas for cats and dogs, clearly marked as such
- Name badges for everyone, with first name and role
- A ‘Meet the team’ board at reception, with photos and names
- Short videos on your website or partner sites that you can direct clients to view for information and usage instructions on conditions and medications
- Names of the consulting vets and nurses on each consult room door
- Information leaflets in the waiting area
- Seasonal educational displays
- ‘How to find us’ and ‘what to expect when you visit’ sections on your website
Take a look at your practice with fresh eyes
When we see the same things in the same places every day, we stop really seeing them. But our clients, experiencing them for the first time, might find them to be confusing and stressful. What’s familiar for us can be frustrating for others.
“But always keep in mind, that he resents familiarity”
T.S Eliot ‘Old Possum’s book of practical cats’
If you need a different perspective on whether your building’s layout / team structure / processes / communications are really working for your team or your clients, we can help. We’ll follow the customer journey to and through your practice and highlight where the barriers and opportunities are. We’ll be honest and fair, and give practical recommendations as to what you can change. You can find out more here.
