Client Conflict & Complaints Mediation
Cat offers a veterinary mediation service for client complaints and conflict. Cat’s role as mediator is to assists two or more people to meet in a confidential setting to resolve complaints. Cat is a skilled and nationally accredited (NMAS) mediator with in-house veterinary practice experience that includes clinic ownership and senior management in both general practice and emergency hospital settings, including managing client relationships and complaints.
Managing client complaints and concerns in-house can be difficult for veterinary professionals who might not have the time, personal distance, training, or emotional capacity to deal with these issues on any given day. The practice manager, a director, or the business owner is usually the person tasked with managing client complaints and concerns, and it requires a big investment of their time and energy. It’s a fraught process that carries significant business risks such as reputational damage, bad publicity, loss of team engagement and low morale. When client concerns spill over to social media they can have an adverse impact on team member mental health and wellbeing with potentially catastrophic consequences. It is worth delegating this stressful process to an accredited mediator who is trained to facilitate conflict resolution while preserving relationships.
As a completely impartial third party, Cat is able to facilitate the processing of client complaints and concerns in a compassionate, confidential and efficient manner. Read the FAQs below for more information about how Cat uses her unique veterinary, legal and mediation skills to help veterinary clinics and their clients move beyond conflict and towards their common ground of care for the health and wellbeing of the patient.
FAQs
What is the mediation process?
The process starts with Cat conducting separate pre-mediation intake meetings (PMIMs) with the client and the clinic. The PMIM takes place over the phone and provides an opportunity for Cat to hear about the events that triggered the complaint or concern, explain the mediation process, see how parties are feeling, and whether they have started to think about resolution goals and outcomes.
The mediation will take place on Zoom at a date and time that suits all parties. The client and a representative from the clinic will be present in the online Zoom mediation, in addition to Cat facilitating as mediator. Cat does not decide who is right or wrong, or formulate any opinion on the matter. Mediation has an excellent success rate and ideally will end with Cat drafting a Heads of Agreement for parties to sign and exchange.
If we reach resolution and sign a Heads of Agreement are we “admitting fault” legally?
No. The mediation process is confidential for all parties from the first phone call until the end of the mediation itself. All parties sign a confidentiality agreement promising that what we talk about at mediation can’t be discussed or used in any way outside of the mediation. Whether you reach a resolution or not, things that were discussed at mediation can’t be used as evidence in any other claim or setting. Any written Heads of Agreement and any notes that I take as part of the mediation are also confidential.
What kind of resolution outcomes might we expect or hope for from mediation?
Clients may ultimately be seeking an apology, a refund, the clinic’s undertaking to change or introduce a protocol, or simply to be heard. Clinics typically also value the opportunity to be heard and might have preferences as to whether the client relationship will continue, what that relationship might look like moving forward, or simply a desire for the client relationship to end on the best terms possible. Clinics may also have resolution outcome goals relating to the client’s reconsideration of Google reviews and social media posts.
Is going to mediation scary?
The mediation is conducted in a manner that is professional yet relaxed and informal. Cat endeavours to ensure that no one feels nervous or scared about the experience from start to finish. Cat’s background as a litigation lawyer ensures that mediation is balanced, objective and facilitative while her personal mediation style is grounded in a compassionate and down to earth approach.
Can we use this service as a one off, or is it an ongoing commitment?
That’s completely up to you! This service is suitable for ad hoc client concerns, or ongoing as part of your clinic’s complaints management protocol. It is suitable for a range of veterinary clinics including the following scenarios:
We have tried to resolve a client concern ourselves but have not been able to do so in-house. We would like you to take it from here.
We have not attempted to resolve this in-house and would like to refer the client straight to you to help us find a resolution.
We don’t have a HR department or a big team and so would like to refer all client complaints and concerns straight to you as a rule.
We usually manage client complaints and concerns in-house but at the moment we are *busy, short-staffed, fatigued, boss is away etc* so would like you to manage this one for us.
We usually manage client complaints and concerns in-house but this is a very important client relationship so we would like to go to the effort of using an external facilitator.
We usually manage client complaints and concerns in-house but we feel that the stakes are very high on this one, so we would like to use an external facilitator.
What does it cost?
We offer the following streamlined and cost-effective fee schedule with fees to be met by the veterinary clinic:
$350 per hour for mediation under 3 hours (2 hour minimum).
$900 for 3 hour mediation.
$1,250 for half day mediation (up to 5 hours).
$2,000 for full day mediation (up to 8 hours).
Plus
$250 per hour for pre-mediation intake meetings (30mins - 1 hour per party).
$250 per hour for work performed outside of mediation e.g. additional reading.
Can you help with team member conflict and business partnership disputes too?
Yes, read more about Cat’s veterinary mediation services for team member conflict and partnership disputes.
How can I book or find out more?
Book a free and confidential 15 minute phone consultation using my online calendar or email form here.