Client communication insights: Is honesty always the best policy?

No one person has all the answers—but do you worry that your clients expect that of you?

A few weeks ago, we asked Trends readers to share what they do when they don’t know the answer to a client’s question, with the following as options:

• I say I don’t know, then share my plan for finding an answer (research, consulting with a specialist, asking my colleagues, etc.). I believe they appreciate my honesty.
• I make an excuse to leave the room so I can look it up and come back with an answer. They see me as an expert. I don’t want to seem incompetent.
• I give them the best answer I can think of in the moment. If I learn later that it was wrong, I can always update them.
• This isn’t a problem for me. I have all the answers!

An impressive 98% of respondents said they’d be honest about the fact that they don’t know—and that they’d share their plan for finding the answer.  And that’s right in line with what Jason Coe, DVM, PhD, professor at the Ontario Veterinary College, has found to be effective in his work over the past 20 years studying vendor and client communication.

There’s no single response that will work perfectly for every pet parent and every scenario. However, he said, “We’ve heard through our interviews that, when the veterinarian doesn’t know the answer, what the client is looking for is for the veterinarian to indicate that they will get the answer, or support the client in getting the answer.”

But there’s more to it than simply the words you choose.

“We communicate with our clients through both verbal and nonverbal cues,” Coe said. “We might say something verbally, but oftentimes our nonverbal channel will also be communicating something, and a client can often pick up when we seem unsure or we’re not confident.”

That’s something veterinary professionals need to be aware of—and cautious about—because when the nonverbal cues don’t match what you’re saying, it can cause clients to question whether an answer is being made up.

“I think, as a profession, we’re seen as being a very compassionate, honest, and trustworthy profession, and we want to continue to build that foundation of trust with our clients,” he said. “Our work would suggest that, for most pet owners [it’s effective to], acknowledge that, ‘Hey, that’s a great question, and I’m going to get the answer for you.’”

What you want to avoid, he said, is pretending. “The thing is, you don’t want to just try and make it seem like you know something when you don’t know anything about it,” he said. “That potentially threatens the trust, the honesty, and the relationship you have with someone.”

Client communication when answers don’t align

It’s one thing to utilize this honest response with a client who’s simply looking to learn, but Coe acknowledges that, as more and more clients come in with information they’ve gotten from other sources—be it Google, their breeder, a pet store employee, or a friend at the dog park—this can be a more challenging conversation to navigate.

When people look things up on the internet or discuss them with other sources, they’ve invested time and resources of their own into that, so there’s some level of commitment to that information, he said. That means it’s important to find out what the client may already believe and see where they’re coming from in order to find common ground.

“I think, as a practitioner, we need to first stop and understand what it is they know. Where did it come from, and why are they invested in that? Only then can we start to partner or collaborate around providing additional information,” Coe said. “Using that as a starting point to educate rather than just coming in with a different message.”

A 2021 paper Coe co-authored discussed just how important it was to pet owners that they be considered part of the team when it comes to making decisions about their pet’s care. They may not have medical degrees, but they love their pets and know them best; if they’ve put time and effort into learning about an issue, it’s likely important to them that their care team listen and acknowledge their concerns or suggestions—even if, ultimately, the advice their veterinarian provides differs from what they came in believing.

Time is, of course, always a consideration. With that in mind, in situations where a client comes in with a specific question, look for opportunities to involve the team in getting to the root of what the client already knows or believes.

“Maybe that’s an opportunity for your assistants or technicians to do some follow-up clarifying questions,” Coe said. That way, the veterinarian can enter the exam room with an idea of where to begin the conversation—and it gives them the chance to grab any references that might come in handy, too.

When in doubt, honesty is—generally—the best policy, but it must be delivered alongside confidence and a plan of action in order to retain the client’s trust.

Photo credit: Mary Swift via iStock/Getty Images Plus

Disclaimer: The views expressed, and topics discussed, in any NEWStat column or article are intended to inform, educate, or entertain, and do not represent an official position by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.