"In my last practice, I had hired a new receptionist, and she did really well the first month on the job. Then, I started getting complaints from my patients and other staff that she was rude and dismissive. I had a conversation with her in private, told her about the complaints I was receiving, and asked her if everything was okay. At first, she was dismissive of me and said I was too busy to listen to her problems. I told her that I planned this talk when I did not have patients scheduled and that I had all the time she needed. She broke down crying and said she was diagnosed with cancer a week ago and was afraid to tell me because she thought she would lose her job when she started chemotherapy. I listened to her and was empathetic to her needs. I offered to bring in another receptionist to cover her when she needed to take time off, which she was grateful for. After that, I never had another complaint, and she was one of my best employees."
