The Fruit Seller

Dr. Dev (Fictional Name) and Dr. Jolting (Fictional Name) were going to Dr. Dev’s home in his a car. Dr. Dev wanted to buy some fruits. The fruit-seller near the hospital where Dr. Dev usually used to buy fruits had not opened his stall on that day. While on the way, Dr. Jolting spotted a fruit-seller and pointed him to Dr. Dev.

Dr. Dev said, “I avoid going to this shop. But since your insisting let’s go to this shop and see what happens.”

When Dr. Dev stopped at the fruit-seller’s stall and started selecting the fruits to buy, the fruit-seller started speaking with clear resentment and anger in his voice, “Sir, why do you visit my shop so infrequently? Why have you started buying from the other fruit-seller near the hospital? What is wrong with my shop? I have the best fruits and charge you the most reasonable rates still you have stopped coming to my shop” and so on.

Once an uncomfortable Dr. Dev had hurriedly bought the fruits and again started his journey in his car, he turned to Dr. Jolting and said, “Now you see why I was avoiding going to this shop. I used to buy fruits regularly from this fruit seller in past. Then I started buying mainly from the fruit-seller whose shop was closed today. I had operated on him and since then he had started charging me the most reasonable rates and he himself chooses the best possible fruits from his lot for me. When his shop used to be closed or if he was not having some particular fruit variety I started visiting this fruit-seller as an alternative.”

“Whenever I stop at his shop now, instead of trying to make my experience a pleasurable one, he starts complaining and spoils my mood. Now I have stopped going to his shop altogether. By his behavior he is losing even the partial business I would have otherwise provided him.”

Dr. Jolting started laughing at Dr. Dev. He said, “Dev, you are blaming the poor fruit-seller for his resentment at your infrequent visits, but you and many of our doctor colleague behave in a worse manner than him in a similar situation.”

“When a patient consults you initially and then get operated or treated elsewhere, how do you feel? And how do you or many of our colleagues respond if the patient develops some problem and comes back to them for consultation? Do you respond in a friendly manner, pleased that he had come back to you with his problem or feel resentment and anger that he had not got operated by you? Do you try to win him by your supportive and understanding nature with excellent treatment so that the patient does not go anywhere else in future or do you show your anger at his past rejection of your professional expertise making the patient uncomfortable?”

Many of us, whether doctors or in other professions, take it as a personal insult if a patient/customer/client leaves us and takes his treatment or business elsewhere. And if the patient/customer/client comes back to us, instead of behaving like the biblical father who celebrated the return of his prodigal son who had left the family initially we behave like a jilted lover.

Make the patient/customer/client feel comfortable and welcomed on his return,  respecting his prerogative / free will to decide whose services he wants to avail to increase your chances of retaining him as your client in future.

(Based on true incident)

— ND
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 DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to MCI and other Board’s norm. 

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