You: "Hello. I have been waiting to pick up my prescription for over an hour. I was told it would be ready to go more than an hour ago. Can you please let me know when my prescription will be ready?" Front Desk Receptionist: "We are busy and there have been a lot of prescriptions to fill today." You: "I understand that the pharmacists are busy and that you have a lot of prescriptions today. I would just like to know an estimate on when my prescription will be ready. I need to let my work know when I plan to return." Front Desk Receptionist: "I don't have time for this. I am very busy. There is no way I can give you any kind of estimate. This is what happens when you do not plan properly." 

Question:  Now imagine that you are the receptionist in this situation. Clearly explain how the perspectives of the customer and receptionist would create diverse opinions about the situation and the management of the conflict. What is your experience in this situation and how would it differ from the experience of the customer? In the receptionist's view, how important is it to pay attention to using supportive behaviors to manage conflict? 

 

In the opinion of the receptionist of the case in question, it would be important to pay attention to these thought patterns that arise in stressful situations, such as the example presented, and learn to identify those situations and what goes through our minds. In this way, we will be better able to control our behavior in the face of these thoughts and emotions to avoid creating unnecessary conflict with the client and also be able to be empathetic with the situation he or she is going through, as well as his or her needs at that moment, and therefore, perform more effectively at our job.

Step-by-step explanation

From the receptionist's perspective, he/she is in a high-stress situation in which he or she has to deal with a large number of prescriptions and a variety of clients and therefore perceives that his or her problem is much more serious and important than the client's, and therefore blames the client for not planning effectively.

At the same time, the client is also in a stressful situation due to the pressure exerted by his/her bosses or work in general to notify the date when he/she must be absent, so he/she perceives his/her problem as more important and asks for a quick response from the receptionist, who he/she perceives as inefficient. For all these reasons, the conflict assessment can have several nuances if we take into consideration how both parties perceive the situation, according to the needs and thought patterns of each one at that moment.

I have also had this experience as a client, even though I was not in the same situation since I was not under stress and therefore can understand the position of the receptionist who attended me. When I went to the receptionist of a store on one occasion to ask him a price, he was organizing some orders that other customers had made online, which were numerous, so he probably perceived my query as an unnecessary interruption of his work and responded with an interaction style that was not very assertive.

However, in the opinion of the receptionist of the case in question, it would be important to pay attention to these thought patterns that arise in stressful situations, such as the example presented, and learn to identify those situations and what goes through our minds. In this way, we will be better able to control our behavior in the face of these thoughts and emotions to avoid creating unnecessary conflict with the client and also be able to be empathetic with the situation he or she is going through, as well as his or her needs at that moment, and therefore perform more effectively at our job.