"Are you sure about what you're doing?"
It is a question that follows you into every profession, regardless of how many years you have spent studying. There will always be someone who questions your decisions, not because they understand your work but because they think they know better. Clients push back when they cannot understand the process, and not everyone is equipped to handle that kind of pressure.
Veterinarians experience this more than many people realize. They deal with clients who demand more than what a veterinarian can reasonably provide. They are expected to be empathetic, but empathy alone is not always enough. Over time, this leads to burnout, and burnout affects not just their performance but their mental health as well.
According to The Veterinary Business Game Theory by Dr. Geoff Carullo, dealing with difficult clients is not a flaw in someone's practice. It has always been part of the game. Dr. Carullo explains that difficult clients are not the core problem. The deeper issue is that most veterinarians were never trained to handle them. Without that training, veterinarians tend to go one of two directions: they become overly forgiving or they turn aggressive. He is clear that both are dangerous paths.
Responding to a difficult situation with aggression is a route that benefits no one. If a client becomes disrespectful and demands unrealistic outcomes, matching their energy is how you lose. Ego does not save lives. A proper system does.
Dr. Carullo explains that clients are not a single type. Some are emotional, some are skeptical, and some are openly aggressive. Different people carry different headspaces and different reactions into the consultation room. That means not every client will leave satisfied, and trying to make them all happy is not a realistic or healthy goal.
At the same time, being accommodating to the point of self-erasure is not the answer either. Veterinarians should care deeply about the people they serve, but that care does not require enduring abuse, apologizing for everything, or surrendering professional judgment. Being a professional is not a people-pleasing game.
In Filipino culture especially, there is a deep-rooted value around accommodation. Being polite, keeping the peace, and finding a way to say yes are things many of us were raised to treat as virtues. And they are, up to a point. But when those instincts bleed into a professional setting, they can blur the line between compassion and compliance. Saying yes to every demand or staying silent to avoid conflict does not serve the patient's best interest, and ultimately, the patient is who the veterinarian is there for.
For Dr. Carullo, professionalism is not measured by how many clients you please. It is measured by how well you uphold your responsibility.
There will be moments when saying no is the most compassionate answer a veterinarian can give. There will be recommendations clients refuse to follow, treatments they cannot afford, and expectations no one can realistically fulfill. These situations are frustrating, but they do not define the quality of a practice.
Rather than trying to control every client's reaction, veterinarians should focus on what they can control: professional composure and clear communication. A calm, well-reasoned explanation carries more authority than an emotional argument. That authority is built through knowledge, consistency, and the willingness to stand behind decisions that prioritize the welfare of the patient.
This may be one of the book's most practical lessons. Difficult clients will always be part of veterinary practice, and experience alone does not make them disappear. What changes is the veterinarian's ability to respond. The goal is not to win every argument or convince every client. It is to remain professional without losing empathy, and to remain empathetic without losing judgment.
In the end, The Veterinary Business Game Theory reminds us that compassion and people-pleasing are not the same thing. A veterinarian's responsibility extends beyond satisfying clients. It is to make informed decisions and stay composed even when those decisions are questioned.
Sometimes the strongest form of care is not saying what people want to hear, but standing firm in what they need to know.
By Jamela Manzano