An occasional unhappy patient is inevitable. But your response to a complaint or request for a refund can make a big difference. Dispensing expert Leona Meditz suggests trying the following strategy:

• If the patient says "I want my money back," tell her that you're concerned about her vision and that you'd like the opportunity to resolve the problem.
• If the patient says that she just wants to go back to her old pair of glasses, tell her you'd prefer to correct the problem now, because she might have the same problem on a larger scale later on.

If she says that she wants to go somewhere else for care, assure her that if there's a place that can solve her problem more effectively, you'll provide a referral once you determine what's wrong.