But this devotion can sometimes spark tempers when the front desk backs up and confusion reigns. Sometimes those flare-ups are simply a reaction to a stressful moment. And sometimes they're a symptom of team members' underlying frustrations.

Either way, good communication is vital to prevent a clash of tempers and defuse conflicts. Let's look at how to successfully manage five explosive behaviors.

Your team may provide the best patient care and client service, but at some point you'll face an unhappy client. Then team members' tempers can flare, too.

Communication breakdowns are often at the root of conflicts between team members and clients. And it's easy to transfer the stress from this situation and point fingers about what went wrong. So create a policy for handling unhappy clients so everyone feels empowered to respond. "We train our team members to recognize the symptoms of a potential unhappy client, such as when an invoice totals more than the estimate or when a client waits a long time," says Florence Sanford, CVPM, the practice manager at Nassau Veterinary Clinic in Nassau, N.Y. "We encourage team members to take the initiative, and they're creative in making clients happy. For example, they've performed free baths, delivered medications to clients' homes, and offered to replace lost items of boarded pets. They've never given away too much, but they've always listened and clients leave happy."

It's OK to investigate where the lapse in communication occurred once you resolve the situation with the client. But avoid the blame game. Instead, ask questions. Was the client angry because he didn't plan for the bill? Or was he upset because the appointment took longer than expected?

If the problem seems chronic, plan team training activities to head off these frustrating situations. You might ask the back office team to practice explaining procedures and their costs with clients. And remind these team members to communicate with the reception team when unexpected delays occur, like emergencies. Most clients won't mind waiting if they know you're treating a puppy that was hit by a car. They usually only get cranky when the minutes pass and they don't know why you're late. On the other hand, if you determine the miscommunication was a rare fluke, then smile at your co-workers and let your frustration go.

Confusing co-workers for enemies

Mild annoyances can blossom into bigger problems if they aren't resolved, says Sheila Grosdidier, BS, RVT, a Firstline board member and partner at VMC Inc. in Evergreen Colo. Team members begin to think of their co-workers as enemies and the battles begin in earnest.

A warning sign: You hear phrases like, "Those people at reception," or, "Those people in the back." For example, Alexa checks in a new patient, Moonbeam. She forgets to write down Moonbeam's a boy and Trish, a technician, calls Moonbeam a girl. Moonbeam's owners are irritated. Trish is embarrassed, and she later snaps at Alexa, "Why can't you fill this form out right?"

"When these situations happen, remember it isn't personal. It isn't malicious. Usually, it's ignorance," Grosdidier says. Here, Alexa simply made a mistake. She didn't realize the pet's gender was an important detail and the mistake might reflect on Trish and the entire practice. She wasn't trying to make Trish look foolish.

Rather than encourage an "us versus them" culture between the front and back office team members, Trish could have explained to Alexa that she needs to remember to write down pets' gender because sometimes it's hard to tell by the name. Then she could explain what happened during Moonbeam's visit. The key: Avoid using language that lays blame, like, "When you ... " Instead, focus on fixing the problem: "It's helpful to note the pet's gender so we don't offend clients."