Bad clients might look worse in the morning

The snarl, the shrieking voice, the pounding fists: The memory of an encounter with a bad client or two is probably etched into your brain. And if you dealt with these clients not long before going to bed, you might remember even more of the gory details, according to a study published in the August issue of Psychological Science.

Researchers showed 88 college students a normal photo (a car parked on a street) and a negative photo (a wrecked car parked on a street). Some students looked at the photos at night, went home and slept for 12 hours, then took memory recall tests in the morning. Others looked at the photos in the morning and took recall tests after a full day with no napping. A third group was tested just 30 minutes after looking at the pictures. Overall, the negative memories of the students who slept were enhanced 68 percent compared to 44 percent for the students who didn't sleep.

The lesson for veterinary team members in all this? The next time you find yourself wishing for a nap after dealing with a difficult client, be thankful you're at work. If you had the chance to sleep on it, that client might seem even worse.