A client informs his counselor that the receptionist was rude to him and other clients because she ignored everyone until she finished a personal phone call. This is a situation that:

• A. Can be resolved informally
• B. Must be formal rights investigation
• C. Requires supervisor intervention
• D. Cannot be resolved

Answer: (A)

When a client reports staff behavior that reflects unprofessional conduct, you can often resolve it informally. This situation shows a receptionist ignoring clients to finish a personal phone call, which hurts the client experience and violates expectations for respectful, attentive service. The appropriate first step is to address it through informal resolution: speak with the receptionist about the impact of such behavior, remind them of the standard of client-facing conduct, and ensure they prioritize clients during office hours. An apology to the affected clients, a clear plan to prevent recurrence, and monitoring of future interactions help restore trust without immediately escalating to a formal process. Document what happened and the actions taken so the issue is tracked. If the behavior continues or raises a more serious rights concern or safety issue, then a formal rights investigation or supervisor intervention would be necessary.