In studying the connections between the verbal interactions in general practice consultations and outcomes such as patient and doctor satisfaction, the authors developed an interest in the various sources of occupational stress for Australian GPs. Doctors and their patients do not necessarily agree about how satisfactory a consultation was, raising questions about whose definition of quality in medical care should prevail. Doctors' concerns about exceeding the Health Insurance Commission (HIC) norms for frequency and length of consultations seemed to inhibit them from providing the listening time some patients need. Complexity of consultations proved difficult to rate reliably. Experienced GPs in a preceptor role expressed mixed feelings about the value of communication skills training compared with changes in remuneration policies. We seek comment from readers about these observations.