Blog Archives
So You Need A New Health Care Team Member
- Posted by Pamela Stevenson
- on Feb, 24, 2013
- in Human Resources, Practice Management
- Blog No Comments.
How many times do we knowingly or unwittingly hire the wrong person for our team? Why does this happen? How can we avoid making the same mistake over and over again? One key to a successful hire is to have a clear definition of what your hospital expects from its health care team. Each team member […]
Read MoreStop Judging Clients
- Posted by Pamela Stevenson
- on Mar, 01, 2009
- in Client Communications, DVM360, First Line, Human Resources, Practice Management, Publications
- Blog No Comments.
Some clients are difficult, but labeling them as such and guessing who will comply doesn’t help anyone, especially pets. Take a gavel to judgmental thinking and you’ll soon be letting clients—even the “bad” ones—off for good behavior. He approaches the front desk with a groan. Slowly bending down to pick up his toy poodle, the […]
When Should You Act As The Jury?
- Posted by Pamela Stevenson
- on Mar, 01, 2009
- in Client Communications, DVM360, First Line, Practice Management, Publications
- Blog No Comments.
Never. Because, as this real-life example illustrates, most judgments don’t involve open-and-shut cases. Every practice has one—or two, or three, or four: A client who just doesn’t get it. This type of pet owner declines recommendations for flea and tick preventives because the dog only goes outside to go to the bathroom. Judging clients like […]
Read MorePayment Procrastinators
- Posted by Pamela Stevenson
- on May, 01, 2008
- in Client Communications, DVM360, Finance, First Line, Practice Management, Publications, Uncategorized
- Blog No Comments.
Q. What do you do when clients say at checkout they want to pay later? First, establish, communicate, and enforce protocol for collecting payment for services and products, says Pam Stevenson, CVPM, a consultant with Veterinary Results Management in Durham, N.C. Then consider the situation. Is this a new client? Has she visited at least […]
Great Expectations
- Posted by Pamela Stevenson
- on Apr, 01, 2008
- in Client Communications, DVM360, Finance, First Line, Practice Management, Publications
- Blog No Comments.
Q. In the past, I occasionally gave discounts to friends and family. Now they expect the same generosity every time they visit. What do I do? Some veterinary practices do offer their team members a discount on veterinary products and services. “And it’s wonderful when we can extend that discount to family and friends,” says […]
Read MoreOne Appointment, Three Pets
- Posted by Pamela Stevenson
- on Jan, 01, 2007
- in Client Communications, DVM360, First Line, Practice Management, Publications
- Blog No Comments.
Q: Clients sometimes schedule an appointment for one pet and show up with several. What should we do? “It depends,” says Karen Sabatini, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and a receptionist at Ardmore Animal Hospital in Ardmore, Pa. “We usually handle these clients as we would drop-ins. Unless it’s an emergency, we try to schedule an […]
Read MoreFeeling Underappreciated
- Posted by Pamela Stevenson
- on Oct, 01, 2005
- in DVM360, First Line, Human Resources, Practice Management, Publications
- Blog No Comments.
Q. The doctor doesn’t recognize or appreciate me. How can I let her know everything I do? “You need to show the doctor results,” says Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, a practice management consultant who owns Veterinary Results Management Inc. in Durham, N.C. “For example, perhaps you reorganized the pharmacy to make it easier to locate inventory. […]
Read More