Blog Archives

Turn Up The Dial On Client Education

When I discuss client education topics, I feel like clients are tuning me out. How can I make them listen? Engage clients with questions like, “How did you choose Sparky?” says Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, a consultant with Veterinary Results Management in Durham, N.C. Find out what they know about pet care and their past pet […]

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Sample Script: Offer Smooth Discharge Visits

Pam Stevenson, CVPM, a consultant with Veterinary Results Management in Durham, N.C., offers this script for efficient discharge appointments: You: Hello, Ms. Worrysome. I see you’re here to pick up Fluffy after her ovariohysterectomy. Let’s review Fluffy’s experience while she was in our care. (Summarize Fluffy’s stay at your practice.) Now, let’s discuss how to […]

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Stop Judging Clients

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 […]

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When Should You Act As The Jury?

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 […]

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Payment Procrastinators

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 […]

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The Money’s Where The Mouth Is

Q Should I receive compensation or bonuses for the dental procedures I’m specially trained to perform? “Compensation is typically based on a combination of training, performance, and credentials,” says Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, a consultant with Veterinary Results Management in Durham, N.C. So it’s reasonable for a team member who holds a specialty in dentistry and […]

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Great Expectations

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 […]

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One Appointment, Three Pets

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 […]

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Feeling Underappreciated

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. […]

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