Blog Archives
Practice Management Overhaul In Four Parts
Pam worked with Veterinary Economics on a 4-part practice overhaul series called Practice Management Overhaul, and here are the links from DVM360.com: Practice Management Overhaul: Your Sneak Peek Announcing The Practice Management Overhaul Winners Practice Management Overhaul Forms Overhaul Outcome: Finding The Tools For Success
5 Ways To Work Smarter; How To Conduct A Time Study
Pam gives helpful tips on how to manage inventory, update patient records, avoid missed charges, and streamline discharge appointments in 5 Ways To Work Smarter on DVM360. Along with working smart, working efficiently is important too. In How To Conduct A Time Study, Pam shares 5 ideas that will help you analyze your practice’s outpatient […]
Read MoreOne Appointment, Three Pets; How To Overcome 4 Common Client Excuses
Sometimes patients make appointments for one pet, then bring the rest of their pets along with. When this happens, what do you do? In this One Appointment, Three Pets, Pam answers this question. And what do you do with common client excuses? In How To Overcome 4 Common Client Excuses, Pam helps answer questions from […]
Minimizing Team Conflict
This article from Veterinary Team Brief looks at what causes conflict, along with how to prevent conflict and keep it to a minimum. It also provides six steps you can take towards conflict prevention. To view the article in full, you can either read it on Veterinary Team Brief* or download the PDF version. […]
Read MoreTurn 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 […]
Read MoreSample 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 […]
Read MoreMake A Punctuality Pact With Team Members
My employees are always late to work. How can I stop this? Everyone is occasionally late for one reason or another, but there’s only one cause when it comes to chronic tardiness, says Pam Stevenson, CVPM, owner of Veterinary Results Management in Durham, N.C. “It’s a choice,” she says. And one that doesn’t honor employees’ […]
Read MorePet Health Insurance – Is It Worthwhile?
I’ve been reading quite a bit about shopping for different options regarding saving money on veterinary care. A common comment is that pet health insurance is not a good value for the cost and that, “putting money away in a designated savings account every month is probably a more thrifty way to take care of health costs […]
Veterinary Practice Managers
What Are the Different Types of Managers? Confusion surrounds this question. What is the difference between an office manager, a practice manager and a hospital administrator? The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association guidelines for the general duties of each position are listed below. These basic duties are an excellent tool to develop a program that fits […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Read MoreOne 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 […]
Read MoreI’m Sick Of Overtime!
Q. No one follows our time schedules—I regularly work at least 30 minutes after my shift was supposed to end. Is this fair? “Rather than asking, ‘Is this fair?’ I recommend tracking the reason your shift isn’t ending on time for 30 days,” says Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, a practice management consultant who owns Veterinary Results […]
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Should I Fire My Veterinary Team Bullies?
When teams work well, things seem to go brilliantly. But what about when they don’t? In Should I Fire My Veterinary Team Bullies on DVM360.com, Pam answers a reader question on how to deal with team bullies.