Greet each person with a simple smile and hello and don’t forget to say “Thank you!” Sure it’s basic, but this will relieve your stress and the stress of your guests. To ensure you are available to greet guests, many Practices have Technicians answer the phone allowing the Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) the ability to greet everyone. Lastly, as the Patients leave your office, don’t forget to thank them and let them know that you’re looking forward to seeing them again soon.
Serve the Patient…and the Client. Don’t neglect your Clients’ emotions and concerns, acknowledge them! Do you have a grief room for you and your Client to escape to in order to discuss euthanasia?
Do you send out birthday cards for your patients? “Happy 1st Birthday, Lenny! With all the cake and sweets, the time has come for your yearly dental examination. Please call our office at (999)999-9999 and ask for Jenny to make an appointment. We look forward to seeing you soon!”
Do your background work. When a Veterinary Professional steps into the exam room, they should have retrieved information from the Technician. In this process, the Practice becomes a caring environment and it will ensure the Patient and Client feel you have invested specifically into their needs.
Ask and you shall receive. Get feedback from your Clients and Staff on how to improve the Practice. Through an anonymous approach, most everyone will share their opinion. Whether you send out a simple survey or ask face-to-face, you are guaranteed to find something worth working on. It is a win-win situation!
By the way, while you shouldn’t feel compelled to change everything that your Clients suggest, change as many of the items as you can. If Clients repeatedly experience the same mistakes and they see that you haven’t made their suggested changes, they will most likely stop providing feedback or worse, stop visiting your Practice.
Remember the whole is greater than its parts! If you have conflict, you have an opportunity. A Practice that works well together enhances the care you provide. We cannot stress the importance here! Find people that share common interests and abilities, ensure each person will complement someone else. You, and your Clients, will see and feel results when you have a group that enjoys the company of others.
Develop goals for your Practice Choose a time each year to establish performance goals for your Practice, implement a system for measuring your performance on a regular basis, communicate the progress versus the established goals with your entire Team, and provide incentive for your Team to accomplish those goals. We all know that we can accomplish so much more if we’re working on the same goals, but unless you establish and effectively communicate the goals, we as Practice owners aren’t very good leaders and our Staff and Practice don’t achieve our full potential.
MyVeterinaryCareer works with Practices nationwide and we know how satisfying it can be to exceed your Clients’ expectations. The spirit of service cannot be taught in school but only though the act of serving your Clients’ needs. The above steps can be implemented by anyone but will only be successful if your team is dedicated to carrying them out. Hire the right people and the rest will follow.
We are open to and enthusiastic with discussing how some of these steps can be implemented into your Practice. Whether you are the Owner or a part time contributor, call or email us and we will be happy to shed some light on your situation. We are your premier source for recruiting, career management, and small business consulting for Veterinary Practices and Professionals.
