PRACTICE MANAGEMENT less stressful environment is good for the dog or cat , but it ' s the client ’ s perception of value that can really add to the bottom line especially when pet owners see that you care enough about their pets to make changes like these .
What else could YOU do today , this week or this year to show pet owners that your veterinary practice is part of the new Client Revolution ?
Once your practice is ready , it ' s time to find your Client Communication Coordinator . How will this special team member stay busy and vital to your practice ? Let me count the ways :
1 . Clients want to send pictures of something for their veterinarian to look at a hot spot , hair loss or a video of odd behavior . Your Client Communication Coordinator routes those photos to the appropriate doctor .
2 . Many practices , including mine , use third-party systems to set up online appointment requests and electronic communication of appointment reminders and confirmations . It ' s an amazing system , but it sometimes requires some human interaction ... by your Client Communication Coordinator .
3 . Would some of your clients love it if they could get text messages when a pet was cleared to begin an anaesthetised procedure , when a procedure started and ended , when a pet went to recovery , and when a pet was awake and upright ? That ' s an incredible service to provide , but it takes a Client Communication Coordinator to manage .
4 . If you board pets at your facility , how much would clients love to get a photo emailed or texted of their beloved family member while they ' re away ? Clients who receive them from our Client Communication Coordinator are very thankful .
5 . Who manages your practice ' s social media presence ? Don ’ t HAVE a presence ? Start writing your practice ’ s obituary ... or hire or promote your own Client Communication Coordinator . These days it ’ s vital to follow clients ' favorite ways of communicating , and social media is king . You ’ ll get feedback about your practice , you ’ ll be able to share things clients want to know about your practice , and you ’ ll be able to use social messaging as one more way to avoid the telephone , which will one day be completely replaced as the primary form of communication with your clients .
The writing ' s on the wall or , rather , the smartphone , that clients want to communicate with you in very different ways than they did 10 years ago . Now the ball is in your court to give them what they want .
Find the right person on your team ( or hire , if you need to ). You ' re looking for an expert on navigating email , posting on social media , and scanning and managing paperwork equipment . Then make this person your inaugural Client Communication Coordinator .
It ' s money well spent .
Article reprinted with the permission of Firstline . The article was originally printed in Firstline , February , 2017 . Firstline is a copyrighted publication of Advanstar . Communications inc . All rights reserved .
Issue 06 | FEBRUARY 2017 | 5