PRACTICE MANAGEMENT what your hospital would look like if 100 percent of your team members bought into your practice ’ s mission . Would clients feel cared for ? Would patients feel you loved them like a parent ? Would employees cooperate with one another , feel respected and enjoy their work ? Client responses to questions like these should be positive irrespective of emergencies , staff shortages or other dayto-day practice problems .
Guess the answers — and your responses to them
A successful survey is part of a plan to understand and improve . This means that you don ’ t just have to understand what you want to measure — you have to know what you want to do with the results . Before you launch the survey , contemplate the kind of responses you might receive and ask yourself what specific actions you would take as leaders to improve the status quo . If answers aren ’ t readily forthcoming , it ’ s necessary to go back to the drawing board and redraft your survey or scrap the idea entirely . And it ' s not just the management who is important in implementation , to read how team members play a vital part in the process click here .
Avoid sloppy errors
No one drafts a perfect set of survey questions the first time . Here are some of the typical problems you may encounter : > Addressing multiple topics in a single question . Example :
“ Was the service fast , friendly and helpful ?”
> Spelling or grammar errors that interfere with the clarity of the question . Example : “ How did you chose this practice ?” Oops !
> Asking lengthy and confusing questions . Example : “ Everyone at ABC Veterinary understands the importance of both client service and patient care . That ' s why we became an SAVC-accredited hospital . Do you feel we lived up to your expectations for what a veterinary hospital should be like ?”
Additionally , if you use a tool like SurveyMonkey or a widget to run the survey through your website , there are bound to be technical glitches . Before launch , distribute the survey to a sampling of the proposed audience . Get their feedback to make sure that the technical aspects of your survey are operating correctly .
Put the survey on your website
As the saying goes , there ’ s an app for that … or in this case , a widget . Get your web designer to install the survey online so that you can poll your clients through your website . You ’ ll reach a broad group of clients who can then check out more of your online resources , which will , in turn , boost your search engine optimization .
Include follow up questions
Too frequently you will receive responses that describe your service as average or lacklustre , but you ’ ll have no idea why . Be sure to build space into your survey for clients to explain any less-than-stellar responses so that you have more information to go on to make positive changes .
Act on the results
A million times more important than the survey is the plan for what to do with the answers . Using negative survey answers to underscore your assertions to the team that they provide lousy service is not only the wrong use of a survey , it ’ s a sure-fire way to incite mutiny . Something constructive must be done with the results , whether it ’ s a review of the answers by the management team , a committee within the practice or the whole team . If no system exists for reviewing the status quo and implementing change , a survey is not the right tool for your practice at this time .
Now , click here for a do-it-yourself survey goal and question builder . Favourable responses to questions designed this way will thoroughly energize your team and provide a tremendous feeling of accomplishment . Unfavourable responses , on the other hand , will allow you to take a sobering step toward addressing problems that are mostly likely at the core of your client service woes .
Bash Halow , CVPM , LVT , is a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and co-owner of Halow Tassava Consulting .
Issue 02 | APRIL 2017 | 5