Interactions with any member of your practice contribute to the impressions formed by clients.  High Performance Veterinary Practices recognise this and ensure their teams are fully trained, compassionate, caring and know how to interact with clients.

It only takes one negative impression to leave a client with a sense of dissatisfaction.  Compound this with a few more errors and that is how you lose clients.

Here is a perfect example of how two events left a client with a negative impression.

After I refer clients to specialists, I like to ask them how they found it and how satisfied they were with the outcome.  It gives me an insight into client expectations but I need to know if there are any issues.

Recently a client gave me great cause for concern.

My client had an initial surgical consult and was given an estimate for the surgery.

When she collected her pet after the procedure, the cost of the procedure was  50% more than the top end of the estimate.  As you would expect, she was very surprised and questioned the receptionist about the price.  The receptionist was quite abrupt & lacked empathy in appreciating the clients point of view about the cost of the procedure significantly exceeding the estimate.

Mistake #1 – Not notifying the client that the cost of the procedure had exceeded the estimate and explaining why.

Mistake #2 – Having a receptionist who inflames the situation rather than calming it.

While my client had been sitting in the waiting room, the receptionist had taken a call from another client.  She then began to roll her eyes & pull faces to the other receptionist.  She even went as far to write a note and show it to the other receptionist who laughed.  This is while she was on the phone to a client while my client was waiting in reception in full view!

MISTAKE #3 – having reception staff who obviously have no idea about manners or customer service or what is appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.

My client was told to call a week later for results.  When she called she was told the veterinarian is away and won’t be returning for another week.

MISTAKE #4 – Telling the client to call when you won’t be there.

My client told me that the vets are lovely but the receptionists aren’t.  She is not willing to return for more procedures and the incident has left her with a negative impression of the WHOLE practice.

I wonder if the specialist practice is even aware of this and how it is affecting their reputation?

How does this apply to your practice?

1.  When you give an estimate and exceed it without explaining why, clients will be very nervous about having of any further procedures.  It erodes trust.

2. Any negative interaction with any staff member, reflects poorly on the WHOLE practice.  When a client leaves with a negative impression of the practice, they are likely to go elsewhere in the future.

How do you overcome this?

1. Estimate correctly with a buffer.  For animals in hospital, update the clients daily about their account.  If you exceed the estimate, ring the client and explain why.  Most clients understand and appreciate this, they just want to know why.

2. Communication skills.   Ensure you are clear and that clients understand.  If you will be away, make clients aware of who they can speak to instead if needed.

3. Put your best people in reception.  They should have a great manner, be compassionate, understanding but also firm.  I call it assertive empathy.  They must know or be trained in how to defuse situations with clients.

4. Communication between vets & reception.  Let reception know about the case & what has been communicated with client.

5.  Manage client expectations.  Explain the little things.  I find clients get upset over the little things.  Give a time frame on when you will call, when clients should return, when results should be in, what their pet will be like after the procedure, etc, etc….

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Natasha

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