Fresh thinking

We have five reasons why you’ve got to love veterinary receptionists…

1. The professionalism of veterinary receptionists is being increasingly recognised with the launch of the British Veterinary Receptionist Association, an annual congress and dedicated CPD.
2. The lifetime value of a client may be as much as £10,000 so when your receptionist converts a caller into a client they make a significant contribution Make sure that anyone who answers the phone, when your receptionist is involved with another client knows the value of conversion and is trained to handle the call with the same degree of professionalism.
3. Great conflict resolution skills at the front desk can make life easier for the whole team and help create more positive client experiences.
4. A skilled receptionist can pick up on cues from how the client and pet behaves – observations of the pet’s stress or anxiety in the waiting room, a query based on an educational poster, or a question about the value of nutraceuticals – all can be picked up by the receptionist and used to help the veterinary team make better, more tailored recommendations.
5. A great receptionist knows when it’s okay to slip in an extra appointment without causing havoc and at the end of evening consulting can use skills, questioning and the support of the team to differentiate between a non-urgent enquiry that can be offered an appointment for another day, or a worrying case that needs to be seen now to avoid a call-out later. At the end of a long, hard day that skill can be worth its weight in gold!