The Receptionist

1
The Receptionist

• Office Management

2
Making a Good First Impression

• Arguably the most important person in the clinic.
• Is the FIRST contact with a potential or existing
  client.
• Golden Rule
• Make clients feel welcome. Show how much you
  care that they have chosen your clinic.

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First Impressions

• Receptionist should SMILE!
• Greet by name when at all possible.
• If on phone, acknowledge that someone has walked
  in.
• If busy, take a moment and let the client know
  that you will be right with them.
• Let client know that you are there to serve them.

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Tips

• Wear a nametag or have nameplate so that clients
  know who you are as well.
• Act professional, dont have to gush, but make
  them feel special.
• Dont keep the client waiting.
• Employ the five minute rule. Five minutes from
  time client enters until they are placed into an
  exam room.

5
Managing the Reception area

• Client conversation
• Make sure toxic topics are avoided
• Pet interaction
• Fights (receptionist must manage flow)
• Children
• May need to be corralled or controled.

6
Triage

• Receptionist must prioritize patients as they
  arrive by the severity of their condition.
• Should be able to recognize symptoms of a
  contagious disease and handle appropriately.

7
Delays

• Delays happen!
• Explain situation to client.
• Give options of drop off or reschedule.
• Try to let them realize that if it was their
  animal with emergency that they would want vets
  attention.
• Dont forget about clients!
• If they are waiting, make sure they are checked
  on.
• Offer something to drink.

8
Telephone Skills

• The telephone is the clinics lifeline.
• Make sure to answer properly and in a timely
  manner.
• Phone should not ring more than twice before it
  is answered.
• Not always possible
• In some situations, may have to have it go to
  voicemail if that is available.
• If consistently can not get to phone prior to
  second ring, may need to consider more staffing.
• Others in clinic need to be aware phone is
  ringing and answer if receptionist is busy.

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Telephone Skills

• Tone and inflection are important when answering
  the phone.
• When answering, identify the clinic, yourself and
  ask what you can do for client.
• Speak slowly and clearly, make sure that you are
  understood.
• Voice has four components Volume, tone, rate
  and quality.
• Listen to what client is saying, nothing is
  trivial to a pet owner.
• VTI Animal Hospital, this is Krista, how may I
  help you?

10
Telephone Skills

• No clients question is unimportant.
• Even if you have answered something ten times
  today, the tenth time is still the first time for
  that client.
• Use the Hold button as little as possible.
• Always ask prior to placing on Hold. If client
  does not want to hold, give option of a call
  back.

11
I have to talk to the Dr

• Veterinarian is a busy individual.
• See what you can do to resolve situation.
• Transfer call to technician or office manager
  when appropriate.
• If veterinarian must speak with client, make sure
  that client will be available at specific time
  for veterinarian to return call.

12
Questions from client

• Will usually want to know how pet is doing and
  then how much bill is. Be able to answer both.
• If client is hard to understand, maintain
  patience or ask caller to slow down or spell
  things out for you.
• Realize the phone works both ways, calling client
  prior to them calling shows that the staff really
  does care.
• Callbacks or follow ups can be very important.
  May want to generate policy that every client
  that comes in is followed up with in some way.

13
Getting Organized

• Know what you should know and how you should know
  it.
• You should know
• How to give clients information that will help
  answer questions.
• Your clinics policies
• Your clinics procedures
• Details of everyday clinic business.

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• How you should know this information
• If you dont know answers, know where to find the
  answers is important.
• Read clinic policy manual and keep it handy for
  reference.
• Observe veterinarian during procedures so that
  you may be better able to communicate procedures
  to client
• Set up reminder system that works best for you.

15
Questions

• Always act confident.
• If you dont know answer, dont be afraid to say
  that you dont know and that you will find out
  answer and get back with client.
• Better to ask client to wait for information than
  to give out inaccurate information.
• Dont try to memorize everything. Learn why and
  how.
• Keep yourself organized with some type of system
  so that you arent forgetting things.

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Know which patients are in clinic

• Frequently check boards or back to know who is in
  hospital, boarding or grooming areas.
• Outgoing receptionist should fill in incoming
  receptionist of status and hand over any work
  that has not been completed.
• Make sure front desk is organized and things are
  easily accessible.
• Dont be afraid to modify or change as situation
  arises.

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General Administrative Policies

• Know general things about clinic.
• Uniform policy
• Where veterinarians attended school.
• What to do with sales people or drug reps.
• Know if there are preferences by Dr.
• Know who can have Dr. phone numbers and who can
  not
• Know emergency policies
• Know transfer and referral policies

18
Personal Safety in the Reception Area

• Of course safety from the pets.
• Client safety.
• Unruly clients
• Aggressive clients
• Intoxicated clients
• What about robberies?

19
Attire and Speech

• Neat and well-groomed appearance.
• NEVER appropriate to use foul language.
• Remember that clients can hear what you are
  saying.
• Remember to speak slowly and distinctly.

20
Answering Clients Questions

• May not be veterinarian, but get similar
  questions.
• Remember that you are not the veterinarian.
• Need to know routine questions and routine
  answers.
• When, how and why questions.
• When questions can be answered through hospital
  policy.
• Why questions relate to services that are
  provided and why they are valuable.
• How questions may be a combination of both.

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Questions that are not routine

• Try to get client to schedule appointment.
  Sometimes it is impossible to determine
  seriousness over the phone.
• Ask someone else (Tech or Vet) if not sure of
  what to tell client.
• Dont recommend anything over the phone unless
  absolutely sure is o.k. by your clinic policy.

22
Fee and Payment Options

• KNOW YOUR HOSPITAL POLICY!!!
• Know cost of routine things as you will be
  commonly asked how much vaccinations, spay,
  neuter, etc cost.
• Be able to communicate value. Tell why you may
  be more expensive.
• Know what is included in the price.

23
Price Quotes

• Know and document when a quote is given.
• Know how long the quote is good for.
• If you misquote, immediately inform the client
  when you realize the mistake.
• Prepare written estimates when possible and have
  owner sign.
• Know policy for deposits, etc.

24
Payment policies

• Do you accept cash, checks and credit cards?
• Which credit cards are accepted?
• Are there additional fees for checks or credit
  card purchases?
• Make sure have client information for payment.
  (Drivers license number, social security number,
  employer information, bank account information)
• Be sure all checks are signed and dated.
• Double check numerical and written amount on
  check are the same.
• Do you offer Care Credit or some other type of
  payment options?
• Do you bill the client?
• Can you hold a check or split a payment?
• If someone forgot check book, be sure to get
  payment agreement in writing and have client call
  with form of payment when they get home.
• If they do not call back, follow up with them.

25
Handling money

• Should be able to reconcile money at end of day.
• Know if any petty cash is on hand.
• Know how to start up day or close down at end of
  day.

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Scheduling Appointments

• Carefully managed appointment system keeps the
  clinic running smoothly.
• Allows for timely treatments and prevents a
  pile-up in the waiting room.
• Information you need to make an appointment
• Clients name.
• Pets name and species.
• Whether this is a new or regular client.
• The clients phone number (very important in case
  the appointment must be changed).
• The purpose of the visit.
• Doctor preference (if any in a multiple-doctor
  practice).

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Information that the client needs

• Where the clinic is located.
• The time he is expected (does he or she need to
  arrive early to fill out forms).
• Special instructions for his appointment (bring
  stool sample, do not feed your pet before the
  visit, etc).
• Surgical prep instructions (bloodwork,fasting,
  etc)
• Always repeat the day and time of the
  appointment, using clients and pets name. Any
  confusion that can be cleared up over the
  telephone will save time and trouble in the
  waiting room.
• Let client know advantages to scheduling
  appointment, as may resist making an appointment
  as first.

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Scheduling Appointments

• Know when to schedule appointments.
• Also how much to schedule (surgery, appointments,
  etc).
• Know clinic schedule and how much time is
  allotted for each type of appointment.
• Allot time for emergencies or sick patients.
• Know if anything else going on if routine
  vaccinations.

29
Handling Emergencies

• Remain calm, Dont panic, Take Control.
• Know if Doctor is there or not there.
• Get emergency out of waiting room as quickly as
  possible
• Never treat or administer drugs yourself unless
  given explicit instructions by the veterinarian.
• Over the phone emergencies, if owner feel is
  emergency have them bring pet in immediately.

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Emergency Payment Options

• Know emergency payment options.
• Make sure all forms are filled out appropriately.

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Other Receptionist Duties

• Getting details from the client.
• Soothing the anxious owner.
• Confirm discharge time.
• Cost estimates
• Home-care instructions.
• Death of a pet (euthanasia or other causes).
• Grieving Client
• Unhappy client

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The Unhappy Client

• Putting out the Fire
• Let client know you realize she is upset.
• Find out the reason she is upset.
• Work out a solution for her problem.
• What makes a client unhappy?
• Perception of uncaring staff.
• Failure of staff to perform all services client
  wanted.
• Failure to complete a service to the clients
  satisfaction.
• Unwanted results of a service.
• Quoting one cost and charging another.
• Failure to perceive value of the services
  rendered.