MANAGING THE RECEPTION AREA

Many activities occur in the reception area; clients engage in conversation, pets may interact, and children may be in danger. The reception team monitors this area and must be able to control situations that may arise.

Clients often attempt to share knowledge with each other; however, on occasion the information is not accurate or appropriate. Receptionists should try to monitor conversations and may need to move a client into a room sooner than anticipated because of the topic being addressed. “Toxic” topics include a poor experience the client is having at the practice or has had in the past, incorrect information regarding diseases or treatments, and offensive topics and language. It can be easier to isolate the offender and apologize to the victim than to remove the victim and let the offender repeat the conversation with another client arriving at the practice.

Pets may interact in smaller reception areas, which may result in tragedy. Dogs may try to attack each other, and cats may escape if they are not in a carrier. Receptionists should ensure every dog is on a leash and provide them when necessary. If cats are not in a carrier, the receptionist may offer to place the cat in a cage until a room is ready.

Children occasionally attempt to pet the other animals in the waiting room. This can be dangerous to the child and encourages the spread of contagious disease. Receptionists may need to remind parents to control their children while in the waiting room because not all pets are fond of children.

A receptionist may also need to triage patients as they arrive. Triage is prioritizing patients according to the severity of their conditions. If a patient arrives with symptoms of any contagious disease, such as the parvovirus, the patient should be immediately placed in isolation or kept in the car away from other animals in the reception area.

Basic animal instinct is just as important with the receptionist team as it is with technicians. Team members must not place their faces in the immediate face of an animal or behave aggressively with trained police or narcotics dogs. Receptionists must realize that not every animal is friendly and fearless. New smells, other animals, and unfamiliar people may place animals on alert and make them fearful.

TEAM ETIQUETTE

Etiquette is defined as the rules that society has set for the proper way to behave around other people. The most obvious facet of etiquette is being kind and polite to others; therefore every team member must appear professional and treat both clients and other team members with respect.

Actions of team members are observed by clients, patients, visitors, and fellow employees. The potential for veterinary practice growth, client acceptance, and compliance is based on team member etiquette. The failure to use etiquette among team members can be detrimental. Clients perceive the stress associated with poor etiquette, ultimately leading to decreased communication, client noncompliance, and poor profits (Box 2-1).

Etiquette must also be recognized when a client’s pet is being euthanized. This is an extremely difficult time for clients, and the receptionist can make the experience less painful. The receptionist should notify all team members that a euthanasia is planned so everyone can be sensitive to the atmosphere of the clinic (e.g., no laughing or giggling in the halls). A sign can also be posted on the door to the room where the euthanasia is occurring so that team members are aware of the event.

Team members should always wear nametags to identify themselves to the clients. Clients appreciate knowing who is caring for their pets. If a technician is credentialed, the appropriate abbreviation should be on the badge as well. Veterinarians should also have name badges. Clients may assume a technician is still treating their pet when, in fact, the veterinarian has entered the room. Identification can be in the form of a pin, a magnet, or an embroidered name on the team member’s scrubs.

DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE PHONE TECHNIQUES

The human voice has four components: volume, tone, rate, and quality. The volume of the receptionist’s voice should make listeners comfortable, increasing the quality of the conversation. If a person’s voice is too loud, listeners (in this case, clients) may pull the phone away from their ears, preventing them from hearing all of a conversation. If a receptionist’s volume is too low, clients may be too embarrassed to ask for clarification on something they did not hear well. Correct volume is essential to a successful phone experience.

The tone of a voice is also referred to as pitch. Some speakers have a low, comforting tone, which increases the quality of the conversation. Others may have a high, squeaky pitch. Some clients may be unable to understand a squeaky voice and become irritated. The tone of voice a receptionist uses to answer the phone can give a client a lasting impression. Team members should have a pleasant, confident, and understandable voice. Tones can indicate “I am too busy to take your call right now” or “I am at your service today; how may I help you?” Team members should smile as they answer the phone; the tone of that smile will come across the phone line (Figure 2-2).

The rate of speaking can greatly affect a conversation. Speaking too quickly can leave the listener confused and unable to follow instructions. People who naturally speak quickly should often remind themselves to slow their speaking rate. The receptionist must be efficient and knowledgeable and speak slowly and clearly. Many older clients cannot hear well and may not be able to understand a team member who is speaking rapidly. This can also imply that the practice is busy and that the receptionist does not have time for the client.

The quality of voice is a combination of clarity, volume, rate, and tone. All four factors are interrelated and have compounding effects on each other. Tape recording telephone conversations can help team members realize what they sound like on a phone and help improve skills and telephone etiquette.

Team members should answer the phone by introducing themselves; this notifies the client with whom they are speaking and quickly develops a relationship. “Good morning, ABC Animal Clinic, this is Teresa. How may I help you?” is a good example.

It is important to write down the client’s and patient’s names when the caller has given this information. This prevents team members from having to ask for names to be repeated and possibly appearing disorganized. A call that has been placed on hold allows the team member to address the client personally when resuming the conversation. “Thank you for holding, Mrs. Jones. Sparky’s record indicates that he is due for vaccines…”

Guidelines should be developed covering what to say and what not to say on the telephone. Many times, the same topic said with different words can have a very different meaning to the caller. For example, a client may call the hospital to request an appointment, believing that Fluffy’s ear infection is a sudden emergency. The receptionist may respond, “There are no appointments available until next week; however, you can come in as a walk-in and wait to be seen.” A better response, however, would be, “We don’t have any appointments available today, but we are happy to accept you as a walk-in. We can work Fluffy in between our appointments if you don’t mind waiting.” Office managers may also develop a list of frequently asked questions and appropriate responses for topics such as:

Role playing can facilitate correct responses to these potentially difficult situations.

Team members must learn not to say certain phrases. Expressions such as “I don’t know” can imply the team member is not knowledgeable or does not care to get the correct information for the client. Instead of saying “I don’t know,” team members should reply, “that is a great question, let me find out.” Rather than saying a hurried “just a second,” a team member might say “give me just a moment to get that [information or product].” The combination of words and tone can have a powerful effect on clients. Words and phrases such as “absolutely!”, “I know how much you care,” and “I understand” are powerful in creating empathy with clients (Box 2-2).

Some clients enjoy casual phone conversations with the staff. Clients enjoy talking about their pets, and veterinary professionals are ideal listeners. However, the receptionist must control the conversation. Team members want to let clients know they are listening, caring, and compassionate, but another phone line may be ringing or another client may be waiting to pick up a pet (Figure 2-3). A few options exist to help control this conversation. It is acceptable to let the client know that there is another client waiting and that someone will call the client back with more information in approximately 10 minutes (then follow the general rule and call back in 5 minutes). Otherwise, ask closed-ended (yes or no) questions only, such as “Is Fluffy vomiting?” or “Does Fluffy have diarrhea?” Some clients may still attempt to prolong the conversation, but team members usually can get an appointment scheduled and end the conversation. It can be difficult to end a conversation without making the client perceive that the team member does not care. However, with practice and role playing team members can learn to convey sincerity.

Receptionists often hear the same questions repeatedly when answering phones at a veterinary practice. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be compiled to enhance the knowledge of the receptionist team, allowing questions to be answered immediately. Technicians and veterinarians may be unable to take a phone call to answer simple questions if they are with a client or patient. The receptionist team can enhance the client’s experience by being able to answer simple questions such as:

New team members may be overwhelmed with new information. FAQ sheets can help new team members answer questions almost as well as those with experience.

MANAGING MULTIPLE PHONE LINES

Many practices have multiple phone lines to answer, clients to greet as they walk in and out of the practice, and invoices or charges to enter (Figure 2-4). As a general rule, phones should not ring more than three times before being answered. If a receptionist is with another client or on another line, it is acceptable to ask the client to hold momentarily because another phone line is ringing. For example, “Good morning, ABC Animal Clinic, this is Teresa. I am on the other line [or with another client], are you able to hold one moment?” Once the client answers yes, the team member should say thank you. This allows the receptionist to finish with the first client. Asking a client “Are you able to hold one moment?” does exactly that; it asks the client politely. A short “can you hold?” becomes a demand rather than a question. “Thank you for holding, how may I help you?” can then resume the conversation. If multiple lines continue ringing, a receptionist may also ask clients if a return call is possible instead of waiting on hold. “Thank you for holding, this is Teresa. I have a client waiting for me, do you mind if I call you back in 10 minutes so you do not have to continue to hold?” Once again, the client should be called back within 5 minutes.

It is important not to leave callers on hold for more than 1 minute. Most current phone systems sound an alert after 1 minute; at this time clients should be told that the team member helping them will return momentarily. If the client will be on hold more than 1 or 2 minutes, the client should be asked if a team member can return the call as soon as the requested information is available. One minute on hold seems like 5 minutes to a client.

The time a client is on hold can be a valuable marketing resource time. Special on-hold systems can generate specific messages about the veterinary practice or specific diseases that may be a concern to the area. Clients can be educated on a variety of topics while they are on hold. This information can include practice hours, history of the veterinarians, or specialties or products that the practice offers. (See Chapter 10 for more information regarding marketing for the veterinary practice.) If the caller has something to listen to, the wait time does not seem as long. Recordings can also assure the client that the phone line has not been disconnected. It can be difficult to determine if a call has been disconnected if the line is silent.

Receptionists should also be able to call on cross-trained team members to help assist when the phone lines continue to ring. Team members should also realize that if a phone line has rung more than three times, the receptionist team needs help. This is an ideal time for cross-trained employees to make a difference. Telephone calls are one of the first impressions made to a client, whether new or existing. If a client believes he or she was rushed through a conversation or that a call was never answered, the client may go to another practice.

Veterinary practices should never have an answering machine on during the day to catch an overflow of phone calls. The majority of new clients will not leave a message and will call another practice. If a receptionist is too busy to check the messages, return phone calls may not be made until much later in the shift. Every phone call must be answered during business hours. Current trends indicate clients dislike answering machines and automated phone services and want to talk to a live person. Prevent this potential irritant by having several team members available to answer the phone.

An ideal scenario is to have a call center located separately from the reception area (Figure 2-5). This allows the receptionist to give clients full attention as they enter and leave the practice. Mistakes are decreased when team members can concentrate on one client at a time. The call center can concentrate on answering calls promptly and can review patient histories without other clients overhearing conversations. Some practice owners may argue that this will increase labor costs; however, if a receptionist can increase an average transaction by $10 either by catching a missed charge or by selling a client an extra $10 of service, then one receptionist has covered the cost of the labor and increased the profits at the end of the day (Box 2-3). Ultimately, clients are satisfied and will return because they experienced superior customer service within the veterinary practice.

TURNING PHONE CALLS INTO APPOINTMENTS

A receptionist has the potential to turn every inquiring phone call into a client. A friendly and genuine voice makes a potential client feel comfortable and encourages the caller to ask questions. When the receptionist can answer questions in a polite, educated, and unhurried manner, the caller is inclined to make an appointment with the veterinary practice. The receptionist can ask open-ended questions to generate conversation. Open-ended questions do not require a “yes or no” answer; they open the door for discussion. The more education a team member can provide a potential client, the more likely the practice will gain a new patient. Receptionists should always ask if they can make an appointment for a client at the end of a phone conversation and end the discussion with “Mr. Jones, have I answered all of your questions today? Please call back anytime with any other questions you may have.”

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