Survived week one!

Well I have successfully completed and even survived my first week of many life changing experiences. I left my husband, kids, dogs and home to move to a new state. I walked in as the new hospital administrator for 4 practices and a whole bunch of new employees. That is such an odd experience. On one hand as the administrator I feel that my "job" is to make changes that make the practices more profitable and effecient yet on the other hand the human side wants people to like me. How do we balance that act? It is an act - boss or liked? I know that a good balance would be both and that is most certainly my goal. I will let you know how things turn out and would love to hear how ya'll (Like my new Southern verbage?" handle this situation.

Day 1 of my new home

Well my first day here; yesterday, was quite emotional. I was sure I made the wrong decision and stopped unpacking - ready to head home today. Anyone that knows me knows that my husband and my children are my entire life. My older children have their own lives now but my 12 year old and I are VERY close and as soon as I got here and didn't have her and didn't have my husband, dogs, kids, bed...anything I panicked. Cry is an understatement. I was hysterical. My husband and best friend tried to talk me down but nothing was working. I wanted to go home.

today is a new day. 2 of my kids are coming down in 2 weeks so that I can give this new home and new job a fair shake. If August rolls around and I am unhappy - home I go!

So, today I found an apartment, walked along the beautiful beach and unpacked my clothes. For now, this is home. I have to try. This is the best for my career. I have always wanted sun and no snow and this area is so beautiful. I am going to give 100% to this new chapter in my life. We will see how the story ends!

"Jello" played in the sand, saw palm trees and drove over the big bridge today!

Time for a change

Today was one of the most difficult days of my life. Although I am thrilled to start my new career in South Carolina leaving my family was heartwrenching. As I pulled out of my driveway my 12 year old was in the window, tears pouring down her face, blowing me kisses. I had to pull over after I got away from the house because driving through the tears was impossible. I knew it would be difficult, and up until this week I was living on excitement. Today, though, it was just pure sadness and a lot of questioning my decision. In my heart I still believe it is the right thing to do but that makes this no easier as I spend my first night in a hotel all alone. No husband to cuddle, no kids to talk to and kiss, no tucking in and no puppy kisses. It is bitter sweet. I will be fine; I know that! My kids will be fine too and so will my husband. Soon we will be together and sharing a walk on the beach gazing at the ocean. For now though I will just share my adventure with "Jello". Jello is the stuffed dog my daughter gave me so that I wouldn't be lonely. I told her that I would document my journey with Jello in photos. So follow along to see how Jello and I adapt to this new adventure.

New Kid On The Block

Only days until I will be the new kid on the block. Not only am I leaving my job after 17 years, leaving my family for a short while, moving to South Carolina and starting a new career at a Veterinary Emergency/Specialty Group. That should be scary enough; and it is ...TRUST me! There have been many tears, many times I asked my husband, "Am I doing the right thing?" The answer was always "yes" if you are wondering.

Then there is the decision of what clothes to take. Now if you are a man you TOTALLY don't get this so bear with me. I have over 150 pair of pants and 110 pair of shoes. I didn't even count shirts. (PS: I am VERY cheap and 99% of these things came from Goodwill and resale shops!) So when you are leaving to live short term in a hotel then to an apartment from home...what they heck do you pack? My new bosses said I could wear scrubs or business attire. At first I jumped at scrubs. That was the answer to my prayers! Match top to bottom -WALLAH - outfit of the day. Unfortunately the little voice inside my head took over and kept telling me that I knew better. If I was going to be the boss I had to dress like the boss, so out went the scrubs and back came the grueling decision of what the heck to pack. I leave in 4 days and I don't have anything packed!!!! Maybe I should re-think the scrub thing...after all it is the person they should respect not the clothes right?

That leads me to another source of panic and some sleepless nights. I am going to be the boss but also the newbie. I haven't ever managed an ER/Specialty practice but I have lead and inspired people. I don't know how to explain all those things that end in "...scopy". How do I get to know them all and yet still establish my role as the leader? How do I be friendly but not make friends? (Friends at work is HARD). How do I learn all about ER medicine and specialty medicine really quick? Are there cliff notes for this?

Well, the clock is ticking. I am leaving my home, the job I knew for so long, my kids (they are adults now), my friends and everything I know and love to set out on this new venture. There have been many tears; just 5 minutes ago in fact and a few hours ago when I left my son's house.

Any advice, guidance, input on any of these dilemmas would be appreciated!!!

Donna

Final day at the Atlantic Provinces Veterinary Conference

Funny how when you are excited about something it seems like the time will never get here and then before you know it; it is over. That is the case with my first visit to the Atlantic Provinces Veterinary Conference. I was speaking all 3 days at this conference and what a great time I had. The conference was so well laid out and I attended a fantastic session on conflict resolution by Dr. Tim Banker of the Sedgefield Animal Hospital & Dental Center in Greensboro, NC. I was disappointed that I had to miss the 1st 2 sessions of the 4 part series but it was during my speaking time. What a great session. I really want to look in to becoming a certified coach now. I always love new challenges in my life. The people I met, both APVC board members & those who attended my sessions were awesome. I got great feedback; even being told I changed someone's life. Not so sure I can take credit for that but it was nice to be recognized for a job well done. Halifax is beautiful and I only wish I brought some flats so I could walk for miles; not working with the heels!

Oh and then there is that customer service thing. The young man who brought my food to my room today couldn't have been sweeter. Boy they have done an amazing job at training the team at this hotel!
Leaving tomorrow!

Client service

Anyone that knows me knows I am passionate about client service. As a result I evaluate every interaction I have and often I share my thoughts and experience with store managers or even the person I was dealing with. Today, I heard someone discuss how they blog about their day and on one day they blogged about a customer service experience. That's when it hit me! I would blog about my customer service experiences every day; yep, all of them...the good, the bad and the ugly. So here I am! I would also love to get feedback and hear about your experiences. So I am on a business trip right now, speaking at a conference. The conference had the hotel chosen so the choice to stay here wasn't mine. The bright side? That is ok! The hotel, the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel has been wonderful. The rooms are nice and very clean. In the evening a friendly young woman came to my room to offer me the evening turn down. She closed my curtains and took my unopened water bottles and replaced them with new ones. To top it off she left me some amazing chocolate mints. Now that is all great but what really impacted me was that she asked how I was doing and if I needed anything to help me get settled in. You see, she noticed I was unpacking my suit case. She was the housekeeping employee, probably one of the hardest jobs in the place but I think some would say that a housekeeping employee has no real interaction with the guests. I suppose I could agree since most times I pass them in the hall way and they often don't speak to me. BUT this young lady took pride in her job and hotel and me....her guest! The wonderful service continued as I came to my room to find a towel animal on my bed wearing my sun glasses. I have never seen that except for in my cabin on a cruise ship and I love them! On our cruises I couldn't wait to get to my room to see what creative creature was greeting me! This too, was likely my housekeeper so another gold star for her! Finally I ended my evening with room service. A polite young woman answered the phone and told me it would be her pleasure to help me take my order for a cheeseburger. She confirmed my order and politely asked me if there was anything else she could get for me and informed me how long my wait would be. Perfect~! The food came, in the time she promised me it would and the young employee who brought me my food after setting it down asked me how I was enjoying my stay! We talked for a few minutes about the great towel animal and how neither of us were talented enough to do it!

So KUDOS to this hotel and their training! It shows in the wonderful, friendly, polite employees they have who truly make staying here an experience. Thank you! It makes being away from home not so hard!

Till next time!

Recession in the client service sector! - MI, United States, Veterinary Community Blog post - Find it all here.

Recession in the client service sector! - MI, United States, Veterinary Community Blog post - Find it all here.

Put your finger on the trigger!

Don’t worry; this is not a blog about guns or the NRA or a citizen’s right to bear arms. The triggers in this article are the indicators that clients give your team members when they talk to them on the telephone. The telephone is the most powerful piece of ammunition you have in your practice. Handled correctly it can hit the mark but handled incorrectly can result in a casualty. Nowhere is this more applicable then when your client service team member takes a call from what they would label a “phone shopper”. Ok, give me a moment to get on my horse and go on a bit of a tangent here. Yes, you HAVE and in the future WILL get a call from a true phone shopper aka price shopper. You will be able to identify them right away. They will flat out tell you that they don’t want to hear your spiel (likely what they will call it). They will tell you that they want to know the price and only the price! They will even tell you that they aren’t going to do something before you even mention it. That caller is probably a tried and true phone/price shopper. They don’t want to be educated and really are just looking for the price. They will also choose their veterinarian based on who gives them the lowest price. Now let me tell you that most callers calling your practice are not phone shoppers, they are potential clients. Did you hear that? They are potentially your next “A” client and we all know the value of our “A” clients. "A" clients want to hear our recommendations. “A” clients are compliant to what we recommend. “A” clients pay their bills willingly. We all want and need “A” clients and if you don’t recognize the triggers and make that first phone call memorable and bonding you may lose that potential “A” client to your competition down the street. Let me jump down off my horse and we will get back to discussing triggers.
Triggers are things that your client service team should think of based on the information given to them by the caller. Triggers allow the call to be bonding, educational, complete and memorable. Again, I don’t think that most people are phone shoppers. Sure we all care about the price but that doesn’t make us “D” clients or price shoppers; it makes us educated consumers who want the most value for our hard earned dollar. I love a client who wants to be educated and so that is how I approach every phone call…a potential “A” client calling me, the veterinary professional, for information and education about their beloved 4-legged family member. Simply having that thought process makes me more likely to bond with the caller than the receptionist who answers the phone with a sigh, thinking “Oh no, another phone shopper!” Next come the triggers. Let’s say the client service specialist answers the phone and after the greeting hears this from the caller, “I just got a new puppy and was wondering how much it will cost to get it fixed.” The practice that views this caller as a price/phone shopper will answer that by saying, “$250” and the call will be over. If that is how you answer that question your practice will be compared to others based on what you charge. Why? Because the caller has nothing else to compare it to. All you gave them was the price. So how do you build on this call to make it all about value? How do you educate the caller and bond them to your practice? Identify the triggers! Here is the client’s sentence again with the triggers underlined. Below are just some of the triggers and what they should trigger from your client service specialist.
I just got a new puppy and was wondering how much it would cost to get it fixed.
1. First start with the client.
a. What is the caller’s name? (Donna). Now use the name. Certainly Donna I would be happy to get that information for you. First let me ask you a few questions that will help me get you all the information you requested. Have you been to our practice before? If so then you have some of their information in your system and if not then you thank them for calling and use the same phrase as above.
2. New - Any time a caller says they got a new pet your staff’s immediate response should be CONGRATULATIONS followed by:
a. What breed? Follow up their answer with a complimentary statement. “Oh Dachshunds are so cute.”
b. What is your new puppy’s name? After they tell you, use the name during the remainder of the conversation.
3. Puppy –
a. Ask the age so you can determine what it might need based on its age.
i. Where in its vaccination series should it be?
ii. Is it old enough to be spayed/neutered?
iii. Is it old enough to receive a rabies vaccination?
b. Discuss any training classes or behavior classes that your practice offers.
c. Discuss vaccines and what they cover – you should be answering this question for the client, “Why does my puppy need this vaccine? What is the value?”
d. Explain the vaccination series. Clients need to know how many times their puppy should come to see you between such and such an age.
e. Discuss the heartworm/flea/tick preventatives your practice recommends.
f. Educate the caller on how often you recommend their puppy take the monthly prevention and why. If you recommend year round then tell the caller that they will give their puppy this pill every month for life.
4. It –
a. It means you have to ask the sex of the puppy. I have gone through countless mystery calls where I use the words “it” and “fixed” and I am given information on a male or a female but the client service specialist never asked me if I had a boy or a girl! Pay attention – don’t call a boy a girl or vice versa! We all know how clients love that.
5. Fixed –
a. By now you should know if it is a male or female and thus you can use the term spay or neuter or castration and ovariohysterectomy.

6. How much? Never, ever, ever give price before value. When you are giving your estimate for the spay or neuter you need to tell the caller about the value before the dollar figure. How do you tell them about value? Easy! Tell them everything that you include with your spay/neuter plans and more importantly tell them why. WHY=VALUE!

a. Surgical package – Do your plans include any of these things?
b. Admit with the surgical technician to review the estimate and the treatment plan for the day as well as the chance to have any questions answered.
c. Physical examination by the doctor prior to the anesthetic procedure.
d. Pre-anesthetic lab testing to test the function of the vital organs before anesthesia to ensure they are healthy enough to undergo the procedure and to be able to filter the anesthesia through the body after the surgery is complete. To identify any underlying disease and give a baseline for the future.
e. IV Catheter and fluid therapy to keep the pet hydrated during the procedure and to flush the anesthesia out of the system during recovery.
f. Do you monitor surgical patients with any special equipment? If so tell the caller about it and tell them why.
g. Do you offer pain management?
h. Do you offer a medical progress exam or suture removal appointment?
i. Do you offer a comfort call after the procedure is done?
j. What else might you offer? Whatever it is share it to add value.
7. Now comes the price. Now the caller just heard all the amazing things you offer to care for their pet and that makes the value stand out more than the price.
8. End the call by offering to schedule an appointment using 2 yes choices. Remember, it is the goal of the client service specialist to convert clients from the telephone to the front door.
9. Offer to send a practice brochure. The more they know about you and your practice the better.
10. Advise the caller of your web site. Callers can learn so much from your web site and it takes you no time at all to give them your www…

This is just the tip of the iceberg of triggers and making the next potential “A” client call a memorable one but it is the perfect place to start!


Happy Easter! Donna

Recession in the client service sector! - MI, United States, Veterinary Community Blog post - Find it all here.

Recession in the client service sector! - MI, United States, Veterinary Community Blog post - Find it all here.

I am thrilled to be the Firstline Challenge Winner!

Firstline Challenge - Client Relations - Veterinary Community Blog post - Find it all here.

What do you look for when looking for a job?

Being in the market for a new job I see lots of career opportunities. Some are well suited for a CVPM or is a CVPM position; others just sound challenging but I am not sure if they are suited for my skill set. Some pay what professionals tell me I am worth, some don't. Some are in areas with palm trees - that is currently the areas I am looking - some as far as Alaska. Others have benefits, while some don't. So I ask, what is most important when looking for a new job? Is it if the job description meets equally with your passions and skills? Is it the dollar figure? The benefits? What about the area?

I guess maybe it is to each his own but I thought it would be neat (yes I said the word "neat" to hear what others look for.
Donna

How would you spend your money?

FIRST, from
the list below, identify your top five work values.



NEXT,
discuss how much you would be willing to pay for each. Pretend you have $10,000, and you can pay as
much or as little of your $10,000 on each of the 5 values you choose, but you
may not bid the same amount on any of the values, and you must use all
your money. For example, you cannot give
“Competition” $1000 and “Excitement” $1000. Each value must have a distinct monetary value.



Be sure to answer the question in terms of how
will they relate to your career



• Challenge –
Constantly having to learning new skills or information, troubleshooting and/or
problem-solving.

• Competition
- Engage in activities that measure your abilities against others.

• Creativity – A job
that requires you to do things in a new way, inventing things, or developing
different approaches or methods.

• Excitement
- Experience a high degree of stimulation or frequent innovation
and drama on the job.

• Financial
Reward - Earning a high salary.

• Flexibility - Work
that allows a flexible time schedule.

• Friendships – Work
that allows for personal relationships with people as a result of your
employment.

• Fun - Have
opportunities to be good-humored and have fun at work.

• Helping Others - Doing
things for others, being of service to people directly, either individually or
in groups.

• Location - Live
somewhere favorable to your way of life, leisure, and work life.

• Prestige
- Gain the respect of friends, family and or the community by the
nature your job or the company name.

• Stability - Have
a work schedule and job duties that are predictable and not likely to change
over time.

• Teamwork
- Have close working relations with a work group and function as a
team for common goals.

• Variety - Have
a wide range of work responsibilities, frequently changing job content,
setting, people and/or activities.

• Work Alone - Do projects by yourself, with little contact with others.

Pity Party - Everyone Invited. - Veterinary Community Blog post - Find it all here.

Pity Party - Everyone Invited. - Veterinary Community Blog post - Find it all here.

Keeping Costs Low for Pricey Pet Medicines

Keeping Costs Low for Pricey Pet Medicines

Posted using ShareThis

My thoughts on the declaw ban

How to discuss declawing without isolating cat owners
Whatever your view, keep clients in mind.
Jan 1, 2010
By: Donna Bauman
FIRSTLINE



Debate continues over whether feline declawing should be banned. Regardless of whether you support the ban, your practice needs to present a united front. Otherwise you’ll send your clients mixed messages. This causes mistrust and mistrust loses clients.

As a veterinary consultant, I make mystery-shopper phone calls to many practices. During one of these recent calls, I posed as a potential new client with questions about having my cat declawed. The client service team member was friendly, but she spent three or four minutes telling me what a terrible procedure declaw surgery was, how much pain my cat would be in, and the long-term negative effect it might have on my cat. When she described the procedure she said, “It’s like having your fingers cut off at the second knuckle.” Even after more than 15 years in the veterinary field, I cringed and felt like a terrible pet owner because both of my cats have been declawed.

Still, I’m sure the practice owner is not vehemently opposed to declawing cats. Why? Because the practice performs the surgery. The simple fact of offering a service gives the unspoken message that you are not opposed to it. In conjunction with the receptionist’s talking points, this confuses clients and might turn them off to your practice altogether.

So how do you handle client questions about declawing? First you must be crystal-clear on the practice owner’s beliefs. If veterinarians at the practice perform declaw surgeries, then every team member must discuss the service with clients in a manner that makes them feel comfortable and helps them understand their pet will receive excellent care. Be sure to ask your practice owner or manager about whether team members should present less invasive, less expensive options to clients asking about feline declaws.

If clients ask about declawing, some practice owners expect team members to educate them about the procedure and your standards of care, including pain management. Other practice owners prefer clients always be educated about alternatives such as nail covers and scratching-post training. If the latter is the case, you must be careful. Pushing too hard for the alternatives when your practice offers the procedure could send that mixed message I mentioned before.

If you feel passionately about feline declawing and your views conflict with the practice owner’s, then you should look for work at a veterinary hospital with values more in line with yours. This way, regardless of what side of the debate you’re on, you can be sure you and your team members are sharing the same information with clients—and bonding them to your practice.
Donna Bauman, CVPM
Owner of Visions Veterinary Consulting.

Who is coming to the meeting?

Who’s coming to the meeting?


So the staff meeting is about to start and you wait as your staff files in 1 by 1 and gets settled in their seats with their $5 pizza. You know all these team members so well. There is John, Kristy, and Michelle….and so on right? Sort of. Those are their legal names but then we have their given names. You know. When you gather as a team for a meeting all the little characters, affectionately known as your staff, attend and each and every one of them has a role in the way the meeting is about to go. Just are there are different types of meetings held within the practice there are also be different types of personalities attending those meetings. Since it is the responsibility of the leader of the meeting to keep the meeting moving in a positive direction, ensuring that all staff has the opportunity to share thoughts, let’s identify who’s coming to the meeting and how you can deal with them when they arrive.


 Chatty Kathy – Chatty Kathy is your staff member who has a lot to say and loves to say it. When Chatty Kathy gets going there isn’t much that can stand in the way to stop her. Be careful not to let her take over the meeting with her endless chatter as it keeps other staff from getting a word in edgewise and participating in the meeting. When Chatty Kathy is allowed to run at the mouth for too long, other team members will begin to get that glazed look in their eyes as they mentally check out to avoid the seemingly endless story shared by Chatty Kathy. Solution: Kathy’s ideas are probably great but her social personality paired with her inability to get to the point, unfortunately, does a disservice to the ideas because nobody is listening when she finally arrives at it. Help her by grabbing the idea from the story and politely interrupting. Praise her idea and ask others to offer input in regards to that idea. This way Kathy has her acknowledgement for a great idea and everyone else doesn’t go in to Chatty Kathy Coma!

 Evelyn Eye Roller & Stevie Sigher – Evelyn Eye Roller is the one who will roll her eyes at every idea or suggestion that is brought up during the meeting; whether it has anything to do with her or not. Her male counterpart, Stevie Sigher will sigh, loud enough for the entire room to hear, as a stand against the idea on the table. These staff members can kill staff morale in a minute and also tend to gather a following rather quickly. I mean, who doesn’t want to eye roll or sigh at some point when their boss speaks!? (Well, except for my staff who love to hear me talk! ) Solution: Keep control of these two. When they roll their eyes or sigh ask them if there is something they would like to contribute to the meeting. Often time the public displays of “affection” (said jokingly) are a way to gather attention so it is your job to turn that negative attention in to positive by making them contribute in a constructive manner.


 The Big Kahuna – This team member is a leader. They may or may not be the owner or manager but they are known by the team as a positive role model and cheerleader for the team. Let them be an assistant in the meeting. The Big Kahuna will help get staff on board with new ideas and will help guide the team as the changes occur in the day to day operations. The Big Kahuna is a great team cheerleader. There is little negative about the Big Kahuna. Be careful that the Big Kahuna doesn’t try to take over too much though or be a manager without the title. You know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen? (I don’t either but it worked here!)

 Sarah Shyness – This team member hides in the back of the room, crouched down in the chair and makes very little eye contact. She does her best to wear clothes that blend in with the chair in hopes you never call on her. She would rather look at a fecal then your eyes when you ask staff a question or for a volunteer. As a leader in the practice help encourage Sarah Shyness to share his/her ideas so that he/she can see that their ideas are valuable to the team and the practice. I guarantee that Sarah has amazing ideas but it may take a little hand holding to get her to share them. Don’t push her too hard or she will pull back. Baby steps with Sarah will work. When she sees positive feedback from her team as she begins to share ideas – she will take off and run with that!

 Negative Nelly - Be careful of Negative Nelly. Unlike Evelyn Eye Roller and Stevie Sigher, Negative Nelly will verbalize the negative comments that he/she is feeling. Negative comments have no productive use in a meeting and can have a negative impact on the overall feel of the team. Don’t let Negative Nelly vent their frustrations or glass half-empty feelings at the meeting (that’s what diaries are for). Validate that they have a concern and ask them to give a positive idea that would work. You can turn a Negative Nelly in to a Charlie Cheerleader with a little work!

 Peter Picker – Peter Picker has the ability to pick on and attack other staff members who share in a meeting. This behavior cannot be allowed in any form and must be stopped. If Peter Picker is allowed to continue his/her attack staff will stop contributing to meetings for fear of being Peter Picker’s next victim. Staff may also plan a behind the scenes mutiny to take Peter out and that is when you get to experience staff fighting, team separation and even team sabotage. Peter may also need a closed door talk with management to set some behavior expectations and to set clear guidelines on what things will and won’t be tolerated.

 Devil’s Advocate Danny – Danny can be an important part of a meeting. He/she can share ideas and thoughts seeing the topic from a different perspective. Just like ice cream though, often the grass is always greener on the other side part of the story must be taken in small doses. If Danny ONLY sees the other side and the other side is ALWAYS the side that makes the plan not work, or difficult to get staff buy in then Danny might have to be limited as well. As with many of the other personalities attending the meeting, listen to Danny’s ideas and perspectives but keep them on topic and away from negativity.



So there you have it. With a little planning and a keen eye you can have the whole family at the staff meeting and you will never have to ask again, “Can’t we all just get along?”