Attracting and keeping clients is a comprehensive effort. Make sure you're covering all your bases when it comes to your practice's image.

Your practice's front door is more than just an entrance to your clinic. Your front door is your practice's brand; your image. In other words, the front door is the first point of contact clients have with your practice.

Signage
A good sign is easily read and uncluttered. Use bold, simple lettering that people can see when driving by your practice.

Web Site
Your site should have a clean look and load quickly. Make sure your logo is visible and the site is easy to navigate.

E-Mails
When team members respond to a client's e-mail, make sure they're using proper English, typing carefully, and using spell check. Nothing hurts your practice's image like an e-mail that reads, "Murphy's appointment is at 3. C u then."

Technology for client communication
Keeping employees late is a major contributor to poor staff morale and high turnover, and it's the hospital owners who are responsible. But there's hope. If your clinic is overwhelmed by after-hours phone duties, it's time to implement some creative ideas. Below are some ways to re-defined your approach to clinic-to-client communications using the newest technology.

1. E-Mail Follow-Up
What it is: E-mail can be your first foray into virtual client communication because it is low-cost, easy to implement, and widely used by your clients. Your database of e-mail contacts and the success of your e-mail newsletters show that your clients would accept this new form of communication.

How it works: Our first step was to use e-mail to discuss pets' recent visits. We used existing callback rules to determine what types of contact would be appropriate. For example, a callback on flea allergy dermatitis was deemed appropriate for e-mail, while acute pancreatitis was not.

Next, verify your clients' current e-mail addresses and asked them for their communication preferences when they were filling out registration forms or online making an appointment. The vast majority said they preferred to be contacted by e-mail except for emergencies. Even senior citizens proved to be more Internet-savvy than we'd anticipated.

After we got these preferences, we entered reminders into our practice management software and linked them to diagnoses that would generate e-mails in a specified time period. For example, if a patient was diagnosed with flea allergy dermatitis, we had the system send an e-mail 48 hours later. This first e-mail asked how the pet was feeling and if the client had any questions. We attached information about the condition below the message.

Why you should use it: Results were impressive. We received responses from more than 80 percent of our "care-mails" during the first month. When we received a response, we cut-and-pasted the text directly into the patient's electronic medical record. Fast, easy, and permanent. We also reduced the number of callbacks dramatically. Instead of 15 to 30 calls a day, we made 10 or fewer. Staff morale soared and the attitude toward making calls improved. What had once been a dreaded duty became what it was intended to be: a compassionate inquiry about a serious condition.

2. E-Mailing Appointment Reminders
What it is: With care-mails so well received, our next step was better appointment reminders. An automated telephone reminder system was out of my price range. So we began to dabble in e-mail appointment reminders. Because we couldn't directly link our appointment scheduler to e-mail reminders, we had to be more clever than the software programmers. So we created an appointment-reminder invoice code for all transactions involving a follow-up visit.

How it works: If we wanted to see an osteoarthritis patient for a recheck exam and blood tests in one month, the client would receive two e-mails reminding them of their upcoming appointment. Our software generates these messages automatically. They read, "It's time for [PET'S NAME]'s 14-day recheck appointment on XX/YY/200Z. Please call and verify your appointment time or reschedule." We also started using e-mail reminders for the next year's annual examination, follow-up blood tests, and so on. We continue to mail postcard reminders for these long-range appointments and view the e-mail system as an adjunct. It costs us nothing and helps train clients to look for virtual correspondence from us as opposed to snail mail. Granted, this system pales in comparison to those used by large human hospitals, but it's a start.

Why you should use it: Before, our goal had been to call clients one or two days before a scheduled appointment. Our success rate was directly related to team members' available time and ambition. In other words, it was spotty at best. According to human-medicine studies, the average physician loses roughly $150,000 per year because of missed appointments. My veterinary practice had less than 10 percent no-shows, but missed appointments were still costing us tens of thousands of dollars every year. Now it's less.

3. Cell Phone Text Messaging
What it is: Our first step in using text messaging on cell phones was to communicate about the status of surgical and dental patients. We were often calling clients with pre-anaesthesia test results midmorning, and we couldn't reach them because they were working, travelling, or otherwise inaccessible. We brainstormed solutions and realized that many of us in the hospital checked text messages during work. We concluded that it's socially acceptable today to quickly read a text message during other activities.

How it works: We use a clinic cell phone and short message service (SMS) to send messages such as, "From Seaside Animal Care: Pre-op tests complete. All normal. Proceeding to surgery soon. Call 910-555-1234 w/ questions." Common messages are stored in our phone to speed up the time it takes us to send them out. Besides saving time, text messaging has led to better communication with clients. We have since experimented with SMS to provide daily updates on boarded pets (photos included for an additional fee), to contact hard-to-reach clients about test results or appointments, to remind pet owners to give heartworm preventives, and even to inform clients about the availability of earlier appointments.

Why you should do it: The cell phone is the holy grail of clinic-to-client communication. The TV show American Idol brought text-messaging awareness to tens of millions, and the iPhone promises to transform the Internet experience for all owners of handheld devices. As clients use their cell phones for more and more things, veterinarians must be ready to leverage this technology to our advantage. At my clinic, when we asked clients if they'd like text messages on their pets' progress throughout the day, the majority of our busy clients immediately took us up on the offer. We assured them that we would text only if everything was going well, and that if there were any problems or questions, we would call.

4. E-Mailing Test Results and Other Information
What it is: In addition to reminders, we also e-mail test results, diagnostic plans, and additional information to clients. Many years ago we started "prescribing" Web sites by providing clients with a handout listing trusted Internet sites. Today we e-mail clients those links along with any other patient discharge information. We also use e-mail to communicate with clients during office hours when we need to share findings from digital radiographs, blood and urine test results, and photographs of lesions, and even to schedule discharge times. This is often more reliable and takes less time than using the phone to contact and update busy working clients.

How it works: We use e-mail this way only in minor and straightforward cases. In more serious situations, a doctor or team member will call first, promising additional information to follow by e-mail. Sometimes I'll e-mail the results before I call and have the owner look at the radiograph or lesion photo with me on the phone as I outline my treatment or diagnostic plan. We also e-mail information to owners who drop off patients.

Why you should use it: Using e-mail in conjunction with phone calls enriches clients' experience, keeps them well-informed, and allows them to better understand the need for a given test or treatment.

All these technology uses are largely uncharted territory in veterinary healthcare, and we're all pioneers. But it's clear that clients want to be in close communication with their veterinarian and other healthcare providers, and they're willing to embrace new technologies to preserve that connection. It's up to us to make these bits and bytes personal and warm and to use them to bring us closer to our clients, rather than relying on overworked and rushed team members to perform duties they abhor. A hurried, uncaring, disengaged, "I'm so ready to go home" phone call from your clinic may be causing more harm than good. Get creative, explore new technologies, and develop a strategy to serve your staff and clients. In the end, what matters most in client communication is showing our compassion, whether through a phone call, an e-mail, a text message - or something we haven't even heard of yet.

The Telephone
Nobody likes talking to a machine. If your answering system involves a complicated series of menus, think about simplifying the process for clients. And encourage receptionists to avoid multitasking when they answer the phone-clients often notice when they don't have the receptionist's full attention.

Hang Up On Bad Phone Protocol
Train and monitor your team to make sure clients get professional, polite responses.

As a doctor and practice owner, I occasionally listen in to hear how team members are answering incoming calls. Are they upbeat and polite? Do they offer the right answers to clients' questions? I'm not trying to be nosy - this is an essential part of practice protocol.

Phone etiquette is a big deal. It sets the tone (no pun intended) for the practice and is a crucial part of client communication. One of my pet peeves is when a client claims he or she went to another clinic because a receptionist said we didn't have an opening during that person's time of need. It breaks my heart, because I know our team is trained to never turn anyone away. It's just a result of miscommunication. I'm sure you have your own horror stories. Let's get rid of them with a system of training, retraining, and monitoring.

Training and testing. There's no shortage of training materials on phone etiquette available online. Pick your favourite, then meet with your entire team to discuss specific goals. For example, you could focus on how to respond to phone shoppers, handle emergency calls, explain your medical standards of care, or discuss your annual wellness care recommendations over the phone. Once team members have completed training, be sure to test them. Testing encourages them to take the training seriously and shows you they've learned something.

Monitoring calls and retraining. If you're like most doctors or practice managers, you've educated your team on phone etiquette at one time or another. But remember that you've hired new employees since then and others have probably forgotten important information. Because of this, you need to develop methods for monitoring calls. First off, don't be afraid to listen to your team members on the phone. When you hear someone not following the guidelines, gently discuss that with him or her, and remind everyone of the protocols at the next team meeting.

Another way to check on phone protocol is to hire a mystery shopper. An alternative is to use a team member or family member who's not well-known yet to the others to make the calls. Either way, you can write your own list of questions for the caller to ask. Once the process is complete, share your findings on some good calls and some bad calls with the team as a whole. Don't name names, unless you're recognizing someone for good phone service.

The bottom line: Good phone service is good business. You'll have happier clients and higher profits, plus your team will gain confidence and praise when you acknowledge their exemplary service.

Business Cards
You don't have to spend a lot of money, just make sure your cards include your practice's name and contact information, and don't try to jam too much information into a small space.

Mastering Management: Business cards are golden
Most hospitals provide business cards for staff members, but too often they go unused.

That's unfortunate, because all hospitals need new clients and business cards can help reel them in.

At University Hills Animal Hospital in Denver, staff members are rewarded when they use their cards to refer a new client.  "We have found that referral by staff members is now a significant source of new clients," says Dr. Jack Rife.

All staff members receive business cards - either personalized with their name or blank cards on which they can write their name. When they meet potential new clients, they hand each a card, initial it and tell the prospective client that they will receive a $20 discount on their first visit by presenting the card.

The new client gets the discount and the staff member wins a reward (such as a movie gift certificate) for the referral.

"The program has been successful for us," Rife says. "Our staff members are careful always to carry their cards because they know they might meet someone who is looking for an animal hospital."

One staff member led the effort by referring 11 new clients in the past year.

The Front Door
Touch up the landscaping and ensure that outdoor lighting is sufficient. Also, chains and leashes nick up doors quickly, so give the door a fresh coat of paint or stain if necessary.

Design on a Dime
What can I do for $500 to spruce up my practice's curb appeal?

Your first step: Visit other professional buildings - like doctors' offices and law practices - in your area to gain inspiration, says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dan Chapel, AIA, owner of Chapel Associates Architects in Little Rock, Ark. There are plenty of things you can do with $500 to impress your clients. Start with the door - scratches from claws and metal leashes can take their toll, but a quick coat of paint can do wonders. If your door is really worn down, consider replacing it with a metal or metal-glass combination door.

Clients (and their pets) need a place to wipe their feet, so replace any worn-out, stained doormats. Consider planting flowers or other foliage, but don't overplant - keep your walkways simple, clean, and easy to navigate. Also, some clients visit early in the morning or past sunset, so make sure your outdoor lighting is sufficient. Finally, consider investing in a professional-looking sign that lists the practice's name and phone number.

Feb 23, 2009 VETERINARY ECONOMICS
Website May 1, 2008 By Linda Wasche
The Telephone Dec 1, 2007 By: Ernest Ward Jr., DVM
Phone Protocol Sep 1, 2008
Business cards Feb 1, 2007 By: Jack Rife, DVM
The Front Door Oct 22, 2008