Is your receptionist losing $6,000 per month? Webinar on Feb 12

February 2013

Is your receptionist losing $6,000 per month?

When a phone shopper calls your hospital, does a confident receptionist answer the phone? If grumpy Gloria quotes a price and hangs up, she could be costing your clinic $6,000 per month in lost opportunity.

Let's say your clinic gets 10 phone-shopper calls this week, and your receptionist schedules eight appointments. Those eight appointments for new patient exams, spays, and neuters equal $1,483 per week in revenue with a monthly potential of $5,934, based on averages from the AAHA Veterinary Fee Reference, 7th edition.

Your practice can't afford to lose nearly $6,000 per month in new patient care. Phone shoppers aren't checking prices--they're looking for long-term relationships with your practice. Your teams' ability to have winning conversations can dramatically impact your business.

Here are two tips from our upcoming Feb. 12 webinar on "How to Say It: Talking With Phone Shoppers":

Present service first, price last. No matter how busy you are, don't jump to the price to get the caller off the phone. Investing 2 to 5 minutes in establishing a relationship can win a new client who could spend hundreds of dollars with your practice on the first visit.

After asking questions to determine needs, explain services and products that the pet will need, and then state the total or a range. Talk about new-client gifts such as complimentary pedicures, free exams for new patients, or free puppy/kitten kits.

Explain the dollar value of your puppy/kitten kit. "As our baby gift to your new puppy, you'll receive a free educational booklet, a slip leash, a sample of premium food, and free doses of flea/tick and heartworm prevention. This gift is valued at $____." Most puppy or kitten kits have a retail value of $60 to $100, which will entice callers to choose your hospital.

Ask for the appointment. Don't just provide information and hang up. Ask for the appointment with phrases such as "When would you like to schedule your pet's exam?" instead of "Do you want to book an appointment?" The word "when" is a yes answer compared to "do you," which is a yes-or-no option.

Join us Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 12 or 3 p.m. Eastern time for our webinar on "How to Say It: Talking With Phone Shoppers." For $99 per hospital, your webinar includes a handout, 1 hour of CE credit, a CE certificate, and unlimited playback of the recorded webinar following the event. Participation in the live webinar is limited to the first 99 hospitals, so RSVP now. If your team isn't available on Feb. 12, you may purchase access to the on-demand session for the same price of $99, allowing you to then set your staff meeting around your schedule.

To enroll, call us at 720-344-2347 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mountain time. Visit our webinar page at www.csvets.com/webinars.

New monthly column in Veterinary Practice News

Starting this month, Wendy S. Myers is writing a monthly column on communication skills in Veterinary Practice News magazine. In "How to Avoid Sticker Shock at Your Veterinary Hospital," Wendy teaches you how to show value for veterinary care. Here's an excerpt:

Have you ever slapped a client? You probably have and didn't realize it. While shadowing an appointment during a consultation, I observed a receptionist at the front desk. She said, "That will be $302 today," and slapped the client with sticker shock. "Wow! That's as much as my car payment," the client exclaimed.

When asked about price, 34% of clients say veterinary care is higher than they expected, according to the Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study. Discover five ways you can turn the smack of price into satisfied clients. Click here to read Wendy's article.

Archived webinar on promoting preventive dentistry now available

As your team amps up client education during National Pet Dental Health Month, make sure every employee is confident when talking about dentistry. Now available as an archived webinar, "Promoting Preventive Dentistry" teaches you how to use body language when you present treatment plans and has scripts for dental conversations.

You'll learn about:

Emphasizing the medical benefits and immediate need of dentistry
Presenting the dental treatment plan
Structuring your dental fees based on the grade of dental disease
Following up on dental procedures that don't get scheduled

For $99 per hospital, your webinar includes a handout, 1 hour of CE credit, a CE certificate, and unlimited playback of the recorded webinar. To order, call us at 720-344-2347 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mountain time. Visit www.csvets.com/webinars for our 2013 webinar schedule.

Phone Skills Tips

Wendy S. Myers & Opus

In This Issue

Jan. 15 webinar on promoting preventive dentistry

New monthly column in Veterinary Practice News

Give a great greeting over the phone

Script of the month:
Give a great greeting
over the phone
Receptionist with headset

Whether you're answering a call from a phone shopper or favorite client, you need to make a great first impression. Remember, callers can't see you but can hear the stress behind a rushed greeting. Slow down, sit up straight in your chair, and smile before answering the phone.

Answer the phone promptly--first ring is best. Never go beyond three rings. The longer your phone rings, the less important your caller feels.

A good greeting includes four elements: 1) Salutation, 2) Location, 3) Identification, and 4) Invitation. Say, "Thank you for calling Your Veterinary Hospital. This is Your Name. How may I help you?"

Learn about our phone-skills training programs at www.csvets.com/training.htm