Clients routinely hear about their pets’ health care needs from multiple team members, not just the veterinarians. But that doesn’t mean they rely solely on the veterinary team for education. Clients also seek information from sources (some credible, some not) such as the internet, groomers, pet store employees and friends. While everyone on the veterinary team should fulfill their role as a trusted adviser, a lack of training might lead to ineffective or inaccurate communication, harming compliance and loyalty.
Let’s explore what team members need to say and how words matters.
Unclear Language
I often hear a lack of clarity during client communication in the exam room or on the phone. When it happens, pet owners might become confused or less likely to agree to your services. Here are real-world examples of what team members say and how to say it better.
- Referencing a dog spay and telling the owner, “If you decide to do it.” The surgery doesn’t sound important if client education is absent. Instead, say, “We recommend spaying Sophie when she is [age]. The benefits include avoiding unwanted pregnancies, uterine infections and mammary cancer.”
- Using words such as “some type of” or “pretty decent” when educating clients about preventives or a particular diet. The words lack specificity and suggest that any product or brand is fine. Instead, tell clients about the brands you recommend and why they are best for the pet.
- Telling a pet owner, “You should probably consider scheduling a dental,” or to schedule a procedure “when you have time.” A sense of urgency is missing, so the client will likely leave without making an appointment and will be less likely to call back. It’s always best to educate clients about the value of your services and the need to provide care within a specific time frame.
Insufficient Education
Veterinary teams often skip providing adequate education about preventive health care because they assume clients know all about it. For example, a team member might not discuss the value of a fecal, heartworm or feline leukemia test.
Before making recommendations in those cases, start the conversation with queries such as, “How familiar are you with the need for flea, tick and heartworm prevention?” and “What questions do you have about feline leukemia and kitten vaccines?” This approach helps ensure that team members provide education tailored to the pet owner’s level of knowledge.
Additionally, don’t forget to explain take-home instructions in detail. Friends and family members routinely ask me about their pets’ medications and veterinary care because they belatedly realize they didn’t understand something. To help clients, provide written instructions about the pet’s care and when and in what order to give medications. Also, include relevant handouts, web links to more information and the names of recommended products.
Ideally, assess a pet owner’s understanding before ending the veterinary appointment. Pose an open-ended question such as “What information do you think you still need to know?” or “What information would be helpful that I haven’t covered?”
Inaccurate Education
Unfortunately, well-intentioned team members sometimes provide flat-out wrong information. Erroneous client education I’ve heard include:
- “Heartworm usually comes from mosquitoes and fleas.”
- “There’s only one all-in-one preventive product for dogs.”
- “Your puppy doesn’t need to be on heartworm preventive until 6 months of age.”
- Saying a medication will cure a problem when the drug might not.
- Informing a pet owner whose cat was straining in the litter box and passing only a few drops of urine that the output was adequate and that the pet could wait 24 hours to be seen.
Clients might lose trust in your practice if a team member provides incorrect information. To minimize the chance of a pet owner receiving inaccurate advice or inexact instructions, strive to create a culture of continuous learning. Let team members know it’s OK to tell clients, “I don’t know the answer, but I’ll find out.”
Here are more tips to assess your team’s knowledge and training gaps:
- Hire an outside party to conduct mystery-shopper calls.
- Periodically record exam room communications to evaluate client education.
- Have team members use handouts as a guide when educating clients.
- Keep a list of frequently asked questions and answers for quick reference.
- Log questions that team members couldn’t answer. Review the questions weekly and provide training as needed.
Inconsistent Messages
Conflicting information from doctors or team members can confuse clients. Moreover, trust can break down and compliance can suffer when pet owners hear mixed messages. For example, a dog owner might get different recommendations about the best diet or vaccination. Or perhaps one veterinarian recommends a medical progress exam and ear cytology in two weeks for a dog with otitis externa. However, another doctor doesn’t recommend a follow-up when the pet returns nine months later with the same problem.
To avoid inconsistent messages, implement clear protocols for preventive care and treating routine medical problems. Then, train your team members to convey the same information on topics such as vaccinations, lab work, preventives, nutrition and sterilization procedures.
Clients who see the entire team as trusted advisers are more likely to come in for preventive care and approve treatment plans, which means more pets get the care they deserve.
FREE RESOURCES
American Veterinary Medical Association members may download an array of clinic posters and client handouts at bit.ly/3RZBtMH.