Our pets are a part of our family, and when we take them to the vet, we expect them to be treated with the utmost care. Veterinarians try their best to do this, but sometimes there are obstacles in the way—namely an inefficient office. A veterinarian can work as hard as they can, but if they don’t have the right support system in place, their efforts can fall flat. However, by finding the right strategies, you can boost the efficiency and productivity of your vet office. Here’s how:
Have everyone stay on the same page
In order to work to the best of your ability, everyone in your office needs to be on the same page. This means getting together for daily or weekly meetings where everyone provides updates on what’s happening and what needs to be done. A part of staying on the same page also includes ensuring that information can be easily provided and exchanged between employees such as through software integration or call recording systems, two features that can easily provide client information to whoever needs it.
Help out your receptionist
Your receptionist is the main person who handles your clients, and if you’re a small veterinary office, they’re likely the only one who does so. If that’s the case, then it’s best to give them a helping hand so that they can better handle the flow of clients coming in and out of your office. A good way to do this is through auto attendant. Whether they’re calling to make an appointment, or check up on how their pet is doing, pet owners will be calling your office frequently. That’s where auto attendant comes in. Instead of having to field the calls all by themselves, your receptionist will be able to rely on auto attendant to provide an automated greeting to the caller, reroute them to the proper person or department, and let them know where in the queue they are.
Communicate clearly with clients
Another way your office can go off the rails is by not properly communicating with your clients. You’re treating one of their family members, so naturally they’re going to have questions about treatment, billing, medication, etc. By not addressing these properly, you can cause unnecessary panic and confusion. A software integration system can help with this by pulling up all of the necessary information right as a client is calling. That way whoever answers the phone has all the information they need to help that specific client.
In case of emergencies, make sure you’re easily contacted
Emergencies can happen at any time and on any day, so it’s always important to be easily accessible when the need arises. Using a softphone can make this task simpler, as even when you’re out of the office, your business calls can be redirected to your smartphone, and vice versa, making it easier on you, your client, and your receptionist. This can also help during power outages, as phone calls can be transferred to your softphone even while your office is without power.
In addition to a softphone, a voicemail to email transcription can also ensure clients can easily contact you. As much as we would like it, we can’t answer our phone all the time, but it is easier to answer our emails. Voicemail to email transcription helps you do just that, transcribing your voicemail into text and sending it to your email in no time. That way, even if you’re in the middle of something, you can glance through your voicemail transcriptions to determine what needs immediate attention, and what can wait until tomorrow.
Train your employees properly
Properly training your employees is the pathway to success in almost every business. This is especially the case, however, with vet offices, as your employees are dealing with the health and happiness of beloved family members. Therefore, having a support staff that can provide medical advice and figure out the difference between an over-the-phone remedy or an emergency is essential.
Want to find out more techniques to boost your veterinary office’s efficiency and productivity? Vaspian can help. Give us a call at 1-855-827-7426 to learn more about how a business VoIP phone can help you today.