Call clients whose pets are overdue for services. Run a report in your veterinary software to identify patients overdue for wellness services within the last 30 to 60 days. Because these clients have already overlooked a postcard or e-mail, call on weekdays between 5 to 7 pm or Saturdays from 9 to 11 am, when you're most likely to reach clients at home. Your team might say, "This is Wendy calling for the doctors at Myers Veterinary Hospital. Max is overdue for his wellness exam, vaccinations and heartworm and intestinal parasite tests, and we're worried about his health. When is a convenient time for you and Max to come in for an appointment this week? The doctor can see you at 6 pm on Thursday or 9 am on Saturday. Which is more convenient for you?"

Break down the cost per day of preventatives. Explain manufacturers' rebates or free doses if clients buy a year's supply of preventatives. Describe the cost per day to show the economic value of year-round protection. "When you buy a 12-month supply of (product name), you can protect your dog from heartworms and intestinal parasites for just XX cents per day."

Help clients understand the savings of prevention compared to the cost of treatment with a bulletin board in the lobby. Post these figures:

In many practices, heartworm diagnosis and treatment can top $600 to $1,000 compared to $100 to protect canine patients with a year's supply of preventatives. You can use this same bulletin board theme to promote flea and intestinal parasite control. Just change the example from heartworms to fleas or intestinal parasites.

Schedule medical progress exams at checkout. Clients may skip a follow-up visit to save a few dollars. But without reassessment by a doctor, the pet's medical problem may worsen and actually become more costly to treat. To increase compliance for medical progress exams, avoid calling them "rechecks," which sounds optional and unimportant.

Hang wall calendars or have computers in exam rooms so doctors can point to a specific date when follow-up care is needed. For example, the doctor might say, "I need to see your dog again on (date). Ear infections can be painful and develop into a serious condition unless treated and rechecked to make sure the infection has cleared. The receptionist will schedule an appointment for you and Jake for his medical progress exam on (date)."

Schedule the medical progress exam at checkout when compliance is highest. If the client does not schedule the follow-up exam, enter a callback. In one week, a team member would call the client and say, "Mrs. Smith, did you have an opportunity to check your calendar? The doctor needs to see your dog for a medical progress exam next week. When would be a convenient time for you and Jake to schedule his medical progress exam? We can see Jake on Thursday at 4 pm or Friday at 10:30 am. Which best fits your schedule?"

Your team can get scripts and a 30-minute audio seminar in our book on How to Conduct Effective Reminder Calls & Callbacks. You'll learn how to design reminder cycles, create automated computer codes to generate callbacks and reminders, recapture rechecks, set up recommended services codes, use a travel sheet and more. Click here for information on ordering our book and to read a sample chapter and listen to a seminar segment.

If you've done your best to impress the caller with the excellent service she can expect to receive at your practice, shouldn't making the appointment be the ultimate goal?

Always ask for the appointment and offer the caller two choices. Known as the "two yes options" technique, this phrasing significantly increases the chance you'll schedule the appointment. For example, "WHEN would you like to schedule your puppy's exam? I have an opening tomorrow or on Tuesday. Which best fits your schedule?"

Our Mystery Phone Shopper Training Package provides confidential coaching with an action plan for skill development. Our program includes:

For more information or to enroll for the Mystery Phone Shopper Training Package, call 720-344-2347 or click here.

You may need to download the latest Acrobat Reader:

• Add Exam Report Cards to Improve Compliance and Follow-Up Care
• Conduct Effective Risk Assessment During Wellness Exams
• Create a Checklist of Discussion Topics for Puppy and Kitten Exams
• Create a Checklist of Questions to Open Wellness Exams
• How Every Team Member Can Reinforce Heartworm Prevention
• Is Fido Too Fat
• Improving Monitoring of Long-Term Medications
• Organize Kitten Visits for Effective Education
• Put Food Measuring Cups in Every Exam Room
• Take the Ouch Out of Osteoarthritis for Feline Friends
• The Best Way to Discharge Hospitalized Patients
• Weigh and Wand Every Patient at Check-in
• Are you overwhelming clients with too many choices?

• Are Clients' Cell Phone Calls Driving You Crazy
• Are Your Doctors Always Running Late for Appointments
• Creating a Comforting Setting for Euthanasias
• Collect Deposits for Holiday Boarding
• Don't Ask Clients If They Need Help, Just Do It!
• Help Clients Remember Monthly Preventatives
• How Long Do Your Clients Wait
• Present Estimates to Show Value and Increase Acceptance
• Prevent Sticker Shock When Presenting Estimates
• Surgery Confirmation Calls and Callbacks Show Clients You Care
• Try These Helpful Phrases When Dealing With Angry Clients
• Win Over Phone Shoppers Every Time
• Watch what you say. When talking with clients, we don't realize the message we send
• Making reminder calls for pets overdue for services
• Create A Script Book For Perfect Phone Conversations
• What is WOW! in Client Service

• Is Business Slow? Call Your Clients
• Amplify Your Average Charge Per Transaction
• Build E-Slots Into Your Appointment Schedule to Reclaim Control of Your Day
• Create Separate Prophy Prices Based on the Grade of Dental Disease
• Do You Need a Practice Manager
• Everyday Tasks Put Your Team at Safety Risk
• How to Strengthen Your Reminders
• Taming the Internet Pharmacy Monster
• Use callbacks to recapture missed rechecks
• Why Can't My Staff Get Along
• Welcoming a New Doctor Into Your Practice

• How to Get Phone Shoppers to Schedule Appointments
• Get Clients to Schedule Medical Progress Exams
• When You Have To Tell A Client "No"
• When A Client Is Concerned About The Cost Of Emergency Care
• When A Client Calls For A Prescription Refill And Blood Work Is Due
• When You Need To Collect A Deposit For An Emergency