Think for a moment about the nastiest client you have in your practice. The one who has made you and others in your clinic feel awful in every way possible. What did that person do or say? How long have you remembered it? Now, think about your favorite pet owner. The one who brightens your… Read More
Life With Clients
How I Navigate Moments of Discrimination from My Clients
I’m kneeling next to Baxter examining his toe. Baxter is a sweet old pit-bull mix that is patiently letting me hold his foot as I stare at an ugly tumor that is growing from his nail bed. The growth is bleeding and the owner had it wrapped in a make-shift bandage. I’m doing all the… Read More
The Things We Say at the End
As a small animal house-call vet, about 20 percent of my practice is hospice or euthanasia care. I’ve seen quite a variety of reactions of people to their pet’s passing and I’m always struck when people apologize for their emotions, or things they say to their pet at the end. As a lifetime pet owner and… Read More
Our Clients DO Listen, but are Your Consults Two-Way?
I am all too aware of the need to communicate in a way that my clients can understand as well as process the information delivered. This is vital if they are to ultimately feel comfortable making any kind of decision about their pet’s healthcare. After all, it might literally be a life or death decision… Read More
We Are All on the Same Team
We all live in fear of the “Bad Review.” We don’t want to be accused of caring only about money, and we don’t want to be told we killed someone’s pet because we made a mistake. But the thing that hurts the most is to hear someone say we let them down because we just didn’t care… Read More
Haters Gonna Hate: Are We Just Gonna Stand by and Take It?
Surfing the web today I came across an online review directed at a veterinary hospital and a specific veterinarian in a small community. Reading it made me angry, but then I realized that I don’t have to remain silent. This review was not about me or about my practice, but it quite easily could have… Read More