Clinic Phone Shopper Snapshot

Transcription

1 Clinic Phone Shopper Snapshot Date: July 1, 2013 Hospital Name: ABC Veterinary Hospital Time: 10:58 AM EST Receptionist s name: Patricia Walsh Address: 123 Main Street, Anytown, USA Phone: Phone shopper name used: Helen Jenson Service that was shopped: Exam and vaccines for a 15-week-old puppy that was adopted from a shelter. The puppy has had two distemper vaccinations (8 weeks, 12 weeks), one bordetella vaccination (12 weeks), a microchip and a fecal test, which was positive for whipworms. He was dewormed once. Description of mystery pet: Name: Koda Breed/color: Newfoundland, black Gender: Male Age: 15 weeks Weight: pounds Where adopted: Animal shelter Lifestyle: Will board dog occasionally when traveling, takes for daily walks. Potential needed services: o Physical exam o Distemper vaccination o Bordetella vaccination (caller plans to board the dog occasionally when traveling) o Rabies vaccination o Intestinal parasite screen o Deworming o Flea and heartworm preventatives o Free puppy kit o Future service of neuter when dog is 4-6 months old Total length of phone call: 4 minutes, 47 seconds 1 (720)

2 Information discussed Yes No Did the receptionist answer the phone professionally? Did the receptionist ask my name? Did the receptionist ask my pet s name? Did the receptionist use my name in the conversation? Did the receptionist use my pet s name in the conversation? Did the receptionist describe service before price? If yes, what key information was shared? First visit would include an exam, distemper booster, rabies vaccine and an intestinal parasite test - $ Did the receptionist ask for the appointment (i.e. WHEN would you like to schedule the surgery/exam?) Did the receptionist offer directions to the practice? Did the receptionist say at least two great things about the hospital? If yes, what? Practice offers evening and weekend hours for appointments for client convenience. Pet can be dropped off in the morning for routine appointments and picked up in the afternoon for client convenience. Did the receptionist offer to mail the phone shopper a written estimate, brochure, business card or other information? If yes, what was offered? Did the receptionist ask personal questions that would bond me to your hospital and establish a trusting relationship? What kind of dog is it? Awesome. So as a puppy he s what, 50 pounds? And did you want to come in or have you been here before? Um, and you can come take a tour anytime. So a lot of people like to see, um, how we operate and the building and the facility, what we have and then make a decision. Did the receptionist ask me about how I would pay or give information about possible payment methods and policies? Did the receptionist tell me his or her name at the end of the call? Rate the friendliness of the receptionist: Excellent Good Fair Poor Rate the helpfulness of the receptionist: Excellent Good Fair Poor Overall Rating: 3 5=WOW! Service 4=Ready to train others 3=Meets expectations 2=Opportunity for ongoing training in this area 1=Needs immediate training 2 (720)

3 Action plan for skill development: 1. Patricia should add a complete hospital name to her greeting. Patricia s greeting, Thank you for calling ABC Vet. This is Patricia. May I help you? A good greeting includes: Salutation Location Identification Invitation. Instead, say, Good morning, ABC Veterinary Hospital. This is Patricia. How may I help you? 2. Ask the caller s and pet s names early in the call and use them frequently throughout the conversation. Patricia didn t ask for the caller s or the pet s name, nor did she use them in the conversation. This technique bonds the phone shopper to your practice and personalizes the call rather than having it sound like a spiel. 3. Politely ask to place the caller on hold; however, provide an explanation for the need to hold. Were you placed on hold? No If yes, how long? Were you transferred? No If yes, to whom? 4. Explain services in detail before discussing the price so the caller understands the value for the care being provided. Patricia explained to the caller that the first visit would include an exam, a distemper booster, a rabies vaccine and an intestinal parasite prior to quoting a price for the total cost. This is a good way to not only set the proper expectation for payment but to also help eliminate any surprises at check out time. When discussing the need for heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention be sure to give the caller a price for this important medication. If her pet is a puppy, you might want to quote a price for an individual dose, explaining that the price is determined by the weight of her pet. If the caller has an adult pet, ask for the weight and give her the price for a 6-month and a year s supply of prevention. This can be especially helpful if there is a price break when purchasing a year s supply. 3 (720)

4 5. Always use correct medical terminology. Take every opportunity to educate your caller on the healthcare of her pet. When discussing testing her pet for intestinal parasites, use the correct medical terminology. The terms fecal and stool sample do not fully explain the diagnostic importance of this test. Say instead intestinal parasite test and this potential client will better understand how this benefits her pet. 6. Always ask for the appointment and offer the caller two choices. Patricia said, And and did you want to come in or have you been here before? Take a more positive approach and simply ask for the appointment and offer the caller two appointment availabilities you feel might work with her schedule. If you have done your best to impress her with the excellent service she and her puppy can expect to receive at your practice, take advantage of the opportunity to turn this caller into a client. Known as the two yes options technique, this phrasing significantly increases the chance you ll schedule the appointment. 7. Offer directions with phrases such as Do you know where we are located? or May I e- mail, fax or mail you a map? Patricia most likely didn t offer directions because no appointment was scheduled. 8. Offer to mail a written estimate/treatment plan. Enclose your hospital brochure and business card with a note such as We look forward to meeting you and Koda soon! Patricia did not offer to give the caller any further information. 9. Always state two GREAT things about your hospital! This helps the caller remember you in the list of other practices she called. You also might relate the two great things to the service she inquired about. Patricia explained to the caller that your practice offers evening and weekend hours for appointments and that she could drop her pet off in the morning and pick up in the afternoon for routine appointments for client convenience. When you take the time to list examples of the excellent care this potential client and her pet can expect to receive at ABC Veterinary Hospital you give her the sense that your hospital has something special to offer that the other practices on her list may not. 4 (720)

5 10. Always get the caller s and pet s names at the beginning of the conversation and use them throughout the discussion. At the end of the call, ask for the phone shopper s address so you can mail an estimate/treatment plan, brochure, business card or other information. Although no appointment was scheduled, Patricia did not get any of the caller s information. 11. Actively listen for information that would allow you to make a brief personal connection with the caller and develop a trusting relationship. For example, ask the puppy s name and where the caller adopted it from. In an attempt to make a connection with the caller, Patricia said: What kind of dog is it? Awesome. So as a puppy he s what, 50 pounds? And did you want to come in or have you been here before? Um, and you can come take a tour anytime. So a lot of people like to see, um, how we operate and the building and the facility, what we have and then make a decision. Patricia took the opportunity to engage the caller in friendly conversation while at the same time obtaining all the information she would require to answer the caller s questions. This can be easily accomplished by a welcoming series of questions and statements about the caller s new puppy. Not only does this provide a potential client with a level of comfort and familiarity but it can also help you establish a relationship that will increase the likelihood of scheduling the appointment. 12. Methods of payment should always be promoted. A good time to do this is when the price range for services inquired about is quoted. Patricia did not mention any payment information. 13. To end the call, Patricia said, Thank you. Bye-bye. Don t just provide information and hang up. Ask for the appointment with phrases such as When would you like to schedule your puppy s exam? not Would you like to schedule an appointment? The word when is a yes answer compared to would you, which is a yes-or-no answer. Always ask for the appointment. Restate your name at the end of the call, reconfirm the appointment time and date, and give excellent directions to your practice. You ve made a great choice for Koda in choosing ABC Veterinary Hospital. We look forward to seeing you next Tuesday at 10am. 5 (720)

6 14. Patricia was friendly and helpful throughout the call. She answered the caller s initial question and provided some additional information the new puppy owner would find educational. When you are the first impression a phone shopper has of ABC Veterinary Hospital it is your responsibility to do your best to make it a positive one. She answered the caller s initial question and provided examples of the excellent care she and her pet could expect to receive at ABC Veterinary Hospital. This clinic phone shopper snapshot was completed by: Deborah Arvanitis Communication Solutions for Veterinarians Inc. 6 (720)