Technicians

What you say--and what clients hear--may be worlds apart. When you're fishing for the right words to satisfy clients' questions, avoid these most misunderstood answers.

Everyone has a great story. Maybe it's the one you tell at Christmas parties or the tale that makes your friends groan every time you launch into the opening line: "A few years ago there was this Great Dane ..."

Feel like you have a bright, shiny target tattooed on your forehead? Chances are, a bully singled you out for a reason. Here are eight profiles of common bully targets. Even if you can't dodge the attack, you'll understand better why you're the one dodging missiles.

Q: I'm a technician and I'm interested in zoological medicine. How can I get started in the field?

With six exam rooms, it could be difficult for the team at Nassau Veterinary Clinic in Nassau, N.Y., to keep track of which doctors are in each room.

What's the biggest mistake you've made in practice?

Ask Amy: I work with a serial gossiper

Maybe you're not a morning person. That's no excuse for waiting until after lunch to greet your team.

You reach for the nail clippers and ? gone. Foiled again. It's anyone's guess whether they're stuffed in someone's scrub pocket or they've slithered underneath the counter in the lab again.

Q: What are the benefits of in-house versus outside lab work?

You don't need to work very hard to make clients feel uncomfortable, dissatisfied, or irritated. Here's a look at 10 ways to chase off clients.

Q: At the clinic where I work we have several clients who own more animals than they can care for properly. What is the best way to approach an animal collector?

What's a pet worth? It may be more than you think. Consider the case of Fluffy.

Saying goodbye is never easy. And you face this undeniable fact of life every day. The upside: You're in a position to ease your clients through the grieving process and help them celebrate the pets they love.

Sell clients on bloodwork for young and old pets.

Think you're immune to lawsuits because you don't own the practice? Think again. Protect your hospital--and yourself--from the legal pitfalls in your path with this advice from savvy doctors and lawyers.

Q: Is our doctor legally required to provide us with a break room?

If you could see into the future of each kitten and puppy, you'd know exactly how to protect them from the health issues they'll face over the next 10-or even 20-years. And that's the true benefit of senior wellness screenings: They offer a small window into a pet's health and help you identify and treat disease early.

How do I make a dental recommendation to clients who've refused this care before?

When it comes to protecting your practice from lawsuits, you're your practice's best line of defense.

Feeling prickly about the new associate? You play a part in her success, so try to make her feel welcome.

Dogs can't wait to get through the front door of Chanhassen Veterinary Clinic in Chanhassen, Minn. For 12 years, the clinic has been throwing free puppy parties in its reception area.

Do you see the faces of your elderly or disabled clients as often as you'd like? When the team at Millsap Veterinary Clinic in Millsap, Texas, noticed some older clients were missing their pets' checkups, they started asking questions-and uncovered a transportation problem. Their solution: a pet taxi.

You know the routine all too well: Mr. Smith visits with his rambunctious English springer spaniel, Burt, and all goes well until you mention Burt's oral health. Enter the blank stare. Or the anxious shifting from foot to foot. Or even the hasty, "Oh, he's fine!"

The next time clients refuse care, use this advice from Caitlin Rivers, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and technician supervisor at Metzger Animal Hospital in State College, Pa.: Don't take it personally.

We might think pets have it easy. No calorie counting. No comparing their thighs with supermodels on television or perusing the latest issue of Vogue and wondering how the pouty face on the cover got so thin. Nope. For pets someone measures out their food daily and with just a meow or a faithful wag of the tail, they're adored no matter how rotund they become. What a life!

My fondest wish is to never see this very wild--and very special--patient again.

Our department doesn't work as a team. Some team members are rude and disrespectful, and the work environment is so hostile I dread each day. Help!