Technicians

A medical record audit is the best way to measure how much money your practice is leaking.

When you use the title your boss earned, you build respect for your team, increase your authority with clients, and lay the groundwork for a more professional workplace. And that's just for starters

A stray dog in a small Alabama town found a home and a calling visiting nursing homes with a young veterinarian.

On the Job: Pam Weakly, practice manager at Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic in Battle Creek, Mich.

When you're faced with a co-worker who's acting like a demon, these strategies will help.

Gina Toman, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and a veterinary assistant at Seaside Animal Care in Calabash, N.C., says that when you do a good job passing the client off to the receptionist after the appointment, you help prevent missed charges and improve the client's experience.

Florie is a 4-year-old, spayed female Labrador-shepherd crossbred dog. Until six months ago, Florie's medical history was unremarkable. At that time, she was diagnosed with a bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) based on the presence of hematuria and pollakiuria; she received 500 mg cephalexin orally once daily by the referring veterinarian for five days.

Freeze! I mean everyone. Now meet. Sound impossible? The team at Metzger Animal Hospital in State College, Pa., manages it twice a day. Here's how it works: Everyone meets at 8:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. in front of the dry erase board.

Picture this: You're explaining why Baxter needs heartworm preventives when the tinny sound of Beethoven's 5th erupts from inside your client's purse.

Whether you answer the phone twice a day or twice a minute, these tips will help you handle a range of calls with finesse and keep conflict with clients to a minimum.

Here's a quick snapshot of what we've learned about your career, pay, responsibilities, and feelings about veterinary practice.

Use these quick strategies to make your days go more smoothly.

Anyone who's managed inventory knows it's tough to find the right balance of products without storing too much-or too little. These tips take the ache out of tracking, ordering, and stocking.

Don't settle for just-OK visits anymore. Use these service strategies to take your team's performance up a notch

Feel that pinch in your back? Or maybe your wrists ache. Perhaps you've got a chronic case of phone neck—that permanent crick from bracing the phone with your neck while you scribble a message about Fifi's chronic diarrhea for the doctor. Use these tips to ease the strain:

Last week a client brought in a very sick pet and refused to treat it because of the cost. This makes me furious. What can I do?

Whose directions should I follow when the doctors disagree?

The owner of my practice makes rude remarks about women's work abilities. Should I confront the doctor about his sexist comments?

If you're not careful, the hustle and bustle of the day could distract you from communicating your deep caring for clients' pets. To avoid this pitfall, Dr. Jason Palm, of Hiawassee Veterinary Clinic in Orlando, Fla., imagines that every pet he examines is his own.

As we discussed last month, the first day on the job sets the tone for everything that follows. And a great first day leads to a smoother transition, improved performance, and less turnover. Here's more on how to make a new employee's experience a great one

Regardless of his or her work history, a staff member's first day on a new job can be intimidating. For some, it's so overwhelming and confusing that they don't return for a second day.

Use these strategies to address discord before interpersonal issues undermine your business-and your passion for practice.

Consider these important steps to improve communication at staff meetings, or help resolve conflicts.

Confrontation in the workplace can be tricky—you don't want to burn bridges, but you also don't want to suffer at the hands of a colleague.

Commit to these 10 culture changes to build a terrific practice.

What does your receptionist say to a client who claims to have forgotten his or her checkbook? Or how does your technician respond to an angry client? In such cases, is everyone following a similar script? Is what they're saying the best response? If not, role-playing may help.

"Happiness is not the absence of conflict but the ability to cope with it."

Teaching proper dental care is part of the program at Pet Crossing Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic in Bloomington, Minn. And they aren't just teaching their staff members. Co-owners Drs. Katherine Knutson and Stephen Barghusen are using a dental lecture series to help practices statewide improve their standard of dental care and improve client compliance.