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Game your day
Turn a rough day in veterinary practice into a game of knowing winks between coworkers and find a more little energy to smile with your clients (even the challenging ones) a little more.
(Illustrations Getty Images)Download your own card here in color PDF (1 MB) or black-and-white PDF.
And, God forbid you're facing a day where you're daubing every square, don't fret: We have some kindly advice, actionable solutions and ready-made tools to make sure you avoid bingo tomorrow. Or maybe next week …
OK, players, the Ping Pong balls are bouncing. Your first number is …
(Illustrations Getty Images)• Client late for appointment? Four tricks to be positive and thinking, “Better late than never.”
• Spay-and-neuter-resistant client who really ought to think about it? OMG! We've got a whole toolkit for spay-neuter conversations, recommendations and handouts.
• Client avoiding medical recommendations? “3 responses to clients who resist pet vaccines.” You're welcome.
• Client promised short appointment, and now it's 20 questions? Flex scheduling might be the answer to your scheduling prayers.
• Blood machine spitting out errors? Maybe it's not you-maybe it's the old workhorse. Here's advice on buying a new one.
• Client who knows all about it ‘cause her friend's second cousin's ex-boyfriend is a vet tech? Manage know-it-all clients-who know it all for whatever reason-kindly.
(Illiustrations Getty Images)• Client a medical professional so he knows everything? Remember that know-it-all client-who meant well-from the last page?
• Extra unannounced pets? Too many pets, not enough time-this doctor has the advice for you.
• Anal gland incident? PLEASE. You don't know “anal gland incident” until you watch Dr. Marty Becker's exam-room disaster.
• Dog that needs to be muzzled? In the future, maybe make it a part of compassionate care, not punishing and embarrassing.
• Client resistant to flea resistance? Got you covered in this toolkit!
• A real, honest-to-God emergency? Everything changed for this team member when it was her pet in danger.
(Illustrations Getty Images)• Client wants a freebie? What about a trade?
• Client feeding table scraps? Fine, at least show them how treats can be healthy.
• Fat pet? Here's how to navigate this land-mine conversation.
• Lost paperwork! Argh! Are you paperless, by chance? That would help.
• A rabies-vaccine-only client? Maybe, but are you judging early?
• Client over-relying on Dr. Google? Four ways to break the habit.
(Illustrations Getty Images)• Late night? If this happens too frequently and there isn't an easy solution, maybe you need need Dr. Ernie Ward's five tips for a happier, healthier career and life.
• Time for a little thinking to figure out what you want out of life. Extra unannounced pets...AGAIN? Alright, here's the short-and-sweet answer.
• Demanding client calls? Here are seven ways to stop workday interruptions.
• No-money client? You can decide what to do if it's before the fact, but it's tough when it's after the fact. Would this help?
• A not-so-urgent emergency? Dr. Andy Roark covers the tactic to tackle these in every quadrant of your life.
• Crazy clients? We'll assume you're not actually talking about mental illness. If you're just griping, you're not alone.
We've got our fingers crossed for you, and we're hoping for that magical day when the dauber never comes out once and you and your colleagues all stand around an empty veterinary bingo card, wide-eyed and grateful. In the meantime, remember your job's tough and any time you can turn a bad day into a fun game, you're doing something right.
