Not just a desk job

Q What client service decisions are appropriate for receptionists to make independently?

It depends on the management structure of your veterinary practice, says Mark Opperman, CVPM, owner of VMC Inc. in Evergreen, Colo. If you have an office or practice manager, he or she would usually handle client issues, such as pet owners who are upset over a financial issue or a practice policy. "And the firing of a client should always be done in concert with the practice owner and manager," he says. But this doesn't mean receptionists have no autonomy.

Mark Opperman

"It's best for receptionists to sit down with the practice owner or manager and discuss various situations and decide what authority they have," Opperman says. "Many practices empower their employees to do whatever is reasonably necessary to keep a client happy, while others require management's approval." The important thing is to find out the limits before the situation occurs.