Pulse - October 2021 - 11

office. Since moving to Texas we went
through four offices before we found
one where we liked and trusted the staff
as much as the veterinarians. We've been
with them for six years and have referred
nearly a dozen 'patients' to them. "
High turnover rates should sound a
warning bell for practice owners,
said
Hertz, who suggests they invest in secret
shoppers and independent exit interviews
to learn why people are leaving.
" Until you understand the issue you
can't address it, " he explained. " Often,
I've seen issues like lack of adequate and
proper training and lack of appreciation
from physicians [and veterinarians].
Is pay an issue? What about the front
office manager? What is he [or she] like?
It's often said that people quit bosses not
companies. "
Owen J. Dahl, MBA, LFACHE, CHBC,
LSSMBB, a consultant for human medical
practices, noted that rapid turnover
of front-office team members is a failure
to acknowledge roles and responsibilities,
which influence the innerworkings of all
medical practices.
" The front desk staff answers phones,
greets patients, enters demographic and
insurance information (inaccuracy here
is the biggest source of insurance denials),
monitors the waiting room, deals
with irate patients, in some cases collects
the upfront funds, need we say more-it
is very busy, and competency is key. This
is not an entry level position [though it is
treated like one] by many folks, " said Dahl,
principal, Owen Dahl Consulting.
Efficiency
experience,
In addition to their influence on client
front-office team members
set the pace for practice efficiency, Prendergast
said. From appropriate scheduling
(new clients, wellness visits, sick visits,
etc.) to check-ins, rooming and checkout,
this team has a direct influence on practice
flow.
When staff members resign, it not
only costs the practice up to 1.5 times
that person's salary to replace them, work
must be reallocated, which stresses other
team members, who are trying to deliver
good service while juggling their own
responsibilities.
Industry benchmarks from the American
Animal Hospital Association2
and
Medical Group Management Association3
PULSE
peg
general veterinary practice
OCTOBER 2021
" A lot of people go into veterinary
medicine to work with animals, not
people. We're extreme introverts but
we need extroverts, who like to work
with people, on the front line. "
Heather Prendergast, RVT, CVPM, SPHR
turnover rates at 23%, human medical
practices at an overall rate of 7% and frontoffice
turnover from 11% to 35% (depending
on practice size, specialty and other
factors). In comparison, the average rate
hovers at 25% for " voluntary turnover. "
Considering high turnover rates for veterinary
staff members, who influence operational
flow, it's not a surprise that about
60% of veterinary practices are inefficient,
according to a study from the AVMA.4
Could holding on to front-office staff
help improve that equation?
Prendergast believes so and recommends
that managers reassess how they (and the
practice owners) see the front-office team
and create pathways for career growth.
If managers help front-office team members
understand how the role they play
contributes to (or hinders) practice efficiency,
productivity, and profitability, they
will cultivate employees who take pride
in what they do and understand how their
work supports the clinic or hospital's mission,
vision, and values, she explained.
" It can be a career; it doesn't need to be
just a job, " Prendergast added.
Investing wisely
In her book Front Office Management for
the Veterinary Team, now in its third printing,
Prendergast notes the value of a welltrained,
knowledgeable front-office team
member,
who
understands
scheduling
nuances (time required for well vs. sick visits
and clients who arrive with lists of questions)
and how that affects operational flow.
" You can increase revenue when you
utilize these team members effectively, "
she noted.
The reverse is also true. Consider the
delays prompted by scheduling mistakes
and the number of clients who are inconvenienced
as a result. Another example: If
Service
Most agree that client expectations for
service-and their reactions to what they
perceive as a lack of attention to their
needs-have changed.
" Customer meanness has gotten worse, "
said Prendergast.
Hertz agreed. " Whether we're at a
Chick-fil-A or on a flight, we have high
expectations for customer
con gtinued
11
a front-office staff member doesn't take
and share good notes from intake conversations,
the clinical care team must repeat
the same questions, which irritates clients
and wastes valuable exam time.
Prendergast has seen practices that break
the mold and have tenured front-office professionals.
The secret sauce? " They walk in
the client's shoes and have ownership of the
client experience, " she said. That experience
starts with building relationships and extends
to a willingness to have difficult conversations
about prices, service, and more.
" We need to step up our game, " and
make sure our front-office team members
have the right answers, are honest and
transparent, and like dealing with people,
she said. " A lot of people go into veterinary
medicine to work with animals,
not people, " Prendergast added. " We're
extreme introverts but we need extroverts,
who like to work with people, on the
front line. "
The reality, however, is that people are
more likely to hire someone who is like
them and since some veterinary associates
manage front-office staff that might mean
they're hiring introverts, who aren't comfortable
or trained to have difficult conversations.
Couple that with someone who
is willing to take $10 to $16 an hour and
gets very little training, and practices inadvertently
put a revolving door in motion.
Pulse - October 2021

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