"Speaking the Language That Brings You Closer"
It's a constant dilemma, trying to understand what your patients need, the service your clients demand and meeting the commitments of running a practice. There are those magic moments when everything flows and it is an effortless current of understanding between you and your client. Unfortunately, these moments can be too few and not too often. How do you build skills that build relationships with clients and become partners in the providing of quality care to the pet? Developing communication patterns that mesh with our clients is like any other skill, it takes preparation, planning and practice. For the few lucky people in the world who can instantaneously create a connection with clients, we give our admiration. For the rest of us, this is a learned process...

If you did not attend Paw and Order, a seminar presented by Charlotte LaCroix and Dr. Jim Wilson at North American Veterinary Conference or Western States Veterinary Conference, I highly suggest you do so next time you get the opportunity. Paw and Order, a take off on Law and Order, is a real eye opener. During this presentation they show a video vignette about a boy who contracts roundworms from his puppy. The veterinarian is a very typical "nice" person who loves his patients and has a great rapport with his clients. He is very surprised to find out that this young boy has contracted roundworms but is even more surprised to learn that his client has decided to sue him. The veterinarian truly believes that he has done nothing wrong. When the veterinarian's lawyer comes into the veterinarian's office to review his procedures, the lawyer is also amazed. The veterinarian has indicated in the medical record that the original fecal was negative. The lawyer wants to know what negative means. Does this mean that the dog was parasite free? If so, how could it be positive two weeks later? The lawyer wants to know what training the veterinary assistant has undergone to do the fecal testing. "Where are your training logs?" asks the lawyer. Of course, this is a foreign concept to the veterinarian. What quality controls do you have in place? "Is flotation the best method for performing a fecal?" the lawyer asks. "I thought that high speed centrifugecation was a more effective method." By the time the lawyer is done asking questions, the veterinarian realizes that he is in a lot of trouble.

Although this is a fictitious scenario, it is all based on fact and I venture to say happens everyday in hospitals all over the country. It is sad that we live in such a litigious society but we do. There is much that can be learned from "Paw and Order" but some of the big takeaways are:

• Never write "negative fecal." Instead, note "no parasites observed."
• Institute some quality controls in your laboratory and document them.
• Make sure you keep excellent medical records. If you discussed zoonotic disease with your client, note that in your medical records.

We use the phone every day. A client can sense a smile or a frown the second a phone is answered. Remember our hospital "brand" and make sure that those words are communicated in the way the phone is answered. "Caring", "compassionate", it's all in the tone of voice.

Everybody who answers your phone must be trained on your marketing program and learn to ask questions that will direct clients to the marketing program. When someone calls for an appointment, the receptionist can say, "Tiger is 10 years old. Have you seen any changes since his last visit? He's entering his senior years and that's when our doctors suggest bloodwork with the physical exam. I'd be glad to mail you a brochure on healthy aging , and the doctor will talk about it with you during your visit."

The key is that the health care team shows genuine concern for the pet and be ready, willing, and able to answer the phone in a way that demonstrates the value of each program.