7 Tips to Defuse Angry Clients
by Sheila Grosdidier, BS, RVT, PHR

What Makes a Great Manager?  This was one of my lecture topics during Our Personal Best XXI conducted in November on Amelia Island in Florida, and it seems to be the million dollar question that I am asked on a regular basis. As we begin another year, I thought this would be a GREAT opportunity to share my thoughts on what makes a great manager. My hope is that great managers will continue to evolve and those managers that have already reached greatness will continue to make a difference in our industry and in the practices they manage.

I mentioned during my lecture that there is no special recipe for being a great manager, but thanks to the wonderful opportunities afforded to me as a consultant, I interact with great managers (or great managers in the making) on a daily basis, and I would like to share my thoughts on what it takes to make a great manager.

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The Power of the Internet You know the power of the internet - "if it is on the internet, it must be true." We all know the power of internet reviews. Clients can go on the internet and write a review about your practice and people will read them!

We recently had a practice in California where an individual went on CitySearch and wrote a scathing review of a veterinary practice. The practice's new client numbers went through the floor! They were literally cut in half. It turns out the review was written by a disgruntled employee!

Protect yourself:

• The first thing I would suggest you do is create a Google Alert. Once you do this, anytime anyone writes anything on the internet with your practice name or doctor's name you should get an alert from Google and you can then investigate it.
• I would also suggest you "dilute" your internet ratings. There are some things you can do if you have a negative review written on your practice (see my article in Veterinary Economics April 2010,) but your options are limited. One of the best strategies is to "dilute" your internet reviews with positive reviews. Why not ask your best clients, the ones that think you are the best thing since sliced bread, to write a review? Print some of the more common review web sites on a card and give them to clients that you know had a great experience at your practice or have told you how much they love your practice. Tell them that you would really appreciate it if they would go on one of the web sites and write about their experience. Then, if there are some bad reviews written on the internet about your practice and you are not able to get them removed, they will be diluted with all the good reviews.
• Be aware there are many new internet sites popping up that allow employees to rate their employer. Sites such as jobvent.com and Fthisjob.com (no, I am not kidding) are becoming very popular. Employees are posting their comments regarding interviews, their employment and experiences. Your best strategy is to be aware of what is out there, keep up to date and, of course, be that employer of choice.

Veterinarians Exempt From Red Flags Rule Almost all veterinarians are now exempt from compliance with the Red Flags Rule following multiple delays in enforcement, federal court cases, and bills in Congress. Click Here to read the complete article

Are the Costs of Technician Certification Tax Deductible? Gary Glassman, CPA, wrote a great article for the February issue of Veterinary Economics titled "Putting the kids through school."

Briefly summarized, the article answers the question, "So if you have a veterinary assistant who wants to become a certified or licensed technician, is the cost of gaining these credentials tax-deductible to you if you pay the tuition?"

A practice owner can pay tuition costs under the educational program defined in IRS code section 127. You must:

• Provide the IRS with a separate written document that doesn't address any other types of employee benefits
• List all requirements of the program
• The plan must be non-discriminatory and apply to all technicians
• Amounts excludable from each employee's income are limited to $5,250 per year

Alternately, you can exclude education reimbursements from the employee's income as a working condition fringe benefit:

• The employee must choose job-related education that will maintain or improve current job skills
• The education must meet your requirements as an employer or requirements of applicable law or regulations

The IRS will evaluate the education on this criterium - Does the education qualify the employee for a new trade or business?

The bottom line answer to the original question of a veterinary assistant's education to become a certified or licensed technician is that the expense is not tax-deductible. Gary says, "Since the cost of education is leading to a license, the IRS has decided that it does [qualify the employee for a new trade or business]. Therefore, the cost of education is not tax-deductible."
"The IRS ruling considers the difference in tasks a licensed person is able to perform compared to someone who isn't licensed."

Mr. Glassman recommends that you talk with your tax advisor before making a final decision.

You can read the complete article in the February 2011 issue of Veterinary Economics on page 10 and it should be available soon at www.dvm360.com.