Booking Appointments

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:51:31 GMT

Current Revision posted to The Practice Survival Guide by Arlo Guthrie on 1/7/2009 4:51:31 PM

Booking an appointment is not rocket science, but there are certain aspects to bear in mind before you do so:

Don't give the client too many choices, it will be almost impossible for them to decide. Ask what would be a convenient day of the week and whether a morning, afternoon or evening consultation would be preferred. Once you have established this information, give a choice of 2 times.
Establish if the client has a preferred veterinary surgeon/nurse. If not, try to book with the member of staff who usually sees the pet for continuity.
Establish the problem and ensure that adequate time is allocated. Write the appointment down if the client is with you.
Make sure the client/patient are suitably prepared. For instance, if a dog is suffering from cystitis, it would be helpful if the client could bring along a urine sample.
Make sure new clients know how to get to the surgery and offer a simple printed map with clear directions.
Any history from previous veterinary practices must be forwarded before the appointment.
Always check records when a client comes out of the consulting room - there is nothing worse than asking a client if any more appointments are required, only to find out that the pet has just been euthanased.