I Want My Records...Now!

• I Want My Records...Now (225.4 KB)

Mrs. Sullivan has been a frequent visitor to the practice for 20 years, picking up medication or food for one of her pets, or just stopping by to deliver her famous chocolate chip cookies! Today she has brought in her 12-year-old schnauzer, Benson, to have a tumor removed.

The procedure went well, so the receptionist is more than a little surprised that Mrs. Sullivan is extremely unhappy with the $875 invoice that covers the surgery, histopathology, diagnostic testing, pain management, and the dental cleaning that Benson received. Mrs. Sullivan demands a copy of her records and says she will not return because the practice has become “too expensive.”

This isn’t the Mrs. Sullivan you know. What happened?

Nurture Existing Relationships
Clients today have increased options and will often decide where to have their pet treated based on their perception of receiving the best value for their dollar. Consumers in general are willing to pay for services if their expectations were met or exceeded.¹

Over the 20 years Mrs. Sullivan has been a client, the practice team developed a very informal relationship with her. Whenever presented with a medical plan and cost estimate, Mrs. Sullivan’s response has always been, “I don’t need to know, just do whatever you need to.” Since the relationship with Mrs. Sullivan has been so positive for so long, the practice never forced the issue to review and sign the medical care plan.

Eventually, like today, Mrs. Sullivan’s agreement was assumed rather than solicited. While it’s great to be friendly with clients, it is important to practice effective communications consistently, including presenting medical care plans, consent forms, and providing client education to help eliminate assumptions and frustrations.

More than 90% of unhappy clients just go away and do not return to a practice,² so having a record request and client complaint process in place provides an opportunity to discuss dissatisfaction with clients before they walk away. In addition to losing the unhappy client, the client may continue to discuss their negative experience with others. Studies report that dissatisfied clients tell eight to ten people and one of five angry clients will inform up to 20.³ Word of mouth is an important marketing component as it seems to have a powerful impact on client behavior. In today’s business environment, word of mouth has a larger capacity for outreach and impact by posting their experiences on the Internet.⁴

It is estimated it costs up to 5 times more to gain a new client than it does to keep an existing one satisfied. In this scenario, the practice had a medical record request process in place that was immediately set into motion. The receptionist advised Mrs. Sullivan that Gwen, the practice manager, would call her when Benson’s records were ready. The next day, Gwen reviewed the client’s entire history, her recent experience with Benson, and spoke with all team members involved. Next, she requested a face-to-face meeting with Mrs. Sullivan; a 20-year relationship is worth taking the time to reach out.

Mrs. Sullivan was gratified that someone wanted to discuss the recent visit and accepted the invitation. She appreciated the opportunity to be “heard.” Mrs. Sullivan told Gwen how things had changed over the last year, not only because of the recession but because she had lost her husband. There was a time when money was no problem, but now it is a source of high anxiety. Especially with the passing of her husband, it is important to keep Benson with her for as long as possible. When Mrs. Sullivan heard her bill was $875, she panicked; if that is how much she must consistently pay for his care…she’s worried.

Gwen thanked Mrs. Sullivan for her time, insight, and for trusting the practice team over the many years. A team approach is necessary to help relieve clients’ anxieties; especially concerning financial issues (see box). Gwen helped Mrs. Sullivan deal with her concerns of Benson’s care and associated costs.

In Mrs. Sullivan’s case, what started with a complaint and request for medical records resulted in a strengthening of her relationship with the practice team. Maximizing client relationships results in healthier relationships, better patient care, improved compliance, and better overall practice health.

Healthy Client Relationships: The Practice Team Approach
It takes a team to nurture existing client relationships and grow new ones. Maximize relationships and reduce anxieties associated with poor communication with these tips:

• Medical care plans. A medical care plan (right, download at myEVT.com/handouts) should include the rationale behind the medical recommendation as well as the associated costs. The client has the right to know what to expect, before agreeing to a procedure.

• Client education. Taking the time to explain why a procedure, lab work, medication, or diet is necessary pays off in the long run by increasing client comprehension and cooperation. If Mrs. Sullivan had been given more information about how the medical services would help with her goal of keeping Benson with her as long as possible, she would have felt more connected to the process.

• Feedback on quality of medicine/service. Reaching out to clients provides insight into their experiences and helps them recognize their perception is valued. The face-to-face meeting between Gwen and Mrs. Sullivan helped save the client/practice relationship.

• Perception of value. Although it’d be great fun to be casual with all of our clients, details may get dropped and, as a result, the client may not perceive the value behind services. There is a necessary balance that practices must find between being friendly and being effective in communicating critical information.

Deborah Stone owns Stone Veterinary Practice Management (StoneVPM.com) in Austin, Texas. She consults with veterinary practices to help identify their goals and provide tools to help those goals become a reality.

References
1. 70 percent of consumers will pay more for positive experience. Straczynski S. Sales & Marketing Manag Aug 2009.
2. Word of mouth: Understanding and managing referral marketing. Buttle F. J Strategic Marketing 6:241–254,1998
3. The art of service recovery: Fact or fiction? Hocutt MA, Bowers M, Donavan DT. J Services Marketing, 203:199-207, 2006.
4. The microeconomics of customer relationships. Reichheld F. MIT Sloan Management Review 47(2):73-79, 2006.