In episode 8 of PetDesk’s podcast, Simple, Interrupted, we chat with our guests about the necessity of creating “CareFirst” clients and how to shape them into being “CareFirst” clients. We welcome Dr. Lauren Smith, DVM, founder of The Vetitude, which is dedicated to improving the relationships between veterinary professionals and their clients. Ron Sosa, CVBL, CCFP, is the current Executive Director for the Uncharted Veterinary Conference and shares his insights with over two decades of experience in the veterinary industry. 

The client mindset can be shifted! By utilizing education and proactively building a foundation for trust, veterinary clients can become CareFirst clients.  Together, Dr. Smith and Ron cover ways to proactively insert yourself in the client’s decision-making process and also how you and your team can help veterinary clinics enhance the client experience every visit. Subscribe to this podcast today so you never miss an episode, and share with your veterinary colleagues!

On today’s episode, we take a look back at a few great moments from our special guests so far this season as we tackled topics from hiring to team culture to dealing with toxic employees and clients. You’ll also hear from Nicole Clausen of Veterinary Care Logistics. She knows inventory like the back of her hand, and will be doling out some tips and tricks so that you can get a head start on your end-of-year inventory. Simple, Interrupted will have more veterinary industry-crucial conversations coming up soon. In the meantime, you can listen to all of the full episodes of Simple, Interrupted on your favorite podcast app! Subscribe to this podcast today to never miss an episode, and share with your veterinary colleagues!

On today’s episode, we switch from dealing with toxic staff and open up a conversation about toxic clients and how to handle those difficult conversations. You’ll hear from international consultant and The Jerk Researcher, Dr. Cynde Courtney and Founder & Lead Positive Change Agent of Flourish Veterinary Consulting, Josh Vaisman. Dealing with difficult clients at your clinic is stressful for you and your staff. How do you assess and what do you do? What can you say to deescalate anger or annoyance? The ultimate goal is to find a way to make it right in the midst of frustration and reach a level of understanding. It's important to avoid reactionary responses, remove any biases, actively listen, and remain genuine. We discuss ways to empower these types of clients and how to prepare your staff for these interactions to protect their own well-being.

Be sure to use these resources below that were discussed today from our guests to help you navigate client communication. Subscribe to this podcast today to never miss an episode, and share with your veterinary colleagues!

Flourish Veterinary Consulting

https://www.flourish.vet/

The Jerk Researcher

https://www.thejerkresearcher.com/

Code of Conduct AVMA News: https://www.avma.org/news/fight-contagious-toxicity-write-code-conduct-clients-and-clinic

Chelsea Jankowski of Family Pet Health Center in South Bend, Indiana (Idea around coming up with ideal client first and then working backward to the boundaries they want to set) https://familypethealthcenter.com/

Caitlin DeWilde's Social Media Marketing for Veterinary Professionals: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B92HRJQP/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tpbk_p1_i0 OR https://www.thesocialdvm.com/book

On today’s episode, you’ll hear from guests Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT and Dr. Phil Richmond as they talk about identifying  toxic employees and how to manage them. Whether they're the symptom or the cause, unaddressed bad behavior negatively affects other team members and develops into a toxic work environment. While it’s not all that uncommon to find, toxic work environments must be addressed. It’s important to not only develop strategies to identify the behavior, but to also create solutions to address it, and maintain cohesion in the workplace. Engaging in these tough conversations is not easy, but as a manager, it’s crucial to figure out a solution that works for everyone. 

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Staff retention, turnover, clinic growth opportunities. If you’re a veterinary professional, these terms have become buzzwords in the industry as they’ve become a growing problem among veterinary practices. So what action can vet pros take to keep their clinic staff and help them grow? On this episode, we dive into this much-needed conversation with two passionate individuals with well-established veterinary careers. Neda Panuska, CVT, and Talent Acquisition Manager with Blue Heron Consulting and Paige Allen, MS, RVT, and Assistant Director for Academic Advising of Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine.

Building a team by creating an atmosphere that celebrates them and supports their career paths is essential for your practice. It’s important to keep in mind that people can and do evolve, so evaluating what motivates each individual and determining goals together helps your team feel good, in turn creating a happier work and clinic life balance. By educating, mentoring and prioritizing training from the top down, and expanding the care your team can provide, assists in retaining staff. Improving veterinary staff wellness and support, improves the practice, which improves the profession, and ultimately improves the outcome of your patients.

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On this episode we welcome award-winning international speaker and author Amy Newfield CVT.  Along with Dr. Sarah Wooten, veterinary speaker, influencer, and creator of “Vets Against Insanity”. We discuss the importance of creating a better work culture in your clinic today and effective methods to retain new and current staff. Easier said than done, right?  

Listen in to get some great points you can bring  to your  management team to create good cultural shifts in your practice. Amy and Sarah also discuss preventable bad habits and toxic behaviors that often go missed. There are plenty of good examples to start building better work cultures, and it starts with involving your team and identifying the problem from a leadership standpoint. Getting those opinions and pulling out the trends are key. However, it goes above and beyond one conversation. It’s important to develop plans while creating an environment where people feel comfortable coming to you. Make those changes and reward those who are really making a difference in your business.  And remember: it’s a marathon not a sprint. 

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Hiring the right veterinary talent is a unique challenge, and a common struggle for veterinary practices is not only finding an amazing candidate with the proper skills needed to put care first, but also someone who fits in with your team dynamics. If you own or manage a veterinary practice, you may have questioned how to attract qualified candidates while competing with other practices. How can a clinic show their value, mission, and purpose in the hiring process amidst the hiring crisis taking place in today’s market? 

In this episode, you’ll hear from Andrew Luna, founder and CEO of Hound, as well as Rebecca Rose, Outreach Specialist for Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice. Along with your host, Mary Schwartz, they’ll discuss practical solutions to set veterinary leaders up for long-term success and find your dream candidate.

Also, in honor of Pet Insurance Month, we welcome special guest Melissa Gutierez of PetsBest Insurance to give some insight in how to talk to your clients about pet health insurance.

Check out the PetDesk, in collaboration with Pets Best and CareCredit, The Cost of Pet Ownership and How to Prepare September 2022 Content Pack!

Subscribe to this podcast today to never miss an episode, and share with your veterinary colleagues!

One of the biggest challenges the veterinary industry is facing is the commoditization of pet care due to the rise of big-box retailers offering veterinary health services. At PetDesk, we want to identify ways veterinary professionals can improve their best vet self by adopting an approach we like to call "CareFirst". 

So often we see the local practitioner up against big chains like Walmart, Lowe’s, or Petco for veterinary care. CareFirst is the mindset being adopted by veterinary professionals that embodies strategic steps independent clinics can take to guide their clients to better pet care. 

In this episode, we talk with David Liss, an experienced veterinary management professional with a specialization in all aspects of veterinary hospital operations, and Sam Schopler, a veterinary student working towards his DVM. Together with host Mary Schwartz, CVT they discuss what CareFirst means to them and what tools the veterinary world needs in order to fight back against big-box retailers and commoditized veterinary care in this ever-changing industry. 

For more information visit PetDesk.com/podcast and subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Our goal is to provide top quality and up-to-date information on clinical topics for veterinary professionals. We're hoping you find our content useful as we truly believe you can have your dream career. During the podcast we will discuss a variety of topics, such as the CareFirst Approach, Team Training and Clinic Culture. The format of "Simple, Interrupted" will be a discussion that is informal and conversational. We welcome questions and feedback from you to make this podcast as engaging as possible. Subscribe today to "Simple, Interrupted: Surviving Radical Vet Industry Changes," and you’ll receive the first episode when it drops on September 8th!