The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast

This week on the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, a listener wonders if the brand new technician is completely out of touch with the realities of veterinary medicine… and what if she’s not? Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss talk hiring, interviewing, onboarding, and… yes…. What to do if the grass may actually be greener elsewhere.

Links:

Upcoming events: https://unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Editor: Dustin Bays

@Bays4Bays Twitter/Instagram

This is a classic! What do you do when change needs to happen behind the scenes and your team can’t see it? How do you keep them on board when all they hear is silence? Sometimes we can’t give our people clear updates on what is happening in our businesses, and that can be frustrating for everyone involved.

This week on the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, we break down how to approach “quiet change” and how to get your team to be patient while you work through it. Let’s get into this episode!

Links:

Upcoming events: https://unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Editor: Dustin Bays

@Bays4Bays Twitter/Instagram

2020: The Year of the Three-Legged Cat

This week on the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss discuss 2020 and what it means for veterinary medicine going forward.

Links:

Upcoming events: https://unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Editor: Dustin Bays

www.baysbrass.com

@Bays4Bays Twitter/Instagram

Dr. Andy Roark sits down with Dr. Cherie Buisson to talk about one of her articles on DrAndyRoark.com: 5 Little Phrases For A Happier Workplace. You can read it here: https://drandyroark.com/five-little-words-for-a-happier-workplace/

About Our Guest:

Dr. Cherie Buisson is one of the first Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarians in the world. She is an international speaker and author. She spends her time in feline-only practice, hospice practice and teaching other veterinary professionals about hospice, euthanasia and compassion fatigue. Dr. Buisson is the owner of Helping Hands Pet Hospice in Seminole, FL as well as the founder of A Happy Vet.

Editor: Dustin Bays

www.baysbrass.com

@Bays4Bays Twitter/Instagram

Dr. Roark and Stephanie answer a question for you - straight from the mailbag!

Hi, can anyone share resources or advice that I can provide for one of my newer receptionists? She is fantastic at customer service, but there will always be some clients that you can’t please. She sent me this message a little while ago: “Hey Meghan, do you have any resources you can share about how to deal with particularly rude and difficult clients? I'm doing my best but this is the second day in a row a client has made me cry on the phone. I'm trying to work on not taking things personally and not apologizing every 5 seconds but it's really difficult for me.”

Links:

Upcoming Events: https://unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Editor: Dustin Bays

www.baysbrass.com

@Bays4Bays Twitter/Instagram

Sticking your head in the sand and pretending this winter will be like any other is a mistake. There is a chance you are going to get sick and be out. Someone on your team is almost certain to test positive (if that hasn’t happened already), and the outdoor solutions (like curbside service) may not work as well in a snow storm as they did over the summer.

You don’t need a firm plan for these scenarios. There are simply too many unknown variables to plan for, but you should have at least considered them and assembled a basic approach that you will take if/when things go sideways. Making that plan is what this episode is about.

Links:

Upcoming Events: https://unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Uncharted Swag: https://unchartedvet.com/swag

Editor: Dustin Bays

www.baysbrass.com

@Bays4Bays Twitter/Instagram

This week on the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and practice management goddess Stephanie Goss celebrate 100 episodes by wildly disagreeing on what to do when a scathing review comes in on the weekend. This is a really fun episode, not just because the advice is candid and the discussion real, but because you get to see how Andy and Stephanie really work in their own team, and how they collaborate to get to the best outcome. Check it out!

Links:

Easy Marketing Wins Workshop: https://unchartedvet.com/product/marketing-2021/

Uncharted Swag: https://unchartedvet.com/swag

Editor: Dustin Bays

www.baysbrass.com

@Bays4Bays Twitter/Instagram

This week on the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle not one, not two, but THREE questions from the mail bag.

Links:

Upcoming Events: https://unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Swag: https://unchartedvet.com/swag

The Three questions we addressing today are:

1. I have a question about increasing office call/exam fees. (I haven't done this since opening) Do we just do it and then answer questions when asked? Do we tell clients before we do it? When is the right time? Do we increase across the board? So many questions… but the idea of changing something like this that we look at every day is overwhelming to me.

Thank you!

Dr. Talking About Money Stresses Me Out

2. How do I deal with clients who’ve been sent to collections? Do I automatically send them a termination letter once the account goes to collections, or just flag them in the system should they try to come in again? What happens if they get scheduled again BEFORE someone reads the chart (Shhhhhh… I am not speaking from experience)

Sincerely,

Manager who Hates Dealing With Money

3. Stephanie and Andy (note who gets top billing ;) ,

I have a situation in my hospital that I think I know the answer to, but I wanted to ask for guidance. It may be a topic too sensitive for your podcast...

The techs get to play their personal Pandora or Spotify in the treatment room where clients can’t hear it (especially during curbside when no clients are in the building). I have been letting them play explicit lyrics since clients can’t hear, but I’ve heard several rap songs drop the N-word.

Some context: all of the staff are Caucasian and we are in an area that leans conservative.

1) Is this okay to allow?

2) Is there an easy way to not allow this with making them turn on the non-explicit setting on their service?

I enjoyed your “How to make Saturday’s better” episode about allowing staff to choose their own music, which made me think this could be a topic you would have insights to share.

Signed “Dr. Trying To Be a Good Ally” or “Dr. Music Prude”

Editor: Dustin Bays

www.baysbrass.com

@Bays4Bays Twitter/Instagram

Dr. Roark and Stephanie "Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes" Goss break down how to coach your team through a changing practice in a changing world.... with as few tears as possible.

Helpful Links:

Team Communication Workshop (this weekend 11/14-11/15):

https://unchartedvet.com/product/team-communication/

Uncharted Upcoming Events:

https://unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Charming the Angry Client Workshop 11/18:

https://drandyroark.com/angry-clients/

Editor: Dustin Bays

www.baysbrass.com

@Bays4Bays Twitter/Instagram

This week on the Uncharted Podcast Dr. Roark, Stephanie Goss, and special guest Bob Richardson, president of VCP dig into the myths about wellness plans for pets. This episode is sponsored and made possible by VCP.

Now more than ever, pet owners need help budgeting for pet care and

treatment. VCP helps you connect with clients to offer the best care

possible. VCP, the leader in preventive care plans, also enables

practices to offer chronic disease plans to help even more pets.

VCP's primary goal is to enable care through affordable monthly

payment programs that build client loyalty and improve pet health —

all while supporting a healthy practice. Learn more about today’s

episode sponsor by visiting VCP.vet

Helpful Links:

VCP: https://www.vcp.vet/

5 Myths About Wellness Plans:

https://www.vcp.vet/the-truth-about-wellness-plans-five-myths-dispelled/

Uncharted Upcoming Events:

https://unchartedvet.com/upcoming-events/

Charming the Angry Client Workshop:

https://drandyroark.com/angry-clients/

About Our Guest:

Bob Richardson, president of VCP, has more than 30 years of senior-level experience with technology and services, specializing in billing, membership and analytic solutions. For the past nine years, he has focused on the veterinary industry. Bob has collaborated with veterinarians and leading experts to innovate wellness plan programs and membership clubs — combining people, processes and technology to craft a solution that's now considered the preeminent platform for implementing a successful wellness plan program. Widely regarded as a Business of Wellness™ expert, Bob concentrates on the business strategy for wellness plan programs, including pricing, wellness analytics, marketing, compliance and long-term program growth.