Veterinary practices come in many shapes and sizes. There are some common themes found in practices, however. Perhaps you’ll recognize yours below.
Fire Engine Practice
Not an emergency clinic, yet everything becomes an emergency. You rush in the front door and start putting out fires. You feel and your staff feel you must get everyone in immediately for care, regardless of whether or not there is room in the schedule and whether or not it’s an emergency. There’s no time for planning or training. Everyone just grabs their hat and boots at the door, gets out the fire hoses and starts dousing the flames.
Symptoms: Energy Drains, Long hours, Clients Demanding More Than You Can Deliver, Low Client Compliance, High Staff Turnover, Low Profit Margin.
Staff makes lots of personal phone calls during work hours. (After all, they reason, since they worked through lunch, they deserve a break sometime.)
More “real” emergencies–clients don’t maintain pet’s healthcare program–clients let their animal’s conditions go too far
Prognosis: Early burn-out. Decreased career satisfaction. Prone to physical ailments due to prolonged stress.
EKG Practice
Practice spikes and plunges back down again. You work harder. Practice grows, spikes, drops.
Symptoms: Feast or famine. Chaos during growth and Worry during the slow times. Exhaustion. Frustration. Low staff and doctor morale. The Feast or Famine can be day to day, week to week, month to month or even year to year. Excuses and blame.
Prognosis: Staff and Doctor eventually stop trying. They feel as though their practice controls them instead of them controlling their practice.
Fly Paper Practice
Your practice accepts whoever flies through the door and sticks, regardless of whether they value your services or are willing to accept your recommendations for care.
Symptoms: 20% or more Difficult Clients, Low Client Compliance, High Volume, Low Fee, Large Margin of Single Service Transactions, Higher Overhead, Poor follow-through on re-checks, Lots of tolerations including clients who are late or don’t show up. Energy drained trying to convince pet owners to choose quality care.
Prognosis: Doctor eventually leaves practice. Doctor first leaves practice emotionally, while looking for an associate to buy the practice. Doctor’s goal becomes “hang on for 5 years, sell the practice and retire.”
Rx: VetCoach®
Whether you have a stressful Fire Engine Practice, a chaotic EKG Practice or an energy-draining Fly Paper Practice, there are steps you can take to put you in the driver’s seat.
Contrary to what other may say, you can have your Ideal Practice. Our time-proven, ethical approach builds your practice around you, instead of you around your practice. Take the first step to find out how you can decrease your overhead, increase your net profit, and enjoy more free time, less stress and more happiness.
Check out the Veterinary Viewpoint to complete your self-assessment. Or pick up the phone and call 951-313-7421