Educating your clients from A to Z reviews "how to" properly and thoroughly understand the communication skills needed to effectively and efficiently speak with clients and the veterinary team. Learning the art of communication is a skill that is commonly missed and over-looked when studying the science of veterinary medicine. Learning how to talk to owners, communicating with team members, and knowing how to deal with conflict, are important aspects of any job, but never more so than in the veterinary clinic. The ability to communicate effectively is just as important as the performance of the actual care and treatment of a patient. If we can’t communicate what we need to do, how can we expect our clients and staff to trust us, and therefore let us do our job? A question to consider carefully as one reads this book.
This book fills a void that has been missing in veterinary medicine – that of effective communication. The author has set goals for the reader; to work as a team, increase communication skills with clients and coworkers, and to increase the quality of pet care by using good communication skills to prolong a pet’s quality of life. Client handouts are found throughout the book and are accessible from the internet and can be modified for free to fit your practices needs. These goals are great topics for staff meetings in order to facilitate on-the-job review of just how we are communicating.
The text includes chapters that address appointments, behavior, emergencies, grief counseling, money matters, over the counter sales, telephone skills and risk management. Other chapters address specific topics such as discussing heartworms, dentistry and vaccinations with clients.
Dr. Boss brings an invaluable tool to learning how to handle appointments, various situations that arise, and the art of communication though empathetic and caring techniques. I would recommend this book to anyone entering into the veterinary medical field, especially at a clinical level where daily interactions with clients are the norm. Caution: don’t be surprised if the book brings a few tears. What we do is important and even when the days are long and tough; it is nice to know that there are clients standing by that appreciate the care and love we give to their fur babies. A definite “must-have” for technicians and other staff.
Publisher: AAHA press, 2011
ISBN 9781583261538