A client-focused practice is a practice in which each member of the staff team is doing everything they can to add to the client experience. Becoming a client-focused practice will significantly improve client retention and referrals. To successfully make the transition to this type practice, staff members must adopt new habits and behaviors. This will occur only if the practice’s goals and client experience protocols are consistently reinforced with the team.
This can be accomplished through three simple mechanisms:
- Team Meetings: Regular team meetings (e.g. every one to two months) are needed to discuss practice goals as well as solve any issues and illicit feedback from the rest of the team. These present great opportunities to keep the team on track with what is important to the practice. In the case of sharing the goal of enhancing the client experience, the meeting should incorporate how each department or interaction with clients can accomplish this. The meeting format may include:
- Formally recognize a team member(s) who went above and beyond. (They may be presented with a gift card or movie pass)
- Discuss any issues and solutions. Ask for feedback from the rest of the team and decide on a course of action.
- Present a goal for the team (i.e. being more client focused) and outline how everyone will make this happen
- Open discussion about any client service solutions and ways of making the client experience even better.
- Present any new ideas or products being introduced into the practice.
- Recognize the team as a whole for any of the team accomplishments since the last team meeting.
Team meetings can be 30 minutes to an hour in length and should be organized with a clear agenda, keeping it positive at the beginning and the end of the meeting to set the tone at the start of the meeting and for the rest of the day/week. At every meeting, be sure to include time to focus on the quality of client service being delivered and how the client experience can be further enhanced at your practice.
- Team Huddles: While regular staff meetings are still necessary, short team huddles on a daily basis promote better communication for the day’s events and work to re-focus team members on delivering a high standard of client service. These informal meetings are best scheduled at the beginning of shift changes. For example, the first meeting may be at 7:58 a.m. and then the next one at 2:58 p.m. They can be two minute meetings where all staff convenes and the person in charge goes over the clients and patients scheduled for the next few hours highlighting any information which helps to keep everything running smoothly and servicing clients better. It might be, “ Smith will be in with Cody at 10 am, a very nervous cocker spaniel, let’s get her into an exam room as soon as possible so Cody is not around other pets coming in.” Remind the team about the little things they can do to “wow” clients.
This time can also be used to recognize a team member for doing something well. End the huddle in an upbeat way to send the team away feeling motivated and ready to service clients.
- Communication Journal: With staff overlapping shifts, it can be challenging to ensure pertinent information is being passed on from one team member to the next. A communication journal is a useful tool allowing staff to communicate with each other regarding information they may need throughout their shift in order to deliver a high standard of client service. It is a journal that everyone is expected to read every day at the beginning of their shift and it should remain at a central location. It could include things like, “Tuesday October 18th: the cat, Fluffy, is emitting a strong odor. Please be sure to apologize to clients for the smell – even if you do not smell it anymore.” Or it could also be simple messages for the entire team such as, “Wednesday October 19th: please ensure the back door is locked when you leave at night as it was left open last night.”
Encourage staff to initial each entry in the journal to acknowledge they have read it. The key is to make journal entries a regular habit for everyone. It is a tool to communicate information to one another with the goal of helping everyone do a better job in delivering a high standard of client service.
Communication may take some extra effort and time, but the return on investment (i.e. happy clients and referrals) makes it worth it. The point is to keep the whole team on the same page, and in doing so improve the team and client experience.