Being on the Frontline: Communication Challenges Faced by Client Service Representatives
(incl. tax)
The practice of veterinary medicine is heavily based in three relationships: 1) the veterinarian-client-patient relationship, 2) the relationship between clients and non-veterinarian members of the team, and 3) the relationship between team members. Extensive research has characterized the needs and expectations that veterinarians and clients have for each other. However, the profession has yet to explore in depth the second and third relationships: specifically, what challenges are faced by the non-veterinarians, and what tools these individuals need to be cohesive members of the team. This presentation will share the results of a survey that aimed to elicit the perspective of client service representatives with regards to common communication challenges they encounter. By inviting dialogue, sources of conflict between team members could be identified as the first step towards resolution. Common themes surrounding poor communication within the team included team member unavailability, departments as barriers, incorrect assumptions, and inadequate training. Common themes surrounding poor communication with clients included their devaluing of non-veterinarian team members and their tendency to become emotional. Strategies that were proposed by client service representatives focused on increasing practice transparency to benefit team members and clients alike; consistency in communication with less mixed messages between team members; and innovative approaches to customer service to meet the evolving needs of the consumer via increased use of technology.
Learning Objectives:
• Recognize that one of the greatest struggles in the veterinary profession is to create, manage, and maintain an effective team.
• Identify staff-specific challenges that client service representatives face in veterinary practice.
• Identify client-specific challenges that client service representatives face in veterinary practice.
• Identify tools that client service representatives have requested by name to assist their navigation of communication challenges.
• Consider additional ways in which your veterinary practice can better support client service representatives.
This program has been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.
The Australian Veterinary Nurse and Technician (AVNAT) Regulatory Council has allocated (1) AVNAT CPD point to this continuing education activity.
Recording from 28 November 2023
Ryane E. Englar, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice) is an Assistant Professor and Clinical Education Coordinator at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Ryane E. Englar, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice) is a 2008 graduate of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation, she spent five years as an associate veterinarian in small animal practice. She then became a Clinical Instructor of the Community Practice Service at Cornell’s Companion Animal Hospital and a Consultant for Cornell’s Feline Health Center.
In February 2014, Dr. Englar relocated to Arizona, where she was founding faculty for Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine. As an Assistant Professor of Small Animal Primary Care, she designed and debuted the communications coursework for the inaugural class of 2018.
Dr. Englar joined the faculty at Kansas State University in May 2017 to build the clinical skills curriculum for first and second year veterinary students. Her coursework emphasizes hands-on training with the opportunity for practice and repetition to build those clinical and professional skills that promote Day-One-Ready graduates.
Dr. Englar is the sole author of:
Englar, R.E. (Scheduled for Release In October 2019) Common Clinical Presentations in Dogs and Cats. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Englar, R.E. (2019) Writing Skills for Veterinarians. Sheffield, UK: 5m Publishing.
Englar, R.E. (2017) Performing the Small Animal Physical Examination. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
When she is not teaching or brainstorming new approaches to learning, she is a competitive ballroom dancer and artist.
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