Client Service Representative

Description

As the first and last person to assist clients, the Client Service Representative must represent the hospital by seeing to their needs in a professional, courteous, and reassuring manner while ensuring the comfort and safety of the patients. A client service representative focuses on client service and communication with the goal of creating positive first and lasting impressions. The client service representative must have exceptional client service and communication skills, computer literacy, handle payment and financial issues, ability to multi-task, friendly attitude and confidence to deal with stressful situations. Client Service Representatives support veterinarians, technicians, veterinary assistants, and kennel staff in daily patient and client care. They communicate with clients in person and by phone and e-mail.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: Reports directly to the Client Experience Manager and Hospital Administrator.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:

• Client Relations
• Ability to easily remember client and patient names and in turn greet clients and pets by name with poise and natural effort
• Address clients in a courteous and professional manner
• Transition phone shoppers into future clients by providing them with descriptions of services first, offering to schedule appointments by providing specific date and time, routing to the appropriate doctor for procedural prices or offer prices for routine services (i.e. boarding, vaccinations, office visit, bathing, etc.) second
• Ability to deal intelligibly, pleasantly and efficiently with clients at all times, often while engaging in several activities at one time or when situations are stressful
• Answer phones in a prompt, professional, efficient and friendly manner using a multi-line phone system
• Receive and route calls to accurately and promptly to appropriate staff
• Receive and transmit faxes and emails
• Receive messages and accurately enter into computer system for appropriate staff
• Handel client correspondence including reminders, thank you cards, sympathy cards or arrangements and welcome emails
• Maintain a positive atmosphere in the front office even in the event there is a waiting time
• Ability to bond and form professional relationships with clients during interactions
• Make patient status (surgery/hospitalization) follow-up calls and enter conversation details into medical record
• Answer clients’ questions about veterinary services and products and provide knowledgeable advice about wellness, prevention and diseases
• Advise clients on proper nutrition, flea/tick/internal parasite preventatives, pre-anesthetic testing, pain management, shampoos, home dental products and other retail items
• Routinely check computer records for accurate client addresses, phone numbers and e-mails
• Contact clients whose pets are overdue for services
• Schedule Management
• Schedule appointments and surgeries according to hospital scheduling guidelines, working to maintain an effective appointment schedule, screening for emergencies and prioritizing cases
• Schedule medical progress exams at discharge
• Maintain schedule for bathing appointments and boarding reservations
• Admitting/Discharging Patients
• Admit out-patients and handle medical record entries accurately
• Admit/discharge patients for boarding, surgery, dentistry, grooming or other procedures and handle medical record entries accurately
• Weigh patients during each visit and record weights in medical record
• Ensure treatment, surgery and boarding forms are signed and an emergency number is noted
• Prepare estimates/treatment plans and be able accurately and empathetically communicate estimates/treatment plans to clients
• Prepare health certificates, proof of vaccination, lab reports and spay or neuter certificates
• Collect specimens that clients bring in for lab analysis, label and take to the lab area. Enter the corresponding charge for the sample according to the submitting doctors’ instructions
• Echo doctors’ recommendations when discharging patients
• Fill prescriptions and provide routine administration instructions to clients
• Ability to professionally communicate the hospital’s financial policies with clients
• Help clients schedule appointments when referred to a specialist, including providing directions, records and test results to

FINANCIAL:

• Enter accurate charges in medical record and prepare invoice for clients
• Explain invoices to show value for the care provided, stating all services and products provided before the total
• Communicate the costs and fees for services in a positive light while consistently support the hospitals payment policies
• Collect payment when services are rendered, including making change for cash payments, processing credit cards and taking check payments
• Verify the eligibility of clients approved for billing
• Balance cash drawer at end of day/shift
• Print or record the end of day financial balances, ensuring accuracy in cash, check and credit card totals
• Know fees for routine services

ADMINISTRATIVE:

• Note in medical records the details discussed during client conversations including the date, time, key points of the discussion and any action required
• Ensure the reception area and exam rooms have current reading materials (within two months of publication date) and are clean and odor free
• Maintain clean, neat and professional front desk and exam rooms, ensuring areas are free of clutter and personal items and any pet waste has been properly removed and cleaned (Note: Eating is not permitted in the front office or exam rooms)
• Provide new puppy and kitten packs, dental gift bags, weight-loss kits, etc. to clients when indicated and be able to discuss the contents and their importance / relevance
• Maintain adequate supply of client education materials in the reception area (i.e. brochures, handouts, business cards, etc.)
• Sell retail items and pet food

PERSONAL CONDUCT/ TEAMWORK:

• Maintain a positive and cooperative relationship with other team members and departments
• Display tact and respect even during stressful or hectic periods
• Possess a genuine care for animals, compassion / respect for their owners and enjoyment / contentment for working in the veterinary field
• Ability to work constantly in the presence of other staff members and/or clients
• Understanding of and ability to carry out oral and written directions

CLIENT AND EDUCATION MARKETING:

• Answer client inquiries regarding basic animal care and routine procedures
• Promote ancillary services such as boarding, grooming, acupuncture, etc.
• Have a thorough knowledge of nutrition, flea/tick/internal parasite preventatives and over-the-counter products to promote client education and sales
• Mail thank-you and sympathy cards
• Assist client’s in making appropriate decisions regarding optimum pet care using practice protocols on wellness and prevention

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• High school diploma or GED equivalent
• Customer Service background preferred but not required
• Recommended minimum of one year previous veterinary experience

SKILLS NEEDED:

• Fluency in SmartFlow and Ezyvet  preferred but not required
• Ability to work in a busy, fast-paced environment
• Flexibility in attitude and work habits
• Computer literacy
• Understanding of, or ability to quickly learn veterinary terminology
• Exceptional customer service skills
• Ability to maintain accurate medical records; clerical work
• Knowledge, ability and desire to educate clients
• Knowledge and ability to promote hospital products and services

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to lift patients and carry equipment up to 40 pounds; ability to lift patients or carry equipment over 40 pounds with assistance
• Ability to handle both dogs and cats
• Endure sitting, standing and walking on hard floor surfaces for extended periods
• Typing skills for input of information into patient records and entering of prescription labels into the computer
• Take safety precautions for exposure to toxins, drugs, anesthesia and radiation

Pay Range: $19.00 - 24.00