CSR Training Is Finally Reality - BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL CAREER PATH FOR CSRs

The time was 1976. I was just starting my veterinary medicine career-working the front desk, cleaning cages, helping technicians hold animals, filling prescriptions, and reading fecal floats. In those days, everyone on the team fulfilled all functions of running an animal hospital. It was a crash course in both veterinary knowledge and insanity, and I loved it!

Today, much has changed in veterinary medicine; computers, PIMS software, technology, surgical techniques, anesthesia and pain management, pet insurance, financial assistance companies, virtual consultations, compounding pharmacies, CT, MRI, plus, new career opportunities for veterinarians, and practice managers. With my experiences over the past 43 years, I could write a book on the advancements in veterinary medicine.

However, what has remained the same is the need for more structured Client Service Representative training. Yes, we have all heard of this issue before, but as a profession, we have yet to develop a career path for CSRs.

I attended, participated in, and conducted many front desk training programs, drafted and wrote CSR SOP protocols, conducted training sessions, and watched our industry launch programs to enhance the client experience and relationship building, and still, the same 1976 client service issues are present today.

All I hear in the industry is poor client relations skills, difficulty retaining front desk personnel, missed charges, missed appointment opportunities, and client complaints (of all sorts).

For example, "my lead front desk doesn't understand proper phone skills," they never smile, always too busy even to acknowledge clients who want to check in or wait for an appointment.