Practice Managers
Organise and control the functions and resources of health, legal, veterinary and other practices, including administrative systems and practice personnel.
A packed Tuesday at the clinic
You are the practice manager of a veterinary clinic on a busy morning, with a full diary, an emergency on the way and a new receptionist on shift. It is 8:30am. The waiting room is filling and the phone is ringing. You are about to find out which parts of your systems hold up under pressure.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
I have just been told a pet is on its way in as an emergency, and I need to take it straight in. That means my next eight appointments will run late. Can you manage that? I do not have time to talk to anyone.
Tell him you will handle it, and speak to the waiting clients yourself with a clear plan
Dr Ellery goes into the treatment room without distraction. You tell the waiting room what is happening, offer choices and move some bookings. Clear and early news keeps people patient.
Ask him to see the first two patients quickly before the emergency, to keep the schedule closer
The emergency waits a few minutes longer than it should, and the vet is distracted. Squeezing the routine in ahead of an emergency puts the wrong thing first.
Say you will get the second vet in as soon as possible and say nothing else to the clients yet
Getting cover is a good idea, but the waiting room sits for half an hour without an explanation. Clients tolerate delays when they know why.
A client is very upset about waiting and says she is going to leave a terrible review. I tried to explain, but she is getting louder. I am not sure what I am allowed to say. Can you take over?
Take over, listen calmly, acknowledge the delay and offer a choice of rebooking or waiting
The client calms down and chooses to reschedule. Dylan has seen how it is done, though you could also have coached him to try one more time with you beside him.
Stand beside Dylan and help him try again, with simple words and clear choices
Dylan says it again, calmly, and the client softens. He feels capable and learns a skill he will use for years. Supported practice is better than being rescued.
Tell Dylan to ignore the review threat and carry on with the next client
The client leaves, then writes a harsh review that nobody has responded to. Ignoring an upset person rarely makes them go away.
My old cat needs a procedure, and the quote is more than I can manage at once. I do not want to put her through anything painful, but I cannot walk away from her either. What are my options?
Tell him the price is the price, and that he must decide today
He leaves in tears, and the cat does not get the care she needs. A conversation about options does not have to become a debate about money.
Sit with him, listen, ask the vet to explain the options and offer a payment plan if the clinic has one
Dr Ellery explains the options plainly, and with a payment plan the family can afford the right treatment. Practice management is also about treating people with kindness.
Give him a leaflet about pet insurance and suggest he think about it
The leaflet is useful for the future, but he has a cat who needs help now, and he leaves with a leaflet and no plan. Answer the question in front of you first.
How it went
By evening the diary is caught up and the dog is resting at home. A practice manager keeps the people, the paperwork and the pet owners all moving together so the vets can focus on animals. Would you like to be the person who makes that possible?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The emergency that blew up the day
A fictional case set in a fictional veterinary clinic in a busy suburb, with a team of vets, nurses and reception staff.
The situation
Fatima Rahman managed the Greenfield Veterinary Clinic. On a Tuesday morning, a distressed owner arrived with a dog that had eaten something it should not have. The clinic's only available vet, Dr Cho, had to drop everything. Eight appointments were booked for the next two hours. Waiting clients were getting restless, and a new receptionist, Dylan, did not know what to say to them.
What they did
Fatima stepped to the front desk and spoke to the waiting clients herself, explaining there was an emergency and giving honest estimates. She offered each person a choice: wait, reschedule or see the second vet who was due at noon. She asked a nurse to call the afternoon bookings to move them. She showed Dylan a short script for what to say, and stayed beside him for the first few calls.
How it turned out
Most clients were understanding, and a few were not. The dog recovered. Fatima later wrote a short guide for the front desk on how to handle delays, and made sure Dr Cho was given a proper break after a hard morning.
What would you do?
- Why do you think Fatima took the front desk herself at the start?
- How would you speak to a client who is angry about a delay?
- What would help a new receptionist feel ready for a day like this?