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If you’ve been following this blog, you know about The Opportunity, which is available through Partners for Healthy Pets and can be used to improve communication between clients and staff to ensure compliance with preventive pet healthcare recommendations. After all, the goal of veterinary professionals and pet parents is to improve the wellbeing and lifespan of their furry friends and preventive pet healthcare can play a significant role in accomplishing this.

The Opportunity yields valuable information that can be even more insightful and provocative if clients who complete the survey have established a trusting relationship with the practice. When trust exists, clients feel believe they are valued by the practice and are more likely to be amenable to advice and suggestions put forth by staff.

Client trust is essential because it can drive compliance, but gaining a client’s trust requires effort. Whether the practice strives to build trust with new clients or resuscitate relationships that are on life support, common-sense, relationship-building actions can lay a strong foundation.

The road to building trust begins with the following:

Establishing credibility: Because the veterinary visit may involve interactions with several staff members when meeting a client for the first time, staff should greet patients and clients by name and introduce themselves, identify the position they hold in the practice, and briefly outline their professional responsibilities. During subsequent client visits, staff should acknowledge how good it is to see the patient and client back in the office. When clients are remembered, they feel special, are more connected to the practice, and the office visit becomes more personal, which is the foundation of a trusting relationship.

Demonstrating warm: It can be a cold world, therefore, it’s important that the practice conveys a warm vibe. Helping a client feel at ease is paramount, whether that involves offering a magazine if the wait will be longer than usual or some other small act of kindness. If the client appears to be agitated, try to uncover why and lend a hand or propose a solution. Listen and respond appropriately not only to issues involving the pet but to other issues that may impact the visit. A smile never hurts!

Letting your guard down…a little: While it is important to be the consummate professional, sometimes it is necessary to be a bit less professional to get the client to relax. Sharing a brief, funny, personal anecdote shows your vulnerability and puts the client at ease. If the client is unable to relax, it’s unlikely that the relationship of trust will grow.

Practicing honesty: Honesty is a priority in all client interactions. Without honesty, there cannot be trust. Don’t fake what you don’t know, don’t promise what you can’t deliver and don’t minimize what the client deems important.

No assumptions, no judging: Making assumptions fosters a negative mindset towards others that is not always easy to conceal Negative assumptions about how clients will act or process information they receive can be a self-fulfilling prophecy that also impacts trust. Assume the best about clients.

At the core of any client/ professional relationship is trust. As staff works to establish trust, the probability that the client trusts and listen to what staff is saying increases. With a foundation of trust, The Opportunity will help to provide sharper insights into where the disconnects are in staff-client conversations. Client understanding and compliance can benefit from a solid relationship. The results obtained from The Opportunity can highlight additional work that needs to be done.

Click for more information about The Opportunity.