Waiting Room Poster V2

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Braden Collins — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 06:01:45 GMT

If no-one is complaining about a clinic's fees, they are too cheap.

They have removed the after hours obligation here in WA, which was OK until the corporates started coming in. They removed it so the single practitioners in rural areas could still have a life, but it has meant we now have a corporate practice locally who doesn't do any on call and we get left to pick up their work. We're considering introducing an after hours registration fee as our vets are getting hammered some nights with multiple one-vet practices also sending their stuff our way.

The nearest dedicated after hours clinic is around 120km away.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Anthony Todd — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 23:13:17 GMT

[quote user="Joyce Whitehead"]Anthony, i think all practices using an out of hours service pay a fee, I have no idea how much as we don't use one. [/quote]

Anyone have any examples?

Sorry, I thought that had gone with the advent of 24hour vets and Vets Now etc. but I have no facts.

[still think it's a big plus for your clients if they know, in an emergency, they'll see their usual vet]

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Joyce Whitehead — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 22:47:39 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]Sorry, sorry, I didn't realise you did your own OOH and I thought this was a generic template for any practice.[/quote]

You are aware, I assume, that those of us who do not cover their own OOH pay another practice quite handsomely for the privilege of having their evenings and weekends undisturbed? 24 hour cover still carries a cost.

[/quote]

Indeed Gillian, which is why I suggested including it in the poster, as one way or another, 24 hour cover is expensive. Anthony, i think all practices using an out of hours service pay a fee, I have no idea how much as we don't use one.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Anthony Todd — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 22:36:00 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]you are aware, I assume, that those of us who do not cover their own OOH pay another practice quite handsomely for the privilege of having their evenings and weekends undisturbed? 24 hour cover still carries a cost.[/quote]

and your point is??

Or is this a line for Arlo's generic poster for waiting rooms?

I didn't realise 24 hour vets charged a fee to their referees?? I thought the "night fee" to the client did that??

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 20:21:24 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]Sorry, sorry, I didn't realise you did your own OOH and I thought this was a generic template for any practice.[/quote]

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 18:17:08 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]I soooooo disagree with you![/quote]

Its ok I will agree to disagree. Up here the moaners are the tight wads with no insurance and an unexpected problem/bill. They are often rude and offensive to receptionists nurses and female vets , not me ,because i am bigger than them. I really feel your over thinking this unless its just a southern thing.

[/quote]80% of clients moan about the fees and they include those who think the world owes them a living because they're too thick/lazy to get a job and those who are loaded because they don't like spending it. Don't forget the 80/20 rule - most of your income comes from the 20% who don't moan but we tend to forget about them. Our nurses have made a display explaining the cost of veterinary treatment and at the centre of it is the most important message: 'If you can't afford a vet, you can't afford a pet'.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Thomas Johnson — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:30:42 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]I soooooo disagree with you![/quote]

[/quote]

I suspect there are a lot of people who can afford to, and do, pay their bills without any complaints at the surgery, but then when discussing veterinary treatment with friends and family will complain about how much it has cost them.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

grumpyoldman — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:04:13 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]I soooooo disagree with you![/quote]

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Anthony Todd — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 21:16:45 GMT

[quote user="Joyce Whitehead"]I'm not quite sure what you are asking Anthony?[/quote]

Sorry, sorry, I didn't realise you did your own OOH and I thought this was a generic template for any practice.

As you do, by all means publicise it [as the clients will then be assured they won't see my example] which is a major plus point.

PS I suppose all degrees and certificates etc. will be a given on the staff list, including nurses?

[not you Joyce, I mean in the generic poster template]

PPS some places have a "skite wall" where there are framed "certificates of every course, conference, award, etc. etc. ever gained or gone to????? Not vets usually but hairdressers and beauticians and fringe quasi medicos.....???

Mind you my doctor has framed, signed jerseys of many Tottenham players past, and he's about 2 miles from the Watford ground????!!!!

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 18:36:41 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]I think your wasting your time really , the smart people ,the ones you want in the waiting room already know this information ,the retards, about 5% of the population ,but sometimes more cant read and do not care ,they are just jealous of your car and house .A poster is not going to change that . I prefer one that says "jealous of the vet ? .....unlucky should have worked harder at school !".[/quote]

I soooooo disagree with you!

The sort of people I mix with and meet are (I would assume) the sort of people you'd want in the waiting room. Generally well-educated, want good care for their dog and not short of a bob or two to pay for it.

I find that whenever I'm asked what I do in life, the very first thing that everyone says is: 'Gosh vets are expensive' (to which I have a pretty well-practised spiel about the length of training, debt, overheads, low salaries, hours, and how veterinary care is actually a bloody steal).

Anyway, these people don't mean expensive per se. Most of them can well afford a consultation fee without blinking. What they actually mean is that they don't see the value.

One can take a defeatist view of that, and say you'll never change things. And sure, you might not educate the 5%. But if a poster costing £15 (or whatever it ends up being) makes even a handful of clients each year feel better about what they are buying, and less likely to moan (either to you, or to their peers) then I would argue it's £15 very well spent.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 18:25:18 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]but many clients are unaware that they are paying VAT on their veterinary bills.[/quote]

Then tell 'em! Don't say "that comes to £48 please" say "that's £40, plus VAT makes £48 altogether".

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

grumpyoldman — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 18:10:43 GMT

I think your wasting your time really , the smart people ,the ones you want in the waiting room already know this information ,the retards, about 5% of the population ,but sometimes more cant read and do not care ,they are just jealous of your car and house .A poster is not going to change that . I prefer one that says "jealous of the vet ? .....unlucky should have worked harder at school !".

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Julie Innes — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 18:00:52 GMT

I think it is a great idea! I have so many clients who seem amazed that we have operating facilities (just because they've never seen them!)

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Bob Russell — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 17:44:44 GMT

I will get back to ezvet because the VAT number is on the mini receipt but not separated as it is on the full A4 invoice!

Yes the VAT rate is 20% and yes the VAT payable on a £100 bill is £16.67 but many clients are unaware that they are paying VAT on their veterinary bills.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 16:22:18 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]I agree that people should be aware that 20% of the bill is VAT! [/quote]

No 'tisn't.

On a VAT-inclusive bill, 16.67% is VAT.

[quote user="Bob Russell"]I have tried to get our PMS people to produce receipts which add on VAT at the end but not managed so far![/quote]

That's astonishing. It's one of the most basic functions of an invoicing system.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Bob Russell — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 16:15:45 GMT

I agree that people should be aware that 20% of the bill is VAT! I have tried to get our PMS people to produce receipts which add on VAT at the end but not managed so far!

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 15:32:35 GMT

Thanks Joyce Whitehead and Gillian Mostyn - good suggestions.

I'm going to follow a similar process with this poster as the last one. Put the content together, which everyone can comment on, then once we have something that seems to have legs, pass it to the designers to turn into something beautiful, then upload to third party website for production.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Joyce Whitehead — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 15:03:52 GMT

I'm not quite sure what you are asking Anthony? But yes we do our own out of hours, so it may well be me that sees it at 3.30 am. Or one of our excellent assistants. At our own practice. But I'm not denigrating at all those that refer their out of hours work, I'm sure we would if there was that option which there isn't.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Anthony Todd — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 09:43:10 GMT

[quote user="Joyce Whitehead"]The requirement to provide a 24 hour service all year round.[/quote]

So Joyce will always see your slightly sick animal at 3.30am any night of the year?

I won't have to go 20 miles away and see a European teenager with impossible English?

Too much information dilutes the message and most of that sort of stuff [viz banks and insurers] always looks like verbal window-dressing to me.

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Joyce Whitehead — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 22:05:02 GMT

The requirement to provide a 24 hour service all year round. Most people are staggered when I tell them this is an actual requirement, not something we can opt in or out of. Whether that is by in house 24 hour care or outsourcing, it still costs money.

Also keeping such a range of drugs in stock, some of which we might only use once a year but could save a life if we have them available.

And to channel Wynne, not everyone thinks about the fact that there is 20% vat on everything...

RE: Waiting Room Poster V2

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 21:48:28 GMT

Sounds like a great idea.

Another cost - the drugs. Because of the NHS prescription fee, people have no idea how heavily subsidised this can actually be.