Working the Front Desk at a Veterinary Hospital

Hey Everyone!
My name is Dan, and I am a veterinarian. Today I am talking about the men and women that work the front desk at the veterinary hospital. This is one task not for the faint of heart.
Being a receptions at a veterinary hospital means you are a jack of all trades. You get to talk to pet parents when they bring their puppies on appointment and the next may be an emergency or even a euthanasia. The front desk staff needs to be able to emotionally meet pet parents were they are in their pets life.
What does a veterinary receptions do?
Answer phones and make calls. Being on the phone makes up a big part of the front desk wordlist. Pet parents call about everything from when vaccines are due to live threatening concerns that need to be seen ASAP. A receptions needs to be able to weed through the phone calls and get pets into the veterinary hospital based on their needs, and if they are not sure ask a licensed veterinary tech or the veterinarian on staff.
The receptions will order up what is needed for preventive care appointments. This means they will order up all the vaccines that are due, heartworm test, and fecal exam if these things are needed. This makes it really organized for the veterinary professionals to walk into an exam room and know what is needed for that pet.
The front desk team will also receive and send records. Because emergency and specialists are needed sometimes, records will be sent and received from emergency and speciality clinics on a regular basis to make sure there is clear communication.
The receptions will also come back to the treatment room at ask questions regarding medication refills, how serious a phone may be about a pet, and anything they need medical direction with.
This is a very busy and rewarding job. The front desk needs to be supporting their pet parents and also providing clear communication to the veterinarians and veterinary techs about what is needed.

[@wotan10950]

I’ve had the best and the worst front desk experiences. I think their attitude is a reflection of the doctor(s) at the top of the clinic. I currently deal with the best group of people; they are knowledgeable and empathetic. And that’s because the veterinarians set the positive tone. My previous veterinarian - the less said, the better. His front desk staff always wanted payment for tests that would take place in the future; I said, I simply don’t pay for services not rendered yet. And when one of my dogs was cremated, as they all were, the receptionist handed me the package with the same attitude as if she’d handed me a rye bread. No sympathy at all, she just returned to her personal phone call. I wasn’t really too shocked because the veterinarian was a “shyster” from the start. I immediately left his practice (it didn’t help that he botched a euthanasia for one of my dogs, along with one of my sister’s dogs), and found a great team of veterinarians and assistants. Btw, the lousy vet now owns a beachfront (the entire beachfront) on a Caribbean island. Unbelievable.

[@ibstayfly]

I got an interview for this exact position as receptionist at an animal hospital. I'm so nervous. Don't have any office experience. Honestly I don't like animals so I hope I don't have to have any interaction with them. I mean isn't that what the vetenarian doctors are for. I would just be the front desk person anyway. I just need a job
They make receptionist look easy but it seems hard. But obviously I know no job is easy

[@DanTheVeterinarian]

I am sure you will do great!!! If you don’t like animals now, you will by the time you are done. 🙂

[@ibstayfly]

​​@@DanTheVeterinarianthanks but I doubt it the animal part I mean