Are you speaking in jargon on your veterinary invoices?

Photo source: Getty ImagesWhen you take your car to the mechanic and he says you need to replace your intake manifold gasket for $113, is that a good price? Are you being gouged? Most of us have no idea.

Well, pet owners probably feel the same way looking at your estimates and invoices.

But you can fix that with your practice's software. It might take a little time to make the change, but it'll be worth it.

Speak in plain English on invoices

Very few pet owners know what a “CBC/Chem17” or “DA2PP Vax” are when they appear on invoices or reminder postcards. Identify your line items in clear terms so clients understand the service you're providing.

Junking jargon in popular practice software

IDEXX Cornerstone users can follow these steps from IDEXX Laboratories' Rachel Houlihan:

1. Go to “Lists” and look for “Invoice Item.”

2. Look under “Info,” which is the default tab.

3. Both hospital description and client description can be changed under “Item Information.”

AVImark, Infinity, Triple Crown and ImproMed Advantage+ users can turn to the setup screen to arrange how invoices appear to the customer, according to ImproMed's Hallie Detjen. You can decide how much detail you want displayed on invoices.

For example, most of you already know that you can choose to have a spay surgery display as a one-line item on the invoice, or you can identify each product or service that was involved in the surgery. Which is better? That's personal preference, but read this for some more insight into that.

Fortunately, most practice management systems let you create line item descriptions that only appear on client-facing communications (reminders, invoices, estimates, etc.). This could be called the “Client Description” field or the “Invoice” field, depending on the system. There's no need to change the description that your staff has memorized so they don't have to relearn procedures.

To get started, program your top 25 services or products as line-item options. Your receptionists will get fewer “What is this?” questions when clients review their invoices during checkout. And don't you want happier clients and receptionists?

Win Lippincott, MBA, is vice president of marketing and technology at Veterinary Practice Partners.