Give clients a prize for booking appointments

It's not always easy to get clients to comply with your wellness recommendations. So make it a little more interesting by offering them the chance at a prize.

When checkout time arrives at East Side Animal Hospital in Evansville, Ind., a technician escorts the client to the front desk to let the receptionist know when the next appointment should be. Many clients ask to schedule an appointment at a later date, which hurts the practice's compliance. So the team got creative.

Now, clients who sign up for a six-month or yearly wellness appointment on the spot can enter a monthly drawing for their choice of a weekend of boarding, a microchip, or a laser therapy session for their pet. "Our receptionists have had a lot of success with this tactic—we're filling up the schedule far in advance now," says East Side practice manager Helen Moll.