Mine your veterinary reminder list

You know the importance of regular visits, but some of your clients still don't visit as often as they should. Worse yet, they may even be missing out on reminders for care because they've only visited your practice for an emergency or their reminders have expired, says Mark Opperman, CVPM, owner of VMC Inc. in Evergreen, Colo.

"If you look at the number of clients who've visited your practice in the last year who don't receive reminders from your practice, you may be shocked," Opperman says. "But your veterinary software can generate a report to identify these clients. These may be patients you've seen for skin, eye, or ear problems or some other medical condition, but no one ever asked about their vaccination history. So your team never entered reminders into the computer. You'll never see these patients again, unless they're ill or need medical attention. This is unacceptable from a preventive care point of view. It's also an enormous opportunity for your practice."

Opperman also recommends searching for pets with expired reminders. Your receptionists can use this list to call clients and see if they'd like to bring their pets up-to-date on vaccinations and preventive procedures. For more tips to encourage clients to visit your practice, visit dvm360.com/doorswing.