Retirees are key piece of callback plan

In the early evening, retirees help Dr. Steve Bishop and his crew at Animal Care Hospital in Phoenix make callbacks, freeing time for receptionists to work on other jobs. "We initially hired a retired client to make past-due reminder calls three times weekly between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., and we had better luck connecting with clients during these hours," Dr. Bishop says. The callback workers record things such as files with no phone number, messages left on answering machines, and whether clients asked to be transferred to schedule an appointment. They also track the number of clients who've left the practice and their reasons, for instance, whether the client or pet died, moved out of state, chose to visit another veterinarian, or used a less-expensive vaccination clinic. "This approach lets us use our receptionists more efficiently—and both the practice and the retirees benefit," Dr. Bishop says.

Illustration by Phil Bliss