What’s in a name?

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Editor’s note: All names and businesses in this dilemma case are fictitious, but the scenario is based on real occurrences.

Competitive, cutting-edge veterinary practices are always looking to put their best foot forward. Pets should be capably cared for and clients treated with respect in an environment that is both supportive and professional. A client’s initial impression when entering a clinic is very important. Staff members and administration rarely think about the effect of a basic initial greeting. Employees at Ocean Animal Clinic recently had this brought to their attention. As a result, they decided to look into this simplest of veterinary encounters.

The previous week, a woman in her 80s came to the clinic with her adult granddaughter and her 6-year-old poodle. When it came time for the appointment, a young veterinary technician approached the clients and said, “Margaret, would you and Fluffy please follow me?” After an uneventful visit, the older woman’s granddaughter pulled the technician aside to speak with her. She said, “My grandmother, Margaret Thompson, is the matriarch of our family and a retired CEO. When you address her, it should be in a respectful manner, and you should not assume that you are on a first name basis.” The technician responded by saying that she certainly did not mean to offend and that this was the way they normally call clients into the exam room. The granddaughter said when her grandmother met the examining veterinarian James White, it was not expected that she would immediately address him as James. The hospital administrator agreed that addressing clients by their first name in a professional setting could be considered presumptuous and even rude. In many cases, it has become the norm in medical settings—partially due to privacy issues and the desire not to use a patient’s surname in a public setting.

This triggered a discussion by the clinic’s administrative team. How do you address a client respectfully without violating their privacy? The most common practice seems to be either announcing a client’s last name for all to hear or addressing the client by their first name. Neither of these greetings is professionally courteous, and to many may be considered rude. Several suggestions were made. It was noted that in some areas of the South, addressing a man or a woman by first using Mr or Miss in front of their first name was a sign of respect, such as, “Good morning, Miss Margaret. How are you?” Another suggestion uses a first name and last initial when greeting a client in a public waiting area. It was decided the most appropriate way to initially address a client is to simply ask, for example: “Good morning, I’m technician Judy. How would you like me to address you?” The client’s preference could be asked when their initial appointment is made and then noted in their record.

The Ocean Animal Clinic incorporated these changes into its client intake protocols. Several staff members felt that this was an overreaction to a problem that occurred so infrequently that it was not relevant. The hospital manager did not agree. She believed that every pet owner should be treated as courteously as possible. Additionally, how closely a client listens to information about their pet’s follow-up care directly correlates with the animal’s home care treatment. When a client is greeted professionally and courteously, they are more likely to hear and apply the post visit care instructions.

Rosenberg’s response

This dilemma is only partially about how to professionally address clients when they come to your veterinary facility. I don’t think anybody really wants to hear their staff yelling someone’s last name for the whole waiting room to hear and then adding the word next to it, eg, “Thompson, next!” This clearly illustrates the importance of small details. The most successful practices, and the least frustrating workplaces, attend to the small details. The phrase “the devil is in the details” could not be more accurate.