CONNECTING WITH CLIENTS: A Talk with Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM

摘要

For this month's practice management issue, we talked to our very own Management Matters columnist, Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM. For 10 years, Katherine worked at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, Texas, first as a client services technician and later as the director of client services. Now, as manager of Fox Valley Animal Referral Center in Apple-ton, Wisconsin - the flagship hospital of Horizon Veterinary Services, Inc. -Katherine oversees more than 80 staff members in four specialty departments and a full-time emergency service. Although each division has its own dynamics and needs, Katherine sees one similarity - the importance of an optimal client experience. "Veterinary medicine is all about the people and how well you can connect with them," says Katherine. "If a person doesn 't trust you, you won't be given a chance to treat their pet." In June 2006, Katherine launched the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Practice Association (VESPA), an organization that brings together managers and employees of emergency and specialty practices. One of the goals of VESPA is to create networking opportunities for professionals in management.