Make no mistake: your front-desk team is critical to the functionality and success of your entire veterinary practice. And it boils down to their actions on a day-to-day basis. That’s why looking for the right receptionist skills and qualities during the hiring process is so important.
Here are four of the most important receptionist skills and qualities to look for in your candidates:
Customer Service Expertise
Your reception team is nothing without great customer service skills. At the end of the day, they are there for your clients and their pets — receptionists who can make pet owners feel that they’re the most important client of the day lock in those customers for life. When you’re evaluating receptionist skills and qualities, look for examples of great customer service in the candidate’s past. It will benefit your business in countless ways!
Phone Skills
Remember that expertise on the phone is another important factor when thinking about receptionist skills and qualities. Much of your receptionists’ best work is done over the phone, whether it’s lending a kind ear to a pet owner in distress, helping owners get their pets the care they need, or reaching out to missed appointments to lock in extra revenue. Consider adding a section on phone skills to your receptionist training manual.
Multitasking Ability
Receptionists will have to deal with multiple things at once while they’re on the job — a new client call while a Tech is asking for information from the back, a puppy crawling behind the front desk while a vendor is on the phone. So make it clear that the ability to multitask is high on your list of important receptionist skills and qualities when you’re hiring front-desk talent.
Flexibility
For the same reasons as described above, it’s very important for a receptionist to be flexible. Things can change on a dime at your veterinary practice, and no two shifts are ever quite the same. When you’re outlining receptionist skills and qualities in your receptionist training manual or in person during an interview, have a discussion about flexibility on the job. It’s one of the most important characteristics your new hire can possess!
It’s not always easy to find a new front-desk hire that possesses all of the receptionist skills and qualities you would prefer. But covering these basics is a great start. When you find potential hires that have these skills, bringing them up to speed at your clinic will be a breeze.
