Education as a key value in our practice

When chatting with Gretchen, who is one of our amazing CSRs (customer service representatives) about things that we feel are important at Pennridge, one of the first things to come up was education. Every single staff member plays a key role in educating our clients, so this is a very important topic! The front desk team can sometimes be overlooked as a source of knowledge and education, but our front team is such a wealth of knowledge! Gretchen had some thoughts about it, and her perspective on how important education is to our front desk staff members is one that is definitely worth sharing! Below are her words on just how important it is!

Many times, the front desk staff are key to client support by providing information which can directly aide in your pet’s care. They can suggest which preventatives may work best, discuss prescription food, advise what is the best way to give medications, or what warning signs to be aware of, should we receive a call that Samson ate part of a chocolate bar, or that Fluffy might have ingested a string from a toy.

Every member of our staff has their own personal pet experiences and are familiar with both common and unusual circumstances, which can include possible emergency situations! Education is the result of being a responsible pet owner so there is a wealth of information and experience at the front desk. All of these personal experiences provide an excellent resource for support of our clients!

Recently when a major pet food manufacturer was unable to make a popular allergy free biscuit treat, (due to unavailability of an ingredient), I was able to provide clients with a homemade recipe for those pets who had allergies, yet missed treats as part of their daily routine. My own rescue dog has skin, food and environmental sensitivities, so after speaking to the manufacturer directly, I was able to pass along a recipe for those clients looking for the same product as me.

The front desk staff can provide a wealth of knowledge, we can suggest simple ways to save money on medication, provide coupons for certain types of pet food, or give you direct information on how to improve the daily life and well being of your pet. Just ask any time, we are happy to provide the knowledge!

Every interaction is an opportunity to educate, and we love teaching people how to be the best pet owners they can be! We are passionate about providing this service, and it is just as important as all of our other services – so the next time you call in, be sure to thank whichever amazing CSR you get on the phone! They help our practice be all that it can be!