1. An estimate, in the mind of the client, is an exactimate.
2. The person who feeds tablescraps or overfeeds the pet will not be the person currently in the exam room with you.
3. If a client has to ask their spouse, the pet's treatment will not happen.
4. You will be held accountable for what you say, what you don't say, how you say it, and what the client thinks you said.
5. The client who is late to their appointment will be in a hurry.
6. The additional pet brought to an exam who is "just along for the ride", isn't.
7. An owner who tells you they will be "waiting by the phone for your call", are "easily reached" at the given number, or "always have my cell phone with me", will not.
8. If you tell a client when test results will be ready, you will be wrong.
9. Always double how long someone tells you their pet has been ill.
10. Anyone who is late to their appointment or know you're near to closing will always be "only five minutes away". Corollary: When they say this, assume, at a minimum, they mean football minutes.
11. Clients can relate a problem to anything that was previously done at your clinic regardless of how much time has passed. Example: "(problem: ie tumor, coughing, limping, etc.) has been present ever since (spay, nail trim, boarding, etc.) back last (week, month, year, decade, etc.)."
12. People will always double what they say they spent at the vet's compared to what they actually did.
13. If you are told a pet "doesn't like men", you'll find the truth is it doesn't like anyone.
14. If you have to carry a pet to and/or from a person's car, they will have parked as far from the front door as possible.
15. If the owner is asking if it is ok to give "Substance A" to their pet, they've actually already given it.
16. If you have the most accessible, easy-to-hit, Alaskan pipeline-sized vein, the pet will be the most uncooperative and fractious patient. Conversely, the sweetest, most easily-handled, cooperative pet will have the tiniest, movable, hard-to-find vein to hit.
17. The client will tell you the most valuable piece of information in diagnosing their pet while you are using your stethescope.
18. You will always be told that the poor dog with the smelly, matted, oily, tangled mess of a coat is scheduled for grooming "tomorrow". This will be stated no matter when in the year or how often you see this dog. Also, all of the problems with the dog's coat is not what it will be in for.
19. The word "not" is the most widely client-misheard word in a veterinary setting. Consider the following examples:
What is said: "This problem will come back."
Client hears: "This problem will not come back."
What is said: "Do not allow Bongo to run after surgery."
Client hears: "Do allow Bongo to run after surgery."
20. Client definition of "expensive": It costs something.
21. Scheduling Paradox: It is not important for clients to be on time, only for you to be on time.
4. You will be held accountable for what you say, what you don't say, how you say it, and what the client thinks you said.
5. The client who is late to their appointment will be in a hurry.
6. The additional pet brought to an exam who is "just along for the ride", isn't.
7. An owner who tells you they will be "waiting by the phone for your call", are "easily reached" at the given number, or "always have my cell phone with me", will not.
8. If you tell a client when test results will be ready, you will be wrong.
9. Always double how long someone tells you their pet has been ill.
10. Anyone who is late to their appointment or know you're near to closing will always be "only five minutes away". Corollary: When they say this, assume, at a minimum, they mean football minutes.
11. Clients can relate a problem to anything that was previously done at your clinic regardless of how much time has passed. Example: "(problem: ie tumor, coughing, limping, etc.) has been present ever since (spay, nail trim, boarding, etc.) back last (week, month, year, decade, etc.)."
12. People will always double what they say they spent at the vet's compared to what they actually did.
13. If you are told a pet "doesn't like men", you'll find the truth is it doesn't like anyone.
14. If you have to carry a pet to and/or from a person's car, they will have parked as far from the front door as possible.
15. If the owner is asking if it is ok to give "Substance A" to their pet, they've actually already given it.
16. If you have the most accessible, easy-to-hit, Alaskan pipeline-sized vein, the pet will be the most uncooperative and fractious patient. Conversely, the sweetest, most easily-handled, cooperative pet will have the tiniest, movable, hard-to-find vein to hit.
17. The client will tell you the most valuable piece of information in diagnosing their pet while you are using your stethescope.
18. You will always be told that the poor dog with the smelly, matted, oily, tangled mess of a coat is scheduled for grooming "tomorrow". This will be stated no matter when in the year or how often you see this dog. Also, all of the problems with the dog's coat is not what it will be in for.
19. The word "not" is the most widely client-misheard word in a veterinary setting. Consider the following examples:
What is said: "This problem will come back."
Client hears: "This problem will not come back."
What is said: "Do not allow Bongo to run after surgery."
Client hears: "Do allow Bongo to run after surgery."
20. Client definition of "expensive": It costs something.
21. Scheduling Paradox: It is not important for clients to be on time, only for you to be on time.
I literally laughed out loud, as I was reading your list. You are hilarious!
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