Customer Service Representative

Customer Service Representatives (CSR’s) are responsible for greeting clients; scheduling appointments; entering client, patient, and financial data into the practice-management software; generating invoices and explaining them to clients; processing payments; and managing the retrieval and storage of medical records. This position interacts primarily with the patients and their owners.

• Know the policies regarding provision of veterinary care, treatment of stray animals, deposits for hospitalized patients, payments, credit, pet health insurance, and finance fees.
• Conduct tours of the practice and/or kennel. Before each tour, ensure that the facility is orderly and that staff and patients are prepared for tours.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding clients and patients for whom the practice provides veterinary services.
• Cordially greet arriving clients and patients, and address each by name.
• Explain special programs offered by the practice.
• Advise clients of significant changes in policies or services since their last visit.
• Provide clients with accurate and thorough information about all over-the-counter products. Understand and explain internal- and external-parasite products as well as diets, dental products, and behavior management tools.
• Escort clients and patients to clean, empty exam rooms free of persistent, offensive odors.
• Assist clients with unruly or unrestrained pets. Ensure that all dogs are leashed and that cats and smaller pets are caged. Isolate aggressive pets. Request assistance as needed.
• Monitor patients’ behaviors and note potentially aggressive behaviors. Use caution when handling aggressive or potentially aggressive pets. Request assistance when needed.
• Handle angry or grieving clients in a calm, reassuring manner. Escort complaining or angry clients from the reception area to a separate, closed room where their complaints may be heard privately. When necessary, enlist a doctor or the office manager to resolve the complaint.
• Discharge hospitalized patients and boarded and groomed pets.
• Schedule appointments for exams, rechecks, surgeries, medical procedures, boarding, and grooming.
• Answer routine questions or refer callers to the appropriate colleagues.
• Call clients scheduled for the next day to remind them of their appointments, appointment times, and special instructions, such as the need for fasting or withholding or administering medications.
• Call clients who missed appointments and reschedule their appointments.
• Assist Doctors and Technicians with patient assessment and dispensing medication to clients
• Manage multiple phone lines effectively; prioritize phone calls.
• Accurately record messages for doctors and staff. Note the caller’s name, date, time of call, return phone number, and message.
• Pull charts for incoming clients.
• Upon the client’s arrival, mark the patient’s medical record with the date and a brief synopsis of the reasons for the visit.
• Accurately file all paper medical records.

Responsibilities

• Ensure that medical charts or records to be filed are complete and that they include current laboratory test results, doctors’ notes, and forms. Ensure that records have been updated to reflect financial transactions, medications and products dispensed, weights, immunizations, and diagnoses.
• Receive deliveries; check contents of deliveries against invoices and immediately note package shortages or damaged shipments.
• Set up referral appointments and complete all necessary paperwork.
• Be prepared to handle medical emergencies at all times. Recognize the symptoms of pets and clients in crisis. Alert doctors and technicians to emergency situations. Provide information about the pet, including name, owner’s name, and symptoms. Also provide the medical record when available.
• Follow scheduling guidelines to maximize efficiency when booking clients. Properly utilize emergency or open slots in the schedule.
• Reorganize daily appointment schedules as needed to account for emergency situations and time overruns.
• Follow isolation procedures when greeting clients with contagious or potentially contagious patients. Using the designated products and dilutions for disinfectants, properly disinfect your shoes, hands, and clothing before leaving isolation areas.
• Schedule examinations, drop-offs, surgery, grooming appointments, and boarding reservations.
• Use practice-management software procedures to check in clients.
• Add new clients and new patients into the practice-management software as appropriate.
• Input reminders and callbacks.
• Know the word-processing program sufficiently to draft letters and modify and print forms or letters.
• Generate records of rabies immunizations for clients and town, city, and county officials.
• Produce immunization, health, and neuter certificates.
• Print monthly service reminders.
• Generate end-of-day reports.
• Know how to access and navigate the Internet to download email, find veterinary websites, order supplies, and access information for clients.
• Correctly apply discounts for employees, shelters, multiple pets, coupons, and complimentary exams.
• Process clients’ cash, credit card, debit card, and check payments.
• Accurately record all payments in client/patient records and in the bookkeeping system.
• Answer clients’ questions regarding charges, or refer questions to the appropriate colleague.
• Complete or file pet health insurance claims on behalf of clients as directed by the practice manager or doctors.
• Process clients’ credit applications and store them in clients’ records.
• Properly record and file deferred payments.
• Record returned checks and adjust clients’ accounts to reflect returned-check fees.
• Issue updated invoices to clients, including appropriate finance charges, and show accurate balances due on their accounts.

Education/Background

The position requires the completion of a high-school degree. Must have at least three years of experience in customer service. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in Veterinary medicine or post-secondary education. CSR’s must be competent in the English language, patient, and display a pleasant demeanor. Must be familiar with relevant business standards and best business practices. CSR’s must be familiar with Microsoft Office, have the ability to communicate via e-mail and utilize the internet.

CSR’s must possess strong organizational skills, excellent telephone and in-person communication skills, excellent written communication skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure. CSR’s must have compassion for animals and their owners and understand the stress that patients and clients endure. CSR’s must be able to differentiate between routine cases and emergency cases.