You'd be amazed at what you can learn about your team's client service when you walk in the front door of your veterinary hospital. You may see that nice "gift" left in front of the door by the Lab who was in for an early morning appointment. You'll feel that the door handle is still sticky from Mrs. Smith's 2-year-old with the lollipop. You may see that the brochure rack's empty and there's a thick stack of business cards on the counter from a dog trainer you don't use anymore. Peek behind the lobby's scale to find big hairballs. Listen as your otherwise-well-trained team members chat loudly at the front desk about their weekend. Even if you don't ever see these things, your clients do. And often they don't return as a result. Fix these front door problems to save your bottom line.

— Donna Bauman, CVPM, practice manager, Ottawa Animal Hospital; Holland, Mich., and owner of Visions Consulting