Is your practice losing ground compared to its past performance? If so, it's not necessarily cause for panic. Often you can
get back on track by making some simple changes. To get started, dot the i's and cross the t's in these five areas:
1. Improve the signals you send clients.
Are you emitting busy signals? We placed a number of phone calls to a practice I was consulting with to see how team members
answered and how they dealt with different questions from clients. More than half the time, we got busy signals.
The practice had three full-time veterinarians, but they only had three incoming phone lines. And one of those phone lines
was also used for the credit card and fax machines. It seemed like all three lines were lit up almost every time I looked
at the phone. 
Quick tip
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I requested a busy-line study; your local telephone company will monitor your phone lines for a week or so and report how
many times someone called and got a busy signal. In one week, this practice had more than 300 callers who received a busy
signal.
Many of these clients or prospective clients probably became frustrated and didn't call back. The lesson: Something as simple
as the number of incoming phone lines can affect the growth and development of your practice.
2. Invest in more efficient technology.
Are you still using a DOS-based software program and a dot-matrix printer? It's amazing how many practices have been using
the same software for the past 10 years or still aren't using a computer system. If I just described you, it's time to invest
in your infrastructure. Printers, monitors, label printers, and Internet access all need to be up-to-date and working well.
An illustrative story: At a practice I recently worked with, the only printer at the reception desk kept breaking down. The
paper would jam, the printer cartridge wouldn't work properly, and it sometimes just refused to print.
Quick tip
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The receptionist incessantly fought that printer. She often had to apologize to clients and offer to send them their statements,
or ask people to wait while she attempted to fix it. The time she spent on this printer was absurd and, of course, the problem
was affecting customer service, her efficiency, and even her morale. She said the owner was too cheap to purchase a new printer.
After discussing this problem with the practice owner that evening, I personally purchased a new printer for the practice—and
I was a hero! The lesson here: Little things can have a big impact on your practice.
Don't forget to think about software issues, too. Do you use an outdated version of QuickBooks to track your expenses? Do
you still write checks by hand? Are you using the AAHA Chart of Accounts? If you're better informed about the financial aspects
of your practice, you'll make more informed decisions—and the right software can help you track this critical information.
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