Vicky Gower has owned and managed her own mixed practice in Wiltshire for 10 years. She was one of the first non-vet practice owners in the country. She developed an extremely successful and profitable small animal practice based on a high level of customer service and reception skills. Having spent many hours at reception, and dealt with many client "opportunities", Vicky is now focused on delivering training and development to the most important members of the veterinary practice team.

Caroline is currently CPD Liason manager for Improve International. For 10 years Caroline worked in a busy four-person small animal practice, starting out as receptionsist then becoming office manager. Caroline subsequently joined the sales team of a veterinary wholesaler and has spent the last 15 years working in sales in the veterinary industry with roles in marketing and in-house training for veterinary staff.

Who should attend:

All veterinary receptionists; new staff who want to get an overview of client expectations and also those who have been in practice a while will equally enjoy re-visiting the basics and sharing new ideas with colleagues. Nursing and administrative staff also find this course helpful if they spend any time in the reception area.

What the course will help the attendees to do:

• Recognise client needs
• Communicate and interact effectively with clients
• Handle complaints competently
• Deal with bereavement more confidently
• Increase client numbers and retail sales
• Reaffirm importance of their role & increase self esteem

By the end of this course delegates should have a thorough understanding of:

• The importance of communication within the practice and to clients
• The need for attracting new clients and client retention
• The different thinking styles within the practice team
• The importance of practice procedures and protocols
• Being the important link between the practice and the client
• Basic sales skills

" I found this most informative and empowering and would like to thank you for making me 'feel valued'. Thank you both"

"I enjoyed this course a lot and learned a lot from it. Thank you for your support and time"

"Nice small group, much easier to exchange ideas"

"The course was very enjoyable, both speakers made it fun and very interesting. The notes were very clear, and easy to follow. I can't wait for the next course! Thanks for a great day! "

"We were able to talk to other people about pro's and con's in their practice. Tutors made us all feel at ease"

 "Good course learned a lot. Going back with loads of ideas"

"I personally feel more confident to go back and suggest ideas. I also feel more important in my role, that I am not just a receptionist. I feel I can get more involved within the practice regarding improving customer service, database, reception area"