Hi everyone! I know I haven’t written in a while -that wasn’t by choice. I’ve just been terribly busy. Since I last updated this blog, my hospital passed it’s AAHA accreditation evaluation -a distinction held by less than 15% of animal hospitals in the U.S. We are also about to start a major construction project, demolishing and rebuilding the hospital’s outdoor dog runs that date back to the mid-60’s. So what prompted me to sit down with my laptop and write tonight? A frustrating conversation with a client, of course!
Here are some highlights of the owner’s rant:
“I brought my dogs to you because I thought you’d be better than my last vet. You did a good job with my other dog, but I’m questioning you about this one!”
“How much is it gonna cost for you to look at my dog? You already took $1000 from me and now I’m broke.”
“So you’ll be able to look at my dog and tell me what’s wrong, right?”
“My wife worked for a doctor and she told me that those tests you charged so much for only cost about $10. It’s ridiculous that you mark it up so much! You don’t need to charge me for any additional tests you run.”
“Doesn’t the fact that I already spent $1000 there mean anything?”
Here are my responses, directed to only to this owner in particular, but to all veterinary clients out there:
1) Question me all you want. A good veterinarian doesn’t mind being questioned. I have always welcomed second opinions from a specialist to confirm my diagnosis.
2) I did not “take” $100o from anyone. I did perform a number of important and informative diagnostic tests. Costs were discussed and consent forms were signed along the way. I charged a fair amount for the procedures done and have spent a fair amount of time explaining and interpreting all of the results with the owner.
3) It’s certainly possible that I can reach a diagnosis for the dog’s current condition based on physical examination findings. However, the physical exam is often just one piece of the puzzle.
4) My laboratory bill would be much much smaller if all of my tests only cost me $10! I will readily admit that there can be a substantial markup on some diagnostic blood tests, but not the 10x markup that this client was suggesting. Besides, the charge for any individual test is not based solely on the wholesale cost of the test. If a client wants to figure out what tests need to be run, draw their pet’s own blood samples, ship them to the lab, and then interpret all the results …then I could just have a small fixed markup on the test itself. The fact is, clients don’t pay for the test per se. They pay for the sample collection and interpretation. Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of meaningless numbers.
5) I appreciate any and all business from my clients. I have told my staff in the past “Treat each client as if they are giving you your paycheck -because they are.” It doesn’t matter if you spent $100 or $1000, my commitment is to the well-being of the patient. However, money previously spent at the hospital is for services already rendered. It can’t be used to “buy” any freebies or discounts on future services. If I discount a client’s next bill by $100 because she spent $1000 at the hospital last month …doesn’t that just mean that I over-charged her by $100 last month? Am I crazy for thinking this way?
May 1st, 2010 - 9:36 am
Dennis, you are not crazy at all and I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s understandable that people get upset when they do not receive an answer right away (most people desire instant gratification) or if thier pet does not get better after spending a good bit of money. Plus, it’s hard to watch your pet suffer while looking for the answer and successful treatment. What many owners do not realize is that the overhead for running a veterinary hospital is extremely high. We are asked to play the roles of the primary care physician, the surgeon, the dentist, the phlebotomist, the dermatologist, the cardiologist, the pharmacist, the psycologist, plus many, many more. It’s expensive to wear all of those hats. I do not believe in discounts and agree that it makes it seem as though we are overcharging in the first place. People with multiple pets almost expect a discount. While it is a noble thing to adopt many pets from shelters, it’s also a responsibilty on many levels, including the financial level. Veterinarians and their staffs are notoriously underpaid and undercompensated for the valuable services they provide. If we do not charge approriately for the services we provide, this trend will continue.
May 2nd, 2010 - 11:20 am
unfortunately, no amount of money can guarantee a good outcome -or even a definitive diagnosis in some cases.
January 19th, 2011 - 6:08 am
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