Quick tips to boost veterinary client compliance
Keep your communication simple and clear, and make the process as easy as possible for the client.
Clients may not know what a fecal sample is, so don't be afraid to use the word "poop." Keep your communication simple and clear. You want your clients to understand you.
Asking the client to obtain the sample at home is easier on you and on the pet. When you obtain the sample at the clinic, it's easier on the client. Weigh the pros and cons before sending home a fecal collection container. If the owner is elderly or wheelchair-bound, for example, it may be better to try to obtain the sample during the pet's visit.
If you're sending home a fecal collection container, ask the owner to prepay for the fecal test. This greatly increases the chances the client will return a sample. It also makes it quick and easy to drop off the sample, and it guarantees you charge for the test.
Always label the fecal container before you put the fecal matter in it. After all, one jar of poop looks pretty much like the next. It's also wise to always document a client's refusal in the patient's medical chart when a pet owner declines fecal testing—or any other recommended test—for their pet.
