Receptionist

Position Title: Receptionist
Reports To: Hospital Manager or Office Manager
Department: Front Office Staff
Employee Status: Non-Exempt
Job Summary:
Meet and greet clients and their pets. Coordinate and represent all facets of client services. To
serve as a good will ambassador for the hospital.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• Excellent client service skills.
• Excellent phone skills.
• Computer skills preferred.
• Must be friendly, outgoing, “people-oriented.”
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to work in a team oriented environment.
• Well groomed, organized and detail oriented.
• Ability to take direction.
• Ability to handle money accurately and honestly.
• Must possess sound decision making skills and multi-task while working in an environment of stress.
Education and Experience:
• High School Diploma.
• Must have experience working with the public, i.e. restaurant, retail or service business.
• Experience in a veterinary hospital or other doctor’s office is a plus.
Authority:
• Scheduling appointments.
• Effective determination and scheduling of emergencies.
• Authority to delay disputed charges until further reviewed by supervisor.
• Authority to resolve client service issues within established guidelines.
Physical Requirements:
• Dependable attendance is required.
• Any allergies to animals must be controllable through medication.
• Must be able to lift 40 pounds.
• Must be willing to work long or irregular hours under pressure conditions.
• This position requires the ability to walk, bend, stand and reach constantly during a minimum 8-hour day.
• Visual acuity sufficient to maintain accurate records, recognizes people and understands written directions.
• Ability to speak and hear sufficiently to understand, give information in per son and over the telephone.

• Fine motor skills adequate for utilizing office equipment such as computers, telephones, copiers, fax machines, etc.

Duties:
The following is a list of essential job requirements. This list may be revised at any time and
additional duties not listed here may be assigned as needed. Job functions and Job
Responsibility include:
1. Client Service
2. Answer Telephones and Make Appointments
3. Maintain Charts and Computer Records
4. Pharmacy and Retail Sales
5. Marketing Implementation
6. Maintenance/Housekeeping
7. Financial Responsibilities
Client Service:
• Agrees to practice the principles of the VCA Mission Statement, Three Steps of Service,
and VCA Standards of Client Service in the daily performance of job duties.
• Demonstrate excellent relations with clients/pets in waiting and/or exam rooms:
- Ensure that clients and pets feel welcome and comfortable.
- Serve as “Ambassadors” - creating and maintaining goodwill for the hospital.
- Build rapport with clients.
- Immediately greet clients and pets by name.
- Quickly understand client needs and initiate the process of meeting those needs.
- Help new clients completely fill out the registration form. Inform new clients about services, etc. that your hospital offers.
- If there is a delay, i.e., the doctor is behind schedule, keep clients informed of
expected waiting time.
- Know enough about general animal husbandry and pet care to be able to educate clients and to answer non-medical questions that the client may have or to inform them of things their pet may need:
- General dietary requirements and feeding schedules.
- Vaccines.
- Dental care instructions.
- Routine laboratory tests (i.e. stool exams, heartworm tests, urinalysis, leukemia tests, etc.).
- Heartworm preventatives.
- Housebreaking techniques.
- General flea and tick control.
• Generate, present and explain fee estimates for treatment/surgery to clients.
• Handles client complaints with concern and diplomacy.
• Accurately communicates medical/surgical information to clients.
• Send client cards and letters, i.e., thank you notes, sympathy cards, welcome cards, as directed by management team.
• Prepare, distribute and explain client education materials.
Answer Telephones and Make Appointments:
• Exhibit a “come in now” attitude towards clients and patients.
• Answers telephone promptly.
• Encourage the client to make an appointment if the pet has any problem that is concerning to either the client or you.
• Schedule appointments and other patient visits in appointment book, including re-check appointments, surgeries, and drop offs.
• Reschedule any missed appointments.
• Understand and use excellent telephone etiquette.
• Call clients to confirm appointments, remind of missed appointments and laboratory results as well as callbacks for procedures performed.
• Refuse to diagnose pet health care problems over the telephone.
Maintain Charts and Computer Records:
• Keep charts and computer records updated with current client and patient information, i.e. address or telephone number and/or vaccine due dates, other reminders, age, etc.
• Prepare charts for new clients and/patients.
• Prepare charts for patients prior to appointment including all necessary forms, authorizations, and instructions as necessary.
• Handwriting must be neat and legible.
• Open an order or start an invoice as each client enters the hospital. Recommend any needed service, i.e. vaccinations, heartworm testing, etc.
• Calculate client’s invoice and collect payment.
• File charts in appropriate areas as needed.
• Do routine computer reports and backups.
Pharmacy and Retail Sales:
• Understand the benefits of the retail products we offer and how they are used. Must be
able to promote them to our clients.
- Dietary products.
- Flea products and shampoos.
• Fill prescriptions and dispense medications as directed by a veterinarian.
• Explain prescription directions to clients.
Marketing Implementation:
• Understand, participate, promote and support planned VCA marketing events and programs.
• Present marketing promotions to clients in a professional manner.
Housekeeping/Maintenance:
• Verify that the front desk, reception area, waiting areas, and exam rooms are neat and clean at all time.
• Periodically check the outside of the hospital for feces, urine, etc. and keep clean and neat. Also examine glass doors and windows for smudges and clean when necessary.
• Keep the client refreshment area in the hospital stocked, operational, neat and clean at all times.
• Keep your appearance always clean and neat.
• Wear your nametag and a clean, pressed uniform at all times.
• Endeavor to keep the waiting area reading and educational materials current and orderly.
• Keep office plants watered as needed.
Financial Responsibilities:
• Verify that all provided services and/or products have been accurately entered in the computer on the client’s order/invoice and under the correct employee number.
• Collect deposits and payments for services at the time they are rendered.
- Clients should pay their bill before they leave the hospital.
- Follow appropriate protocol, i.e., credit applications, promissory notes and approval by veterinarian, in cases where clients cannot pay their balance at the time of dismissal.
• Print receipt and give to client for each visit.
• Balance the cash drawer with the computer summary report accurately.
• Prepare deposit slips and/or cash balancing worksheet for the daily bank deposit as directed by the Hospital/Office Manager.
• Keep cash/checks, etc. secure at all times.

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Benefits: We offer competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision and paid vacation/sick days, 401(k), generous employee pet discounts and more!The information in this position description indicates the general nature and level of work to be performed. It is not designed to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of associates assigned to this job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, change in personnel, workload, or technical development).We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer - Veterans / Disabled. For a complete EEO statement please see our career page at vcacareers.com.