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GP Communication & The Client Experience Module

Complete the following questions after you have finished the "Communication & The Client Experience" Module. These questions are required to be completed as part of the VRCE program.

Empathy and Helping Clients

How do you show empathy in your everyday life? How can you be a more empathetic person than you already are?

Compile a list of 3 non-judgmental statements you can use when a client feels guilty about their pet. Follow that statement up with a normalizing statement and then a self-disclosing statement.

What skills can you improve upon to become a better listener?

Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

Foundations of the Client Experience

As a CSR, you will need some ways to stay calm and focused in your day. Most of the time, you are multitasking and staying busy all day long. Think about what your ‘CSR Zen’ could be. Write down your thoughts.

How does your hospital create a calm and hospitable environment for your clients?

Create a list of companies that have given you personally a great client experience. What was it about that experience that wowed you? Also, list possible “moments of magic” that you could do in your practice to wow your clients.

After watching the video about the woman choosing her breakfast location, why do you think she chose Paolo’s over the first location shown in the video?

Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

Communicating Information to Clients

Make a list of 5 questions you ask a client in a day that are not open-ended questions. Write them down here. Then, rewrite those questions as open-ended questions.

Think about how you can use reflective listening at your hospital as a CSR. Write down those thoughts and examples here.

Post an open-ended question related to your job in the “VRCE General Practice Study Group". Title the post “Open-Ended Question”. Record the date of your post here.

Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

Thriving During Conflict with Coworkers

Think about an example of a time you had a conflict with a co-worker. What could you have done differently that you learned from this course?

Locate your employee handbook. Check and see if there are policies on discrimination, zero tolerance, harassment, and bullying. If it does not, talk with your manager about creating those sections. Offer to help from what you have learned in this course.

Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

Reading Body Language

Have a conversation using non-verbal cues only that you’ve learned in this course. See how much you can communicate. Then, try adding in a few words where needed. Write down how it went here and what non-verbal cues were used.

Have another conversation and use a different tone (mad, sad, etc), but have your facial expressions do the exact opposite. For example, cross your arms and frown while talking about how excited you were going to the mountain for a hike. Write down your experience.

Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

Intermediate Client Experience

Write down a few examples of compliments you can give to your patients to make them feel special.

Do you know the “why” behind your hospital’s charges? Think about why fees are marked where they are. If you have questions, discuss them with your Hospital Champion.

Take a moment now to go sit in the client area as if you were there for an appointment and observe the area with your new perspective. Is it soothing? What do you see, smell, and hear?

What are some ways your hospital tries to recover a client?

Post to the "VRCE General Practice Study Group" a way that you have gone above and beyond for a client. Or ways that a hospital can go above and beyond for clients or patients. Title the post “Above and Beyond. Record the date of your post here.

Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

Thriving During Conflict With Clients

Write down your hospital's policy on dealing with difficult clients. When do you get a manager involved?

Think about a time that you had to deal with a difficult client. Were you empathetic or sympathetic, and did you see yourself in their shoes?

Think about ways in which you could become more conflict-competent. What tricks have you learned from this course?

Make a list of communication mistakes that you may make as a CSR that you didn't know were mistakes until taking this course.

Make a post in the "VRCE General Practice Study Group" after reviewing the summary of words and phrases to avoid during a conflict. What surprised you the most? What can you do differently to avoid these disagreement triggers? Title this post "Avoid During A Conflict." Record the date of your post here.

Responding with Empathy

Read the following scenarios and then write an empathetic response in the following three ways:
1. Write a single-word response: “You must feel overwhelmed.”
2. Write a phrase: “You must feel up in the air.”
3. Write a “like” response: “You must feel like storming out of here.”

Scenario #1

A client has brought her pet in for a routine dental cleaning but upon examination the patient needs several extractions. You call the client to let her know what’s going on and to give her an updated estimation of charges and she flips out and accuses your office of being money hungry and full of mean people.

Single word:

Phrase:

"Like" response:

Scenario #2

A client has just been informed that her pet has cancer. There is a procedure that might be successful in removing the tumor, but it’s very expensive, and her pet is 15 years old. She is debating whether or not to have him euthanized. She’s had this pet since he was a puppy, and she’s really struggling with what to do.

Single word:

Phrase:

"Like" response:

Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

Managing Wait Times

Explain a situation in which you experienced a longer-than-normal wait time. Was the reason valid? How did it make you feel? What could have been done differently?

Write down five reasons why your clients sometimes have long wait times. How can you shorten the wait times for these examples?

What are some differences in exam rooms at your hospital, if there are any? Do you have ‘comfort rooms’ for Euthanasias? Are there feline-friendly exam rooms? Do you have one stocked with emergency materials for emergency appointments?

Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

Admitting Patients to Your Hospital

What is the protocol for a client who does not have the capacity to “contract”? Consult your Hospital Champion or supervisor if you are unsure. Write that policy here.

Think about all of the boxes you must check while checking in and admitting a patient to the hospital. What are you responsible for as a CSR? Write out the step-by-step actions that are taken when a patient is admitted.

Take a moment to review all of the different new client and admission forms your hospital has. Think about how your hospital processes these forms. Do the clients bring them in already completed? Do they fill them out before their appointment? Is the client asked to come in 15 minutes early to do so?

What is your role in triaging patient visits?

Write down your hospital’s guidelines for emergency patients. What is your role as a CSR in these cases?

Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

Discharging Patients From Your Hospital

What parts of the patient discharge experience are you responsible for?

How can you use the 3 ‘R’s of discharge to make your discharges more successful?


Please detail three (3) ways that you will apply what you've learned from this course on your next shift working at your hospital or three (3) things you will do differently on your next shift.

When you are satisfied with your responses, select the "SUBMIT" button, and then you will be able to select the "COMPLETE & CONTINUE" button.