Using AVImark's note glossary feature

By Barbara Betsch

In AVImark veterinary software, the note glossary feature allows you to create and store note templates. These templates help streamline the process of producing consistent notes throughout several of AVImark's "tools."

The glossary categories and entries can be added in the Work with Menu, under the Glossary option. The glossary entries are easily accessible in most note fields within the AVImark program by using F7, or choosing Glossary from the top of the note window then selecting "View Glossary". Select the appropriate notes then choose the "Done" button.

Another option to enter notes from the glossary is to use a "hot key" function. From the note window, type in the Code of the glossary note entry, and then use the SHIFT and SPACEBAR keys; this will pull the text from the glossary.

These templates are also handy tools for duplicating text from one area of the program- such as Work with, Hospital Setup, or Reminders- to another area, such as the Information Search or the E-Mail Message Text option found in the Advances Tab of The Hospital Setup.

The glossary templates are easily accessed in many notes areas of AVImark, including the Follow-Up List, Client and Patient Instructions, Item Notes, Q & A Notes, and Medical History Doctor's Instructions.

Barbara Betsch is a senior technician at AVImark. Barbara can be reached at barbara.betsch@avimark.net.

Creating business strategies with AVImark

By Barbara Betsch

Is your company's portrait depicted by intermittent facts, figures and sporadic data? Is it difficult to get a complete and comprehensive picture?

This can be a frustrating experience when you're trying to develop the right business strategies to grow your practice, but when all of your data fits together like a puzzle, a complete picture emerges- making the right objectives and strategies clear.

Fortunately, you can use AVImark to complete your puzzle and fine tune your business strategy.

The first step is to identify the pieces of data that are important to your business environment, such as client retention rates, customer service quality, security, most performed services, and production by providers.

After identifying the pieces to your puzzle, researching and pulling meaningful data and trends becomes the key factor. Using AVImark to assist in this step will not only save time but also will identify weak areas and save resources. Running some of AVImark's pre-set reports can help:

Reports found in the Practice Analysis:

• Client Retention
• Top Performance Services

Report found in Work with Inventory:

• Inventory Stock (found on the Inventory Report)

Report found in Work with Reports:

• Production by Provider

Report found in Work with Users and Security:

• Security User Groups and Functions

Once identification and research is complete, the final step is to solidify the individual aspects to complete the final objective, and create the complete picture of your company's strategic plan.
Suggested implementations could include:

• Using V Surv (an AVImark Partner) to measure client satisfaction for your clinic
• Optimize data using Data Wrench, an MSS solution package
• Measure profitability with production by provider report
• Modifying auditing options in AVImark
• Adjusting staff security levels for AVImark
• Adjusting staff security levels for AVImark
• Gathering other pertinent information via AVImark's information search feature

Barbara Betsch is a senior technician at AVImark. Barbara can be reached at barbara.betsch@avimark.net.

Using AVImark's Discounts to Increase Customer Loyalty

By Babara Betsch

With today's economy, consumers are looking for every opportunity to increase the value of their money. Spending decisions, both large and small, are being driven by the growing need to conserve resources.

When faced with these conditions and the already competitive nature of the business, it is vital to find ways to not only attract new clients to your business, but also to retain the loyalty of the clients you already have.

One way to accomplish this is to use discounting as an incentive.

Your AVImark software contains a number of ways to create customer loyalty through discounting options. Depending on your practice, various strategies could be successful:

Use discounts to attract new clients to your practice
Example: Percentage off (on the fly) discount for customers added during a pre-defined time frame (Use the manual option of the right click discount in medical history.)

Offer loyalty discounts or programs to longstanding customers
Example: Put customers who have spent more that a certain amount consistently during the last five years into a discount class to recieve a discount off of select items or services. (Use client discount classes and treatment/item discount classess.)

Use both incentives to increase your customer base
Example: New customers that spend a predetermined amount of money within a certain time frame and by a pre-paid health plan to get the initial discount special and are placed in a special discount class for one year. (Use a combination of manual option of right click discount in medical history and using the complimentary discount class or percentage off feature using the discount plan table.)

With effective and strategic planning, AVImark's discounting feature can help attrect new clients to your practice and also help cement the foundation of an already loyal customer base.

Babara Betsch is a senior thecnician at AVImark and can be reached at babara.betsch@avimark.net 

Boosting Client Goodwill

By Barbara Betsch

A client's trust in your veterinary practice can form the foundation for a long-lasting, loyal relationship. and when you build customer loyalty, you create a marketplace advantage called Goodwill.

So, how do you build customer loyalty and goodwill? Basic communication is a first step, but active client interaction, loyalty, and goodwill. For example, AVImark offers an information search feature that can be used to identify clients who meet specific criteria. This could include patients who are due for certain services of follow-up treatments, of to target clients for seasonal email promotions and postcard reminders.

PetWise web sites offer enhanced email reminders and birthday cards, newsletters, and access through your practice web site to pet health records and client education information. And MSS Pet I.D. cards provide your clients with a handy way to store important health details for each pet.

Our goal at McAllister Software Systems is to help you gain - and keep - a marketing edge through easy, effective client communication tools. To learn more about these tools, please visit http://www.avimark.net/ and browse the Solutions and Partners pages.

Or, to investigate the client communication tools within AVImark, contact technical support; 877-838-9273, support@avimark.net , or via chat on http://www.avimark.net/.

Barbara Betsch is a senior technician at AVImark. Barbara can be reached at barbara.betsch@avimark.net.