Veterinary Office Receptionist

Job Description

The primary responsibility of the Veterinary Office Receptionist (VOR) is to be the first point of contact between pet owners and the vet clinic staff (Veterinarians, Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Office Assistants and Practice Manager), including answering their various questions and concerns on the phone and in person.

RAPS is a registered charity that also operates the RAPS Cat Sanctuary, the RAPS Adoption & Education Centre, three Thrift Stores and the RAPS Animal Hospital. We are a no-kill, animal serving agency.

Veterinary Office Receptionist Duties and Responsibilities:

To provide adequate care, Veterinary Receptionist responsibilities include but are not limited, to:

• Provide exceptional client care and representing RAPS in the most highly professional manner and demeanor at all times, in public and staff only areas of the hospital, on the phone and through electronic communication mediums;
• Assist with all front-line, public facing duties at reception;
• Provide all required reception duties including:
• — Understanding that clients in the clinic are priority,
• — Answering inquiries over the phone, email, and PetDesk,
• — Booking appointments,
• — Making call-backs to clients and prospective clients,
• — Issuing invoices and processing payments in person and over the phone, including handling cash,
• — Assisting customers and clients to waiting room or exam rooms,
• — Providing front line sales,
• — Taking donations from the public,
• — Assisting with mail and package deliveries,
• — Scheduling External Doctors,
• — Ensuring all legal paperwork is completed correctly,
• — Maintaining strict confidentiality of patient files and sensitive information,
• — Participate in monthly staff meetings held after regular office hours,
• — Responsible for ordering food and medications and ensuring proper procedure for product returns,
• — Educate clients about different Pet Insurance,
• — Completing and submitting Pet Insurance Claim forms,
• — Fax prescriptions to other pharmacies or clinics as required,
• Provide exceptional and professional staff interactions with staff cohorts at all times;
• Treat all volunteers and RAPS members with the highest respect;
• Greet patients and clients and their owners as they arrive, inquire the reasons for visit, and show them to the waiting room;
• Weighing the patient at the time of check-in;
• Ensure the Hospital is always clean, including all surfaces, floors, walls and equipment and public common areas;
• Adhere to hospital's safety and wellness regulations;
• Provide answers and or resources to clients' worries about their animals and general pet care. Direct clients to the veterinarian for further consultation;
• Maintain clear, accurate medical records of all animals attended to at the clinic and answer all inquiries made by clients at the front desk;
• Assist with duties and events for the Regional Animal Protection Society, outside of the Animal Hospital shifts, as required;
• Assist with food sales at the animal hospital;
• Assist with all duties assigned by the RAPS CEO, Senior Managers, Practice Manager or Vet on duty, based on the business imperatives of RAPS;
• Reassignment of duties may be required based on the business imperatives of RAPS, which includes assisting the Adoption Centre, Sanctuary, Thrift Stores or Administration Offices;
• Although the job requires a great deal of collaboration with the Practice Manager, Veterinarians, Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants, the Veterinary Receptionist is expected to have initiative and to work independently to get the job done;
• Must be willing to work weekends as required.

Veterinary Receptionist Skills & Qualifications:

The Veterinary Receptionist must have a blend of interpersonal skills and technical skills. Communication skills and interpersonal skills are especially important as the Veterinary Receptionist interacts with many people including the veterinarian, vet staff, office personnel, clients, volunteers, donors and vendors. The skills, knowledge and abilities mostly required to work as a

Veterinary Receptionist requirements:

• Recognized qualifications as a receptionist, or equivalent experience;
• Experience working in a Veterinary Hospital preferred;
• People-person; lives and breathes customer service;
• Strong communicator, both verbal and written;
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment while staying organized and maintaining attention to detail;
• Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability when priorities change or new responsibilities arise;
• Comfortable communicating over the phone and using phone and paging systems;
• Comfortable seeking clarification when needed; values accuracy over assumptions;
• Passionate about animals;
• Patience and professional positive attitude with all internal and external constituents of the RAPS Animal Hospital and RAPS;
• Physically fit to restrain pets if necessary;
• Experience with Ezyvet (or other veterinary practice management software);
• Willingness to assist with medical emergencies as required;
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite;
• Proficient in English.

Knowledge, Education & Experience:

• Be passionate about animals and familiar with and sympathetic to the goals and mission of the Regional Animal Protection Society;
• Follow and uphold RAPS policies and protocols and complete all tasks to a high standard;
• Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal;
• Be very observant, and extremely detail-oriented;
• Possess strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
• Be highly motivated and radiate team spirit;
• Have a positive, construction attitude and exceptional interpersonal and relationship skills.

Judgement, Authority and Decision-making:

• Work as part of a team, or independently when needed;
• Work is performed in accordance with established procedures and approved practices;
• Organization of work to accomplish goals is expected;
• Use judgment when making routine decisions and escalate issues when necessary;
• Identify problems or inefficiencies and take initiative to propose solutions proactively.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Active listening, and probe for information to clarify requests;
• Use tact and discretion when discussing problems and eliciting sensitive or confidential information;
• Build and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, clients, and external partners;
• Adapt communication style to suit different audiences and situations.

Working Conditions:

• Veterinary hospital environment.

Reporting Structure:

• CEO, Senior Manager Operations, DVM, Animal Hospital Manager, Office Manager.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $18.00-$20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 30 – 40 per week

Benefits:

• Dental care
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Store discount
• Vision care

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Richmond, BC V6V 1W8: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Experience:

• receptionist: 1 year (required)

Location:

• Richmond, BC V6V 1W8 (preferred)

Work Location: In person