Just one thing: Run an “estimate exercise”
How many estimates does your practice prepare in a day? A week? A year?
In addition to being good practice—and a requirement in some situations—estimates play an important role in building client relationships and trust. They provide transparency around costs, and help pet owners understand value and build treatment plans in partnership with their veterinarian.
Here’s the key question: How consistent are the estimates across your team?
Take 15 minutes this week for an “estimate exercise:”
- Pick a common procedure.
- Have each veterinarian create an estimate for that case simultaneously.
- Compare results—what was included, what wasn’t, and where approaches differed.
If you’re consistent, great—this may reveal opportunities to improve efficiency through bundles or automation in your practice software. If you find inconsistency, that’s valuable too; it opens the door to a conversation about alignment so clients have a clear and consistent experience.
One caution: Frame the case with only the patient details available from a physical exam (for example, “4yo FS Brittany with left flank laceration”). That way, the exercise surfaces differences in approach, not in case interpretation.
Bottom line: Individual estimates will always vary to meet client and patient needs. But dedicating 15 minutes to align starting points helps strengthen trust in your team—and in your practice.
Comments
Estimates aid transparency
The only way a client can understand why pricing is what it is by ANY practice is to have an estimate provided to them in writing AND thoroughly covered by the credentialed veterinary technician.
1. Most humans have never seen a breakdown of any degree including pricing on their medical procedures. If they have seen medical bills they can be confusing as they are often split out between the various special factions such as the surgeon, anesthesiologist, laboratory and/or pathologist, etc.
2. Veterinary medicine can be so much more transparent by providing a complete estimate that covers the procedure in parts so each can be discussed as to importance but also show how they work together to provide the best and safest care of the patient.
a. Estimates should not be padded with extra fluff unless necessary based on the patient's health.
b. Options can be included in a boxed area next to or under the section estimate. I warn that these should not look like a boarding facility such as 'extra pillow,' 'treat time with friends,' 'music,' etc. as these draw away from the purpose the patient is coming in - keep the focus on the procedure and stay.
3. The Veterinary Technician's role is primary as they work directly with the veterinarian and can explain almost anything that needs to be addressed on the estimate as a team member . This allows the veterinarian to continue to work on patients, see other patients, etc. The Veterinary Technician can take notes of any additional concerns or notes unable to be answered or needing to be addressed and handle them with the veterinarian and client prior to the surgery, or better yet, have the veterinarian chat briefly once more with the owner prior to the procedure to close any gaps.
a. In addition, during the explanation, the Veterinary Technician can include the number of departments included, additional people, and/or timing involved to minimize the patient's time under anesthesia, and the attention to detail of their patient by a good portion of the hospital staff... not just the veterinarian!
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