TechLife: CSR and Dental Training
August 20, 2024
TechLife is committed to helping team members grow their skills. This year, it has continued to offer in-person training to meet the needs of technicians and even added customer service representatives (CSR) training as a response to the increasing demand to support our CSRs.
The first in-person event of the year was dental training held in January. Twenty-five technicians and veterinary assistants from 12 hospitals learned scaling and polishing on live patients, dental radiographs on cadavers, client education, charting, and radiograph interpretation. The feedback on this training was overwhelmingly positive. TechLife pulled together an encore training in April with Chief of Staff Advisor Dr. Rudy Salber alongside LVTs Natalie, Rachel, and Amanda. The April training included 20 technicians and veterinary assistants who spent a jam-packed four hours together for their dental training.
Dr. Steere from North Laurel Animal Hospital, Laurel, MD shared her experience on the impact of the dental training on her team, “The majority of our technicians attended the dental courses to improve their ability to be able to chart scale and perform X-rays. Following the training, I saw an increased sense of pride in their work and a lot more collaboration between staff members. Nichole, our lead tech, has taken a passion in dental blocks and has been training the other techs as well as our associate veterinarian on how to implement dental blocks. I think that training helps the support staff to feel as if they are part of the team because we are investing in them! It is not a benefit that is available at every hospital and I appreciate that it makes our hospital unique that I can offer that!”
New this year, TechLife brought in Wendy Myers, founder of Communication Solutions for Veterinarians, to teach CSRs and other staff members strategies to increase efficiency and productivity. Not only do these skills improve client relations, they also reduce employee burnout. Lisa Stephens, Hospital Manager at Solomon Veterinary Medical Center, attended the CSR training and had this to share, “I enjoy meeting new people. You can get so many great ideas from others. I know this goes against popular opinion, but I actually like when they seat you with people you don't know. It's a good way to encourage collaboration with others.” Lisa's most significant takeaway was that there are always alternative perspectives to consider, which can lead to innovative ideas that enhance the experiences of both staff and clients.
Starting this month all of our team members are invited to join a three-part anesthetic training. TechLife is helping to get the word out about this RACE-approved event covering the three stages of anesthesia: preparation, perioperative, and recovery. Looking ahead to fall, TechLife will return to hosting their popular monthly VTNE Trivia events.
Tech training and education is one of the top priorities for TechLife. If you are a Vetcor technician and are interested in finding out more about upcoming in-person and online training events, connect with your teammates on the TechLife Facebook group or reach out to your hospital manager.
