Sorting through the practice emails system can be a real slog. Reading, categorizing, replying, or forwarding these emails can take up a significant amount of employee time – and right now, that’s time that most practices don’t have. So how can we improve this?
1. Get Specific
If your team is spending half the time just sorting through emails to work out what’s for who, then why not have your clients do the hard work for you? Creating specific email addresses for specific topics will mean that most of the sorting is done before the mail even reaches your inbox. Try setting up enquiries@fakevetclinic.com, invoice@fakevetclinic.com, and labresults@fakevetclinic.com and see how it changes your life!
Sorting through the practice emails system can be a real slog.
2. Get Filing
Most email inboxes will allow you to create subfolders that you can move emails into. You can create folders that allow one person to file emails according to what area it relates to, or whose job it is to sort it, or so on. This means that everyone else only needs to spend a minute looking at their own folder, instead of five minutes browsing a shared inbox.Â
3. Get Standardised
Many of the emails that a vet practice receives are on similar topics. Rather than someone creating a reply to each one, a standard template response can be used and then edited if needed.Â
4. Get Automated
If you have specific addresses for different subjects, you can set up an auto-reply for each one – for example, acknowledging owners’ prescription requests and reminding them that they will take two working days to complete.Â
5. Get Personal
Veterinarians often need to correspond with clients or other clinicians via email. Doing this through one central email can be time-consuming and lead to inbox clogging, so offer each vet an individual work email address for this kind of correspondence.Â
Email can be a great tool if used correctly, but make sure it doesn’t take up all of your clinic’s time!Â