The Power of Feedback

We all need to hear it once in a while…. “job well done”. We all need to feel that we are valued and what we do day in and day out makes a difference for someone.

There is much research out there on the power of positive reinforcement, the power of happy. Just think how much better the world could be if everyone reading this would say thank you to one person today that did not expect it from us. Imagine how you will feel when you hear their voice pick up or see the smile on their face. It doesn’t take much. A simple thank you is all we probably need to hear.

So, THANK YOU to all our clients and partners for helping make our day fun, exciting and rewarding. We enjoy working with each and every one of you!!!


Nancy Dewitz
Client Services Manager
DVMConnexx, Inc.

Should I DICOM?

The other day a clinic called in asking for help with email setup. She (Cary) needed help with her email so she could send X-Ray images to a radiologist from within her imaging software.

After spending some time setting up the email configuration to make the process a little more automated, we asked the client if the person or company she was sending to supported DICOM. Cary asked, "Why?"  Once configured, the DICOM-Send function is quick and easy. She called her contact and discovered they do accept DICOM files directly and gave her their DICOM Server configuration details.

By using just an IP number, port number, AE-Title, and a “Nick Name” we configured a DICOM Server which the clinic would send to. Oh, and we did this all remotely by simply remote controlling the computer!

Within a few minutes, we had a DICOM Server created as a destination and were ready for our first test. Cary marked a couple of images to send and clicked on “Send by DICOM”. Next, she picked the DICOM Server we had just created and clicked “Send”. Cary said – “That’s it? That is way easier than trying to send images by email…..”

The DICOM Send program will make several attempts to deliver the “study” to the DICOM Server and can report back success or failure. This, too, is better than email.



Kevin Scholz
CEO
DVMConnexx, Inc.

An Image is Worth a Thousand Words

Today it is incredibly easy to take a digital picture and save it to your computer. Many of you are now using digital cameras in your veterinary practices. Even x-ray & ultrasound images are digital and get stored on your computers.

The challenges with digital images include:

• Knowing what pictures are worth taking
• Make the image capture part of the daily routine
• How and where to save the pictures

Just because it is possible to take digital pictures during surgery, does not mean you should do it. Like most everything in business, there should be a clear benefit corresponding benefit to the expense. The process of taking and storing digital pictures is not free.

Many practices have the ability to store a “pet picture” in the patient record of their practice management software. This little picture can help make your invoices and marketing materials appear more personal. Consistency – once you start, you have to do it every day. Also, you do need to actually use the images. Too often that “great idea” didn’t stick. You are now taking pictures but they are not showing up on invoices, not being used in your reminders or wellness plans, and you are not checking to see that every pet is getting their picture taken.

Digital pictures can be non-diagnostic like the “pet picture” or diagnostic like digital x-rays and intra-oral dental photos. Diagnostic images need to be taken with similar rules – value and consistency.

Storing images can be a big challenge depending on the type of image you are taking and the kind of practice management software you have installed. Digital images need to be saved/stored on your computer in some organized way so they are easily found when you need them. There’s only a few “save” options available but each has its complexities and compromises.

The simple “Pet Picture” just needs someone to take a picture and then import that picture into the “Pet Picture” space in the corresponding patient record. Question – is the “Pet Picture” function in your practice management software the only way you want to use this picture? Once you import it to the “Pet Picture” space and then delete it from your camera, that tiny version of the original is not very applicable for anything else.


Kevin Scholz
CEO
DVMConnexx, Inc.

To Google or not to Google

I just read a recent article that states 2 of every 3 searches on the internet is done in Google. Why do we search? Information of some sort is what we are after. Maybe it is directions to a good place to eat. Maybe we are looking for the best shopping or the best deals. How many of us actually take the time to dig deeper? Do we take the first item that pops up? What control this entity has over the general public. We are a fast-paced world, we expect immediate results. We do not take time to ponder, think or even research most of the time anymore. It is all done for us. That being said, where do you rank?

In our business, we gain new customers each day. We generally communicate by email to our customers. When I start looking at the customer’s website for additional information, I am always surprised by the many that do not have a website. I also find, on a regular basis, a website with a portion that may say “Coming soon – Spring of 2010”. Hmmm, what does that say to the potential customer? Or I may have to page down a bit because the search engine optimization that should be done to get your site promoted to the top is not completed.

This may not seem like a big deal, but when you consider that 2/3 of the people looking for something on the internet use Google, and may not find you, it should bring concern. There are many services that can help you. I really believe that in the grand scheme of things, it will bring a return on investment many times over!!!!

If you do not already have a source of website advice, try out www.beyondindigopets.com

 
Nancy Dewitz
Client Services Manager
DVMConnexx, Inc.

Looks can be deceiving?

I read a story over the weekend about knockoffs to popular products. They are trying to cut down on these knockoffs and prosecute offenders. The article went on to state how you can tell real from fake. There are very distinct markings etc. that one can look for. The debate is do the knockoffs hurt or help the sale of the real item? One school of thought is that the fakes bring name recognition and thus help the authentic company’s sales. Research states that, many times someone that purchased a fake the first time will return and purchase the real thing the next time. They have learned the differences.

From a distance, it is hard to tell the real thing. Maybe it has that famous swoop on the side of the shoe. Maybe the name on the purse seems right. But up close and personal, you can definitely see the difference, including the company standing behind it. Oh yea, did I mention, the fake has no one to stand behind the product.

It is like this in business many times too. The price seems right, the product or service looks like it is the real deal, but often too late, after purchasing we find out we chose based on the wrong priority, the dollar. We didn’t check out what was behind the purchase. Did you know that many discount stores make deals with leading manufactures to produce products specifically for them that they can sell at significant discounts? Here you have something that has the real manufacture, the real name, but the parts are not the same. We bought a DVD player once, it was a great buy. We couldn’t have found it for less anywhere. Had a great name on it. Broke in two days. We called the manufacture; were we able to get help, nope, they heard the product number and immediately told us to just return it to the store where we bought it. Guess what, the product number even had part of the discount store name on it.

Went to another store to get a PC one day, price in the paper looked great!! Name brand behind it; cheaper than I could configure on line, or so I thought. When I started asking questions, I found it was missing half of what the normal person would expect to have on that computer. By the time I was done building it up, it was no longer any kind of deal. Had I purchased it, I would then be looking to them for help - what kind of help would I receive?

That was a true learning experience. Looks can be deceiving and it pays to be an informed consumer. Whether products or services, it pays to do your homework. Check around , do you know what you are really buying and who you are really buying from?!!


Nancy Dewitz
Client Services Manager
DVMConnexx, Inc.

Is Color Important?

Have you seen the latest buzz about color in our foods? Studies show that color certainly affects how we view foods. It can even make the brain think the flavor is different. Can that be the same about business?

If you are extremely good at what you do, but your store front is plain Jane, does that affect your traffic flow? Is your message, same old, same old? When you walk in the front door, is it welcoming? Does the guy down the street have a flashy store front and the business is rolling in, although you know you have heard of unsatisfied customers? You provide the same type of service but with a twist? Your clients are satisfied; they give good feedback on your reviews. And yet, you don’t have them standing in line. Is your technology all it could be? Do you portray up front how you feel about what is going on in the back? Do you have the latest in technology for testing and diagnostics but the front desk does not share that same look and feel? How does one combat this?

In the news release I saw, they took white chocolate pudding and put color in it. Guess what? Every person, young and old called each color a different flavor. There was no flavor added. If you are the best at White Chocolate pudding but you have no color, what will happen to your business? How do you show your colors to your customers? If your flavor is varied, the color will go with it. If your flavor is the same white chocolate, you need to work hard on the color portion.


Nancy Dewitz
Client Services Manager
DVMConnexx, Inc.

Printing invoices, labels, and reminder cards

Like most of the computing functions in the veterinary practice, printing is just something we all take for granted. We expect our printers to keep spitting out paper on demand.

Then the day comes when printing as expected does not happen. Suddenly printing is critical. The prescription label printer is not working and hand-writing labels are painful at best. Or perhaps the one printer you have for both invoice and reminders is not working.

Most practices that work with us have duplicates of everything - if the front desk laser is not spitting out paper for whatever reason, print to the back printer and then call us to figure out the problem with the front printer.

Think about the stress and expense experienced when you don't have access to your important printers! Buying additional printers either as spares or as second choice "live" printers is worth it. It is fairly easy to configure your network and practice management software to redirect any printing output to an alternate printer of same type.


Kevin Scholz
CEO
DVMConnexx, Inc.