Handling Prospect Calls
On all calls, answer the phone:
“Home Pet Euthanasia, this is ___(name)____, how can I help you?”
From the moment you answer the phone, you need to communicate to the client that you care. From the moment you say, “Can I help you?”, your voice needs to be compassionate and inviting, not mechanical, cold or indifferent. Do not speak too quickly. Our clients are, for the most part, in grief and emotionally, the speech will be more acceptable and more real to them on a slower cadence. There is no need to exaggerate this and sound like you are in a mortuary, but you must differentiate what tone to adopt when you speak with someone in grief v/s being chipper and upbeat. Chipper and upbeat is inappropriate for our service. Your main focus should be on helping the client through the difficult situation they are in and assisting them with it. Sometimes they may hang up and call around to other places and just call back and use our services, even when we may be more expensive, because you were kind to them and took the time to understand what they are going through. So your compassion, friendliness and care is very valuable and can often result in a later (even as much as two or three weeks later) close.
It is important for you to understand what is meant by “Sales”, “Salesman”, “Salesmanship”. It is not a creepy, cheesy, degraded, thing. Please see our policy entitled “Sales and Salesmanship” for more details on this and for understanding the viewpoint that we have regarding this subject. It is very important to have the correct attitude in regards to “Sales” and “Closes”.
The following will give you some tools and advice on how to get better at selling our service to the families who need it.
One of the most valuable attributes of a good salesman is curiosity. So be curious about the person, his or her pet and the situation. Ask questions, starting with the name of the prospect and his or her pet’s name. And be interested in their answers and acknowledge their answers appropriately. Don’t ask questions for the sake of asking questions. You ask questions so that you can find out things about the prospect and engage them in conversation.
Let the caller tell you about their needs and wants and take notes. If the client immediately tells you that he is calling to get prices, engage him in conversation. Ask them what is going on with their pet. As early in the communication as possible, ask them what the name of their pet is, and whenever you refer to the pet, use the pet’s name.
Find out about their particular situation so that you can best help them understand why a home euthanasia is the best option for their pet. Is their pet very large? Would it be painful for the pet to be moved to the vet office for a euthanasia? How long has this pet been in their lives? What has the pet meant to them? What difficult situation in their lives has this pet helped them through? What kind of disease does this pet have? What does this mean to the pet’s Quality of Life? Is he in pain? Is it difficult for them to take care of their pet at this stage? Is their pet a cat who is scared to death of going out of the home? Is it a dog small dog? Does the pet’s condition make it difficult for it to breathe and is it super stressful for the pet to get out of the home? Do they have a large family with a bunch of kids and grand kids or is the prospect a single senior citizen and is their pet their only friend? Is it a guide dog? A service dog? A police dog? There are SO MANY QUESTIONS you can ask so that you gain more understanding of the person’s situation and so that you can gain reality on what they are facing and acquire “ammunition” which will make it easier for you to handle the person’s considerations and objections to using our service. Whatever their situation, a home euthanasia will save their pet and their family so much grief and so much pain… and you will likely be instrumental in ensuring that you portray our service in such a light that they will have do doubt that they need to schedule with US.
It is very important, when asking the client questions, to keep in mind that the purpose of your questions is NOT simply to gather data and to drill them with mechanical questions but to ENGAGE THEM INTO A FRIENDLY CONVERSATION, ESTABLISH TRUST AND SHOW THEM THAT YOU ARE THE PERSON WHO WILL HELP THEM WITH THEIR DIFFICULT SITUATION WITH COMPASSION AND CARING. Therefore, ask questions which will lead into an easy flowing, friendly conversation.
If they haven’t already told you, find out the client’s name and use their name when talking to them (not to the point of being trite, and saying their name every other sentence, but whenever it is appropriate). Encourage them to talk. We NEVER just give prices and hang up without opening the communication up and getting them to tell us about their pet. Even though they may think they are just calling to get prices, they probably need someone to talk to.
Use the Prospect Form as a guideline for the conversation and to gather information. Answer all questions with very high care and reality. Getting their name and their pet's name and then referring to them and their pet by name makes it very personal. Never give them the feeling that you are just “filling out a form”. Therefore, when you are gathering information using the prospect form, make sure that you get the information in the frame of a conversation. Never just shoot one question after another as if filling out a form.
“The Prospect’s Important Reason”
Another key point is to ask them why they are seeking our service. Why is it important for them to have a home euthanasia? It is very important to note their answer almost verbatim as this will be a huge reality factor to use later in closing the call. Do not minimize the effect that it can have to work into your conversation the phrase they have used. It may be that they don’t want their pet to “die on a cold metal table at the vet’s”. If this is the case, you can tell them at some later, appropriate point in the conversation something like: “We are here for you and your pet. Our purpose is to ensure that ______ is comfortable at home in his last moments and that he does not die on a cold metal table at the vet’s.” This is just an example, but it is a very powerful thing to use. It is important to note it down on the Prospect Call form so that the next person who will talk to the prospect can also “give them back” their “Important Reason”.
Enlightenment Patter
Please refer to the “Enlightenment patter” as you read this section. Use the enlightenment patter as a guideline for enlightening prospects. This does not mean that you just read it off and don’t let the prospect put in a word. Use this patter as a guideline of the important points for you to go over so that the prospect knows how the visit will go and what we do. Alternate telling them about a part of the service with asking them if they have any questions about this, let them tell you about their pet. When you get to telling them about the aftercare, ask them if they have thought about how they would like to handle “Fifi”’s aftercare. This is a good time for you to note down if they want the ashes back or not so that later you can give them a quote. It is important to understand that when you handle a prospect, it’s not “all talk” and it’s not “all asking questions and getting answers” it’s about using the patter, the questions, etc,… as a tool to develop an easy flowing friendly conversation with your prospect and for you to gather information as you are doing this without sounding like you reading off of a script or filling out a form “so you can tell them how much it costs”.
The Enlightenment patter and the questions you ask are TOOLS to build the conversation and to build TRUST so that in the end, they know that YOU have the perfect solution for their problem.
Admin procedure for Prospect calls:
We have a prospect call form. On all inquiries, use the form (paper) and fill out as much data as possible from the client. Use the back of the form for additional notes such as “important reason” phrases and other specific information. Please be sure to note the date of the call. Prospect forms are to be filed in date order.
When using Ring Central, after completing a call, there will be an AI summary of the call. If the prospect calls again, you can search for the prior call by searching for the client’s phone number or the pet’s name or the client’s name and you will be able to access the notes from the prior call. Please ask your manager to show you how to use that feature so that you can already have reality with the prospect and so that they don’t have to repeat everything they already told the other CCS.
Miscellaneous points on handling Prospect Calls:
Ask them about their pet, condition, age, breed, etc,… and let them tell you about what is going on. Get them to talk to you and acknowledge all communication appropriately and in the appropriate manner. The more in tune you are with the caller, the more likely they will schedule the euthanasia of their pet with us. Of KEY importance is live communication and them feeling like you like them, care about them, that you understand the reality that they are facing and having good communication with them. The length of time you spend achieving this with them and your interest in helping them and their pet is time well spent and is an investment. Some (most) will be in grief or a state of distress so make them feel like they matter (because they do) and help them get through the process.
You should always refer ALL prospects to the homepeteuthanasia.com website at the end of every call, whether they are just doing initial research, calling for prices, comparing services or preparing themselves for a future euthanasia visit. Let them know that our website contains precious information about End of Life care and that it will answer their questions about the euthanasia procedure, prices, quality of life, aftercare and that there is even a video of the procedure. From the data you gathered in the conversation you had with the client, figure out which section of our website will be most helpful to them. Then, at an appropriate point in the conversation, refer them to our website and tell them that you would like to email them a direct link to the section of our website that will be most helpful to them. It could be the section about children, could be about preparing, could be the forms, could be about Quality of Life, or pain or anything. Our website has a wealth of information that can help them. We want to collect the caller’s email address and it should go on the Prospect Form, and at the end of the day, on the Calls Log.
The KEY components of handling the phone calls are 3 fold: 1. Making the client feel that you LIKE them and care about them. 2. that you understand the reality that they are facing and that you establish a common reality about something relevant to their situation. 3. Establish communication. Open yourself and our service for FURTHER communication. Let them know we are there for them and that we CARE. We are here to make things easier for them in this difficult time. By the end of a phone call, the client should feel like they can count on you and that you are already, to a degree, intimate with them. They will be surprised by this as this does not occur frequently in society. But this is the nature of our service. We need to treat clients with compassion, respect, dignity and it is very personal. You will not achieve this goal if you do all the talking, if you drill them with questions, if you don’t acknowledge the magnitude of their loss appropriately, if you do not acknowledge any part of their communication appropriately, if you do not make them feel important and like they matter, if you don’t use good communication, if you don’t tell them about our service and what makes it special, if you don’t listen, if you don’t give them a chance to tell you their concerns, if you don’t answer their questions, if you talk only about money, etc… You have to use a good balance of listening, asking questions, acknowledging appropriately, giving them information about our service, making them feel like they matter and that they and their pet are important (starting by calling them by their name and using their pet’s name among other ways of achieving this), finding out why they want to use our service, being compassionate, caring, interested!
At the end of the call, make sure they do know the times the phones are answered if they need to call us with further questions or if they need our assistance sooner than anticipated.
If the pet is not ready for euthanasia, please enlighten the Prospect about our Quality of Life and Hospice services and offer the family a QoL or Hospice Visit.
Quality of Life Assessments and Hospice Visits protocol:
Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the concept of Pet Hospice as described on our website in the Pet Hospice page. It is important to understand that, unfortunately, from the moment that the family makes the decision that they will not bring their pet to the vet’s anymore because it is too stressful, the pet often suffers more than the family knows due to the fact that pets hide their pain and suffering. They often have no pain meds, and are poorly prepared on how to recognize signs of pain, suffering and poor QoL. Our website can provide them with much information and hatting on this, but they have to be made aware of this service.
If the family is inquiring for euthanasia services for a later date, tell then about the QoL section and Pain tests/Home Tests section on the website. Also ask them if they know that we offer Quality of Life assessments and Hospice visits and offer to schedule a hospice visit.
Hospice visits are a very valuable service for the family with an End of Life pet but those visits are very time consuming. In order to make them more streamlined, I have devised the Hospice Visit History Webform, which includes the Pain assessment and QoL test as well as full background history on medical history.
We give a courtesy discount if the Hospice care History Webform (or the Hospice Webform) is filled out ahead of time fully and completely, including the Quality of Life test and the pain assessment table (which are included in the above Hospice Webform) as well as all the forms pertaining to the future euthanasia visit (Euthanasia Consent form, Aftercare Arrangements form, Return of Ashes—if they wish their pet's ashes returned— and Paw Print form— if they wish to have a paw print). See our Fee Schedule for details.
To these fees, you must add the travel fees and off hours fees where applicable.
The procedure for scheduling QoLs is covered in the policy entitled “Scheduling QoLs”, the policy entitled “Differentiation of our services” and the client form entitled “Pre-Euthanasia assessment”. Please familiarize yourself with these procedures and follow the guidelines.
Misc FAQ - Note: There is a FAQ section on our website but these are the most common questions asked. Always refer them to the website to get all the information needed to help them to decide.
How Will I know It Is Time?
Most people will express great concern at “how to know when it’s time”. Tell them that there is precious information on our website on Quality of Life and that there is a little test that they can do that will help them to figure this out. Tell them that the test will help them keep track of their pet’s progress and that they can repeat the test weekly, monthly, daily, depending on the speed of deterioration of their pet’s condition. Tell them about the, “Understanding Pain” page on the website and the list of pain indicators that will also help them figure out if their pet is in pain. Most people DON’T KNOW that pets hide their pain and that there are ways to tell if they are in pain.
Will My Pet Be Sedated?
Some clients ask if the doctor will sedate their pet automatically so that the pet will not experience any pain or trauma during the euthanasia. Let them know that it is recommended that the doctor evaluate the pet’s condition so that she can do what is best for that individual pet. There is a form called “Pre-Euthanasia Options” that they can fill out regarding this and there is a page on the website called, “Use of Sedation”, which covers this process and gives them information to help them decide. Pets can react to the sedation differently depending on the state of their health and organs. It is ideal to have the doctor make this call, in conjunction with the information the client can share with the doctor, taking into consideration the pet’s disposition and reactions to medical procedures or prior history of sedation and do what is best for that individual pet and sedate only when needed.
What is the difference between the Private and Individual Cremations?
Make sure you read the website section on Aftercare that describes each type of cremation and that you understand it very well yourself.
The basic patter to clarify individual v/s private for clients who are still confused is: “It makes no difference at all in terms of you receiving your pets AND ONLY YOUR PET’S ashes back. In both cases you would be assured to get your pet’s ashes back. The cremation chamber is very large and can accommodate several pets. They are each in their own compartment and do NOT get mixed up. This is what most veterinary facility call a “private” cremation. However, we have found that some families feel strongly about their pet being is alone in the chamber and we offer that special option. It is a lot more than the quote you were given (see our fee schedule for the exact price difference) and makes no difference in terms of being assured that it is only “___’s” ashes you are getting.”
OTHER TYPES OF CALLS
There are other types of calls which occur besides needing a straight Euthanasia Visit. These are listed below with additional information on how to handle them.
Handling Calls To Cancel Appointments
Cancellation:
When a client calls to cancel an appointment, first, get their name and the name of their pet and ask them if you can put them on a brief hold. Then locate the Prospect Call Form as described above. Get in communication with them and ask them what is going on with their pet. If their pet is doing better or they want to wait to make sure, let them know that you understand and that we will be there for them when it is time. Inform them that we offer Quality of Life Assessments and Hospice Visits (see section on scheduling Hospice visits).
This service can help them to see more clearly what is happening with their pet to make sure they don’t do it too early nor past the point that their pet is suffering or in crisis and/or to help them optimize their pet’s Quality of Life through hospice. For example, we can help them with pain control, modifying activities to ensure that the pet can find happiness despite his/her limitations, etc. The whole point is to offer the family help in making the right decision for their pet and to make sure that the pet does not suffer needlessly and can enjoy optimum quality of life in its last days or weeks and to also make sure that we, as pet owners, do what is best for the pet. If they do not want this service at this time, minimally direct them to the QoL section on our website and offer to send them a package of information to help them.
Pet has passed away:
If they cancel because the pet has passed away, give them our condolences for their loss and offer them our Aftercare Services and ask them if they would like help with their pet’s aftercare.
Other reasons:
There may be other reasons for a cancellation. It is good to get the reason and to note it on the prospect sheet. It is possible that such a consideration may be handled by giving them their “important reason” (see section above on “Important Reason”. For example, tell them: “I know it is important for you that Fifi does not die on a cold metal table and I want to do all I can to help you avoid this….” And continue the conversation in an appropriate manner, offering help, finding out if it is due to the cost, let them know we accept credit cards and if they have a special situation, that you can talk to your manager to get a payment plan approved. Just find the consideration and handle. Again, curiosity is the main quality that makes a good salesman.
Late night and middle of the night calls
We currently do not regularly offer late night calls, but in the event that we were to expand our service back to doing late night calls, it is important to follow the procedure below. Some of our doctors might be willing to do a late evening visit. Feel free to reach out to our doctors and ask them if they are willing to help a family in need. If they agree, make sure you include the doctor’s emergency fee in the quote you give the client.
When receiving calls in the late evening (after 10PM) or middle of the night, in addition to taking all the client information as per above, we will collect the credit card number, expiration date and CCV code so that the charges can be processed. The client will be advised that once the doctor is on the way, there will be a cancellation fee which will include the off hours fee PLUS a minimum visit fee. If the pet passes away before the doctor gets there, they have the option of us taking care of the aftercare and cremation for them. If they do not wish us to take care of the aftercare and the visit is cancelled after the doctor has been awaken and is on the way, there will be a charge as stated above plus travel fee if the location of the call includes a travel fee and the doctor was already past our 30 miles immediate travel area (for example, if the call was in Glendale, we have a travel fee of $200. If the doctor was already in LA by the time the client calls and cancels, they will also be assessed for the travel fee).
Handling Calls Where The Pet Has Bitten Someone Within The Last 2 Weeks.
This rarely occurs but, there is a specific protocol that must be used when we have a euthanasia cycle where the owner says the pet has bitten someone in the last 2 weeks and the skin was broken. It is very important to follow this protocol as there are legal responsibilities we must ensure are followed through on as well as fees connected to this type of cycle. See specific part entitled Biting Pets.