Checklist template

Reception and client service for veterinary hospitals

A ready-to-use checklist with 108 items in 6 sections, covering Greeting, Check-in, Phones, Wait management, Check-out, Lobby. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 108 Items
  • 95 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 125 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Greeting 16 items

  1. Clients are acknowledged within 30 seconds of entering, even when the receptionist is on the phone Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The receptionist greets the client by name when the appointment is on today's schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The pet is greeted by its name Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Each receptionist wears a name badge showing first name and role Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Scrubs or uniforms worn at the front desk are free of pet hair and stains Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The receptionist makes eye contact over the counter rather than speaking from behind the monitor Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A slip lead is offered to a client who arrives with a dog that is not on a leash Yes / No 1 pt
  8. A loaner carrier is offered to a client who arrives with a cat or small pet held in the arms Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Receptionists asked can name the signs that send a patient straight to the treatment area (labored breathing, collapse, seizure, swollen abdomen, male cat straining to urinate, heavy bleeding) Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The procedure for calling a technician to the lobby for an emergency is posted at the desk, out of client view Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A client arriving for a euthanasia appointment is taken to a private room without waiting in the lobby Yes / No 1 pt
  12. A candle, sign or light in the lobby tells other clients when a family is saying goodbye to a pet Yes / No 1 pt
  13. New clients receive a welcome sheet or message giving the opening hours, the refill process and the after-hours emergency hospital Yes / No 1 pt
  14. No personal phone, food or open drink is visible at the front desk Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Seconds before the inspector was acknowledged on arrival Number
  16. Greeting of the clients who arrived during the visit Rating
    • Every client greeted promptly, pet greeted by name 5 pts
    • Greeted, but late or without warmth 3 pts
    • Clients left standing unacknowledged 1 pt

2. Check-in 19 items

  1. The client's mobile number and email address are confirmed at check-in Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The pet is weighed on the lobby scale at check-in Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The weight taken today is entered in the patient record before the patient is roomed Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A weight that differs by more than 10% from the last visit is pointed out to the technician Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The scale platform is wiped with disinfectant between patients Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The reason for the visit is confirmed with the client and written in the appointment note Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Overdue vaccines and parasite preventives shown by the software are pointed out to the technician at check-in Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Records from the previous veterinarian were requested before the visit for each new patient on today's schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The registration of a new client names the person authorized to consent to treatment and costs Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The consent for anesthesia is signed before a surgical or dental patient leaves its owner Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A phone number where the owner can be reached today is written on the admission sheet of each drop-off patient Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The time of the last meal is asked and recorded for patients admitted for anesthesia Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Current medications and the time of the last dose are recorded at admission Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A written estimate is signed at drop-off for each procedure admitted today Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Items left with an admitted patient (leash, carrier, blanket, food) are labeled with the patient's name Yes / No 1 pt
  16. A bite or fear alert in the record is passed on to the technician before the patient is roomed Yes / No 1 pt
  17. A client reporting a coughing dog or a puppy with vomiting and diarrhea is asked to wait in the car until a room is free Yes / No 1 pt
  18. The appointment is marked as arrived in the practice software at the time the client arrives Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Completeness of check-in on 5 patient records sampled today Rating
    • All 5 complete 5 pts
    • 1 or 2 with gaps 3 pts
    • 3 or more with gaps 1 pt

3. Phones 19 items

  1. Calls placed or heard during the visit were answered within three rings Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The phone greeting gives the hospital name and the employee's first name Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Callers are asked for permission before being placed on hold Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A caller on hold is picked up again within one minute Yes / No 1 pt
  5. A written phone triage guide at the desk lists the symptoms that need a same-day or immediate visit Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Receptionists pass questions about doses and treatment to a technician or a veterinarian Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A caller reporting that a pet swallowed a toxin is told to come in at once, following the triage guide Yes / No 1 pt
  8. A caller reporting a toxin is given the phone number of an animal poison control center Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The after-hours phone message, played back at the desk, gives the address and phone number of the emergency hospital Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Voicemail left overnight is cleared within 30 minutes of opening Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Messages for a veterinarian are entered in the patient record with the callback number and the time of the call Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Refill requests taken by phone are logged with the pick-up time promised to the client Yes / No 1 pt
  13. A caller requesting an appointment is offered the first available time and one alternative Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A caller asking the price of a spay, neuter or dental cleaning is told what the fee includes, following the hospital script Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Appointment reminders are sent by text, email or call on the schedule set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Online booking requests and client text messages are answered within the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Callbacks still open that are more than one business day old Number
  18. Calls abandoned before being answered last week (%) Number
  19. Phone handling on the calls heard during the visit Rating
    • Prompt, courteous and correctly routed 5 pts
    • Courteous but slow or incomplete 3 pts
    • Long holds or wrong information 1 pt

4. Wait management 19 items

  1. Patients are taken to an exam room within the waiting time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Longest wait observed between arrival and rooming (minutes) Number
  3. Clients waiting in the lobby at the time of the visit Number
  4. Clients are told when the veterinarian is running more than 15 minutes late Yes / No 1 pt
  5. A client facing a long delay is offered a new appointment or the option to drop the pet off Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Receptionists direct clients with cats to the cat seating area on arrival Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A client with a stressed cat or a fearful dog is offered an empty exam room to wait in when one is free Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Clients are asked not to let their dog greet other pets in the lobby Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The owner of a reactive dog is offered to wait in the car and is called or texted when the room is ready Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Clients are asked to lock retractable leashes short in the lobby Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The receptionist can see the whole seating area from the desk Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Waiting clients are told when an emergency has arrived and will delay appointments Yes / No 1 pt
  13. A walk-in patient is assessed by a technician within the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The owner of a drop-off patient is given the time window in which the veterinarian will call Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Today's schedule shows appointment slots held back for same-day sick patients Yes / No 1 pt
  16. A receptionist checks in with each waiting client at least every 15 minutes Yes / No 1 pt
  17. A named employee on each shift is assigned to clean up pet accidents in the lobby Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Urine, feces or vomit in the lobby is cleaned up and disinfected within 5 minutes Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Management of waiting clients Rating
    • Short waits, clients kept informed 5 pts
    • Some long waits, clients informed late 3 pts
    • Long waits with no information given 1 pt

5. Check-out 17 items

  1. The invoice is reviewed with the client line by line before payment is taken Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Each dispensed medication is checked against the patient name and the invoice before it is handed over Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The receptionist asks whether the client was shown how to give each new medication Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Written discharge instructions are handed over or emailed before the client leaves Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The recheck, booster or suture removal appointment is booked before the client leaves Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Reminders for the next vaccines, heartworm test and dental cleaning are updated in the record at check-out Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The rabies certificate and tag are given to the client on the day the vaccine is administered Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Payment is collected in full at the time of service unless a payment arrangement allowed by company policy is on file Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The financing option accepted by the hospital is explained when a client raises a concern about cost Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Pet insurance claim paperwork is completed within the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The client is offered the receipt printed or by email Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The client is asked whether all questions were answered before leaving Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Clients are offered help to the car with heavy food bags or a pet that must be carried Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A patient going home after sedation or surgery is discharged by a technician rather than handed over at the counter Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Ashes are returned to the owner in a private room, not across the counter Yes / No 1 pt
  16. A satisfaction survey is sent to the client after the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Check-out of the clients observed Rating
    • Invoice explained, medications checked, next visit booked 5 pts
    • One of these steps missed 3 pts
    • Payment taken with no explanation 1 pt

6. Lobby 18 items

  1. The lobby and client restroom checks are initialed on the front desk log at the times set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  2. No patient record, invoice or prescription waiting for pick-up is visible from the client side of the counter Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The entrance door is unlocked and the desk is staffed at the posted opening time Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The route from the parking lot to the counter is clear for a wheelchair or a stretcher Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The outdoor relief area has waste bags and a bin that is not overflowing Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The walkway from the parking lot to the entrance is free of feces Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Opening hours and the emergency hospital's phone number are posted at the entrance and readable when the hospital is closed Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The premises permit and veterinarians' licenses are displayed as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Food bags and retail stock are not stacked in the walkway between the door and the counter Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Hand sanitizer is available to clients at the counter Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Lobby temperature is between 68°F and 76°F (20°C and 24°C) Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Computer screens and patient records at the front desk cannot be read from the client side of the counter Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The client restroom is stocked with soap and paper towels Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A sign at the entrance asks clients to keep pets leashed or in a carrier Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The entrance has a vestibule or second door that keeps a loose pet from reaching the parking lot Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Name of the front desk lead on duty Short text
  17. Overall front desk standards Rating
    • Greeting, check-in, phones and check-out met the standard throughout the visit 5 pts
    • Standards met with isolated lapses 3 pts
    • Repeated lapses seen in two or more areas 1 pt
  18. Corrective actions required at the front desk Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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