8 steps to creating compliant customers

Customers who receive written information generally have a higher rate of compliance

Compliance describes the degree to which a customer follows your recommendations. It is extremely important when it comes to giving medications, revisits, and homecare and achieving the best patient health outcomes.

It is important for practices to see the treatment of a pet as a partnership with their customers in order to improve compliance. Customers are more likely to comply when they receive good communication, are well-educated about their pet's health, and feel actively involved.

Steps to increasing client compliance

1. Give reason and emotion behind your recommendations for example "I am really concerned about the effect of the pet's weight on its arthritic joints".
2. Listen carefully.
3. Use reflective listening by respectfully matching the communication style of the customer and using their words to show that you have heard them.
4. Be specific in your recommendations both verbally and written.
5. Break down tasks into smaller, achievable parts.
6. Personalize handouts or treatment plans.
7. Be authoritative.
8. Include plans for follow-up such as phone calls, appointment reminders, and treatment reminders.

References

• AAHA Compliance Follow-Up Study 2009
• Kottke TE, Battista RN, DeFriese GH, Brekke ML. Attributes of successful smoking cessation interventions in medical practice. JAMA 1988;259:2883-9.
• Roderick PJ, Brennan PJ, Meade TW. Do risk factors change in men at high risk of coronary heart disease? Observations on the effect of health promotion in primary care. J Cardiovasc Risk 1995;2:353-7.
• Balint M. The doctor, his patient and the illness. London: Pitman, 1957.
• Butler C, Rollnick S, Stott N. The practitioner, the patient and resistance to change: recent ideas on compliance. Can Med Assoc J 1996;154:1357-62.
• Dowell AC, Ochera JJ, Hilton SR, Bland JM, Harris T, Jones DR, et al. Prevention in practice: results of a 2-year follow-up of routine health promotion interventions in general practice. Fam Pract 1996;13:357-62.