Not all heroes wear scrubs
Emma was drained.
She’d spent the last twenty minutes problem-solving.
A distressed owner learned that their pet insurance wouldn’t reimburse an essential medication the way they had expected.
Yet the first words from her vet were, “Annie had to cover for you checking in two patients—that’s not her job.”
She didn’t argue with the tired vet, she just promised it wouldn’t happen again.
She’d only been here for two weeks, but she could already feel the weight of the double standard.
An hour earlier, a junior vet missed a stitch, adding 20 minutes to a surgery.
The response? “It happens. You’ll get it next time.”
Your team sees the favorites. And they are keeping score.
They see it in the:
Nonexistent budget for training new receptionists.
Hiring new vets, while your front desk is perpetually short staffed.
Praising the vet for saving a patient, while the person who managed the financially stressed owner doesn’t even get a nod.
In practices where this sense of division runs rampant, I frequently see:
Front office burnout
Higher CSR turnover
Increased client complaints
A breakdown in workflow between departments
Your administrative team isn’t just “support.” They are the gatekeepers of your reputation and the shock absorbers for your clients’ emotions.
They deserve the same grace, patience, and investment you afford your clinical staff.
Correcting a mistake shouldn’t feel like you’re on trial. It should feel like support.
I’ve curated a Resource Library specifically to help practice owners bridge the gap between the “front” and “back” of the house.
Build a unified team. Stop the fallout.
