Can You Put That in Writing?

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Can You Put That in Writing?
written by Gina Keesling, January 2004

Every farrier has experienced it during their career: You tell a client something, and they hear something completely different. The outcome of this can range from an inconvenient misunderstanding, to a major disagreement that could result in the loss of an account or even litigation.

How does one protect themselves from the "He said, she heard" syndrome? Keeping good notes, and putting some of your communication in writing is a good start. I am not advocating farrier's going around writing letters all the time, but being able to refer to notes or correspondence is very helpful. Much more helpful than trying to remember everything - especially when someone else remembers it differently!

Start at the time that you schedule the appointment. Some farriers use a written form that outlines their Terms and Conditions for work. Farriers' Greeting Cards sells a stock form for this purpose, or you can have your own made up. You may or may not want to include shoeing and trimming prices, depending on your policies regarding pricing. Including this form along with your invoice can serve as a reminder to existing clients who may be failing to provide appropriate working conditions or are not respectful of your schedule, etc.

Examples of some terms and conditions are:

"We require a suitable, well lighted working area. No mud, sand, tall grasses,

uneven ground, etc. Concrete is preferred."

"We ask that your horse be well mannered/disciplined."

"If we are working at feeding time, please feed your horse before we begin.

(hungry horses do not stand well.)"

"We ask that you maintain a regular shoeing schedule. Waiting until your

horse loses shoes can result in damaged feet."

Your Business Card can include a brief statement regarding your expectations of your clients.

Some examples are:

"Payment is expected when services are performed."

"Thank you in advance for having your horse(s) ready when I arrive, and for

scheduling regular appointments. This helps me provide prompt, quality service."

"I shoe horses, I don't train them. If they're not trained to stand quietly,

I will not shoe them."

"Will not work on, with, or for jackasses."

(this was a humorous quote sent in by a customer, who later decided against using it.)

After doing the work, when you write the Invoice, you may want to jot down any observations that you made during the shoeing process.

Examples are:

Changes in hoof angle or style of shoe

Damage or bruising to the hoof (even if no lameness)

Bad behavior of the horse (may indicate soreness)

If a new appointment is made, note that on the invoice too.

Farrier Forms Invoice Book includes an extensive listing of shoe modifications, kinds of shoes, pads etc. All the farrier has to do is mark the appropriate items and tabulate the cost.

Farriers' Greeting Cards sells a variety of brightly colored Stickers. These are pre-printed with appropriate wording regarding payment, for use on invoices.

"I work for money, not for fun. The bill is due when the work is done."

"Shoeing horses is hard, but collecting bills is harder. Please pay promptly."

Sometimes a separate system for keeping track of shoe styles and hoof angles is useful, especially if you are working on corrective or therapeutic cases, or show horses that require precision shoeing. Farriers' Greeting Cards carries Hoof Care Record Cards that facilitate the recording of this data.

After many years of treating founder cases, farrier Esco Buff designed his own Founder Data Form for recording the treatment and progress of founder cases. These come in triplicate copies so that farrier, owner and vet can all have a copy. These have proven to be very helpful in monitoring these cases, and in the event of a dispute, the farrier has professional records of the treatments that he or she performed.

It is a good idea to keep a case history folder for each serious or complex case that you are working on. It is so much easier to keep notes filed all together, than to try to rely on your memory.

For explaining different aspects of founder, navicular disease and other hoof-related lameness, Client Education Pads are very helpful. These feature pertinent color illustrations along with areas to specifically note health history, exam notes and treatment regimes. Perfect to explain to your client about the problem AND convey in writing the desired care and maintenance required of them between farrier visits.

After you have told your clients what you expect from them, when and how much they are to pay, and what they are actually paying for, you may want to take a moment to Thank Them for their business. Again, the back of your business card is a good place to do this. Or you can utilize a sticker specially designed for this purpose. A simple hand-written "Thank you for your business" will do the trick, too.

There are special occasions that require something more than a sticker or a note. Many farriers take time during the holidays to remember their customers with a Christmas Card. Some prefer a card that reinforces the business relationship and says "Thank you for your business", others like to omit the business part and just send a card with a unique farrier image on the front.

When a client loses a horse, it is appropriate to acknowlege their loss and grief with a Sympathy Card. Many vet clinics do this, but the farrier is usually the one who sees the horse (and the client) the most.

Your home computer can be used to help you with written communication. You can use email to remind clients of upcoming appointments - set up a template in your email program that includes most of what you want to say, for example: "Hello ______; I am just sending a note to remind you that you have a shoeing appointment scheduled for _________. Thanks in advance for having your horses ready for me when I arrive. Please let me know right away if you are unable to keep this appointment. Sincerely, _________ Farrier Service." If you (or someone in your family) are proficient on the computer, many desktop publishing programs can be used to design and print your own forms. There are even some Farriers' Computer Record keeping software programs that are customized to help with this task.

Finally, don't forget to communicate with your family. Many farriers are away from home a lot, and need to correspond with their family with notes. Farriers' Greeting cards has a humorous note pad that already has the common Farrier Phone Messages already written on it. All you have to do is check the appropriate box! Some examples are:

Show tomorrow, horse is lame.

Shoe fell off two weeks ago, needs replaced right away!

Finally caught yearlings, need trimmed - sale is this week.

Vet said he needs xqpznry shoes.

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