Practice Host - St Albans

Creature-Comforts; St Albans; Hybrid; GBP 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

200 hours leave + holidays

Pension scheme

Healthcare incentive

Career progression

Team and social events

Employee Assistance Programme

Snacks and lunch

Job summary

Creature Comforts is transforming veterinary care with beautifully designed clinics and technology that supports exceptional client experiences. We are building a caring team dedicated to healthier, happier pets and vets, with clear career development and a culture that supports doing your best work.

The Practice Host role is a key front-of-house position, combining client care with behind-the-scenes administration to keep the clinic running smoothly.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in a customer-facing role with sensitive situations.
• GCSE Maths and English at minimum; further customer service qualification is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for members and their pets, delivering outstanding experience.
• Manage bookings, payments, and enquiries in person, by phone, and via digital systems.
• Build relationships with members and pets through excellent communication.
• Coordinate with clinical team to triage and support emergencies.
• Oversee bereavement process with sensitivity and empathy.
• Maintain cleanliness and presentation of all shared spaces.
• Handle stock in waiting areas and coordinate app/ chat instructions for members.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Time management

Team player

Resilience

Education

GCSE Maths & English

Tools

CRM software

Job description

We are rebuilding the veterinary experience from the ground up, making access to care seamless, joyful, and genuinely personal for every pet and their owner.

With beautifully designed clinics and purpose‑built technology, we are transforming how veterinary care is accessed and delivered. Our clinics combine modern design with first‑class clinical care, creating spaces that vet teams, clients, and pets genuinely want to be in.

Our purpose is simple: healthier, happier pets and vets. We believe in a model that benefits everyone: our clinical teams, our members, our local communities, and our investors. That means competitive compensation, sensible caseloads, genuine career development, and a culture where people feel supported to do their best work.

We are building the vet group of the future. If you share our passion for doing things differently, we would love to hear from you.

Role Overview

The Practice Host is the face of Creature Comforts. This is a critical front‑of‑house and operational role, combining exceptional client care with the behind‑the‑scenes administrative work that keeps the practice running smoothly. You will build genuine relationships with our members and their pets, manage the flow of the clinic, and ensure every visit reflects the Creature Comforts experience at its best. You will also be comfortable handling sensitive situations, from patient emergencies to bereavements, with professionalism and calm.

Key Responsibilities

Front of House

• Be the welcoming first point of contact for every member and their pet, delivering a consistently outstanding experience
• Manage client check‑ins, bookings, payments, and general enquiries in person, by phone, and via digital systems
• Build genuine relationships with members and their pets through excellent communication and client care
• Use the practice management system and members app to ensure smooth, efficient patient flow
• Work with the clinical team to triage and support patient emergencies as they arise
• Manage the pet bereavement process sensitively, supporting members before and after difficult appointments, arranging sympathy cards, and managing the return of ashes
• Maintain all communal spaces, including member area toilets, consult rooms, and other shared spaces, to the highest standards of cleanliness and presentation at all times, mopped and hoovered at the end of every day and throughout the day when required
• Manage stock in the dwell and waiting spaces, including food, treats, merchandise, and refreshments
• Coordinate member traffic, directing clients to the app or chat function to prevent congestion

Business Performance

• Promote membership and support client acquisition and retention
• Where indicated, support the transition of PAYG to AA membership
• Engage with local community activities to enhance the clinic's reputation and drive membership
• Ensure payments are completed before and after each visit and manage end‑of‑day cash‑up
• Support the Practice Manager with debt management and overdue accounts

Administrative Responsibilities

• Manage chat functions, emails, and phone lines when not with clients at the front desk
• Submit and track insurance claims accurately and promptly
• Monitor the diary and update bookings as required
• Follow up on consults, procedures, and outpatient appointments using the appointment tracker
• Communicate clearly with members throughout their care journey, in writing and verbally, since strong communication is central to the Practice Host role
• Support clinic growth by talking to members about Google reviews, referrals, and relevant membership offers
• Step into Virtual Care Team (VCA) shifts as required, supporting members remotely across chat, email, and phone

Candidate Requirements

Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience in a demanding, customer‑facing role where you handled difficult or sensitive situations on your own, for example in healthcare, hospitality or a similar setting

Desirable

• Previous experience in a veterinary practice

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE grade 4 (C) or above in Maths and English, or equivalent professional experience

Desirable

• A further qualification in customer service, business administration or similar

Knowledge

Essential

• Strong client care skills
• A real interest in animal welfare
• Confident with IT and digital systems, and quick to learn new ones
• Comfortable taking payments and doing the end‑of‑day reconciliation

Desirable

• Understanding of how a veterinary practice runs
• Knowledge of practice management systems

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Strong time management and organisation
• Able to handle several priorities at once
• An excellent team player
• Capable under pressure

Desirable

• Experience with social media or content creation
• Experience handling complaints

Personal qualities

• A real affinity for people and animals
• Trustworthy, diligent and professional
• Emotionally resilient and calm in sensitive situations
• High standards, including keeping the practice clean, with an all‑hands‑on‑deck approach
• Entrepreneurial and proactive

What We Offer

• 200 hours' annual leave plus bank holidays, and your birthday off after one year's service
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme (5% employee, 3% employer contribution)
• Access to our healthcare incentive after one year of employment
• Genuine career progression as we grow across London and beyond
• A supportive, inclusive culture where your development is taken seriously
• Regular team and company social events
• The opportunity to be part of something genuinely different in veterinary care
• Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
• Free snacks and lunch in clinic
• Monthly peer recognition schemes
• Celebrating clinic milestones

Equal Opportunities

At Creature Comforts, we believe the best teams are built from diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels genuinely welcome, respected, and able to do their best work, and we actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.