Are you offering the care, communication, and services today’s pet owners want?

In our last post, we shared the 8 tips the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends for pet owners looking for a veterinarian. They recommend asking:

1. Are the clinic's office hours compatible with your schedule?
2. How do the veterinarians and staff treat you and your pet?
3. Are the clinic's payment options/plans acceptable to you?
4. If your pet is insured, does the clinic accept your insurance plan?
5. How are after-hours emergencies handled?
6. How do they handle referrals to specialists, if that's necessary?
7. If you have a non-traditional pet, does the veterinarian have experience with that species of pet?
8. A referral from a trusted friend or family member is helpful.

While these considerations seem pretty straightforward, it’s also important to consider the demographic of your target market. Do you offer evening or weekend appointments? How do you handle emergency calls? Can you accommodate same-day appointments? In today’s world of 24/7 accessibility, if you aren’t offering flexible hours, they’ll find someone else who does.

How you and your staff treat patients seems like a no-brainer, but today’s veterinary clients expect to be greeted — and their pets to be greeted — by name as soon as they walk through the door. This first impression can make or break an ongoing client relationship. Communication should continue to be first and foremost throughout the visit, from the receptionist and techs to the veterinarian.

How you communicate with your patients is important. Client demographics are changing. While baby boomers tend to view their veterinarian as their healthcare professional and defer to their advice, millennials tend to be more informed and perceive their veterinarian as a partner. Are you willing to embrace technology to communicate and connect with clients, such as live chat, updated websites, social media, and text messages?

Also consider the waiting room experience. Clients and pets are most likely already anxious for their upcoming appointment. Are sick pets separated from well visit clients? Are dogs and cats placed together? Any method to alleviate or minimize human and animal stress prior to the exam creates a better experience for all involved.

Today’s customers also want a choice in payment options. Several new pet financing options are available, including veterinary credit cards and loan programs. Companies like Covetrus North America even offer secure payment processing programs to help practices cost effectively manage credit and debit card transactions.

Do you accept pet insurance? The AVMA endorses the concept of pet health insurance and recognizes the value of insurance programs. In addition to accepting various pet insurance plans, focus on value by offering yearly preventive care plans to your patients.

Do you offer emergency care? If not, do you have someone answering the phone 24/7 or an after-hours recorded message that can direct frantic patients to emergency care? If not, consider directing callers or including a link to the American Animal Hospital Association’s hospital locator tool on your website to help callers locate an accredited hospital near you. The American Red Cross also has a pet first aid app available to help clients locate a veterinarian in case of emergencies.

How do you handle referrals? Do you maintain relationships with specialists, in areas such as cardiology, orthopedics, or oncology? The millennial demographic tends to be more savvy about care and is more likely to shop for around for the best deal on medications and specialty care, but are also more likely to use daycare, boarding, pet walking, and grooming services. If you don’t offer these services, consider developing partnerships with local providers who can then refer their customers back to you.

Contact your Covetrus North America representative for more information at 855.724.3461.

Sources:

https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/choosing.aspx

http://veterinarybusiness.dvm360.com/9-steps-perfect-veterinary-appointment

http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/3-tips-connect-with-clients

https://wallethub.com/edu/pet-financing/25910/

https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Pet-Health-Insurance.aspx

http://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/about_aaha/hospital_search/default.aspx

http://www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/pet-first-aid-app

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/pet-owner-20-your-millennial-veterinary-clients

https://veterinarypracticenews.com/how-to-talk-to-your-veterinary-clients/