Tag: veterinary customer service

Why do my veterinary clients do less when I talk more?

by easyDVM

Starting a new veterinary practice involves lots of decisions and lots of work. What type of building is best? Which location is perfect? Is cloud veterinary software better than a program on your own server? One of the most time-consuming but critical elements to creating a successful practice is forming sold veterinarian/client/patient relationships. These relationships are key to the best care for your patients, as well as follow through on the part of their owners.

While most veterinary doctors think that lengthy explanations spur their clients to follow through on their guidance, research tells us that is not the case at all. In fact, research has shown that the more a veterinarian talks, the less likely compliance will follow. Specifically, the more we deliberate about a decision, the less likely we are to make a decision at all.  Decisions are made emotionally. So, how do you ensure that your clients follow through for healthier pets?

How do People Make Veterinary Decisions?

Knowing what we do about clients tuning out long-winded veterinarian guidance, it points out that their decision-making process differs from what is expected. In fact, most people make decisions about their pets based on emotions rather than logic. Given how much people love their pets, this is likely understandable.

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So, veterinary practices need to be cognizant of emotional elements of the veterinary-client relationship, like these:

  • First impressions – The initial meeting of a client is crucial. While you are examining their beloved pet, they are sizing you up at the same time. Your bedside manner cannot be understated in terms of importance.
  • Comfort level – When clients are comfortable with your care and your advice, they will listen to your guidance. Building that trust level is a key point.
  • Appreciation – Clients should be appreciated and thanked for their business.
  • Compliments – When a client follows the veterinary advice that your practice gives them, they should be complimented for the follow through and taking such great care of their pets.

How Can You Improve Compliance?

Improving compliance is central to growing your veterinary practice. The more clients comply with your advice, the healthier their pets will be. This will certainly lead to better relationships between the practice and the clients. And, great relationships lead to greater loyalty and more referral patients. Luckily, user-friendly web based veterinary practice management software can enhance compliance, solidify relationships, and boost your veterinary practice.

Here are some far-reaching measures that your practice can set up using veterinary software to ensure maximum compliance and client happiness:

  • Take an assessment of current compliance: Don’t estimate, as you’ll often guess that the level is higher than it really is. Communicate with the client and ask!
  • Get the whole team involved: Established follow up procedures on veterinary guidance free up your time to focus on patients in front of you.
  • Set improvement goals: Decide as a team on goals for compliance and put one of the team members in charge of the process improvements.
  • Measure results: Using web-based veterinary software makes it simpler for the team to track communications with clients and track results in better compliance. Sometimes, clients just need a reminder!
  • Celebrate: When compliance increases due to the work of the team, it’s time to celebrate! Maybe order lunch for the office or buy them each a small gift to motivate continued focus on the health and happiness of patients.

Successful veterinary practices are a combination of animal loving doctors and support staffs that want the best for their patients. To make sure that your practice builds great relationships with client pet owners and grows financially, you need great veterinary software that is user friendly.

It’s Opening Day for Your Start-up Veterinary Clinic. How Do You Get the Word Out?

by easyDVM

The first few months of your new practice’s existence are a critical period, and many practices that flounder in this period fold later on. You’re a veterinarian, not a marketer — but if you don’t learn at least some marketing techniques, your start-up practice may not survive.

What’s more, starting a new veterinary practice poses a unique problem: You have to carve out a new niche for yourself and create an identity for yourself out of nothing (or almost nothing). Thankfully, many veterinarians have done it before you, and there are several tried-and-true techniques out there to promote your new business.

Get Listed on Business Listings

The first step as soon as you get a location picked out is to get listed on all the business listing directories.  Google is still the pack leader so make sure you start there.  Other directories include Bing, Yelp, and Yahoo.  Most of them require a way to authenticate that you are truly the owner of the business.  So you may need a way to receive mail at the location or have a business phone number already set up.

Write a Press Release

Writing a press release is one of the most time-honored ways of getting your message out. By sending a press release to TV and radio stations, newspapers and other news outlets in your area, you can drum up plenty of interest. But your press release won’t do much good if these outlets don’t run it. With that in mind, you need to make it as enticing to reporters as possible.

Your press release shouldn’t be an advertisement: Write it from a neutral point of view, in the same style as a newspaper article. Press releases are for news, not just information, so be sure to reference something new like an opening date or an announcement. Remember that reporters are busy people, and they’re much more likely to run your press release if they don’t have to edit it. If you have any questions about how to write the best possible press release, you might hire a professional writer.

Notably, you should put your name and contact information at the end of the press release. Even if a news outlet doesn’t run your press release, they may reach out to you for an interview.

Social Media

Social media has largely supplanted traditional advertising media, like radio and TV spots or newspaper ads, as a way of getting your message out. Making a social media account and posting to it is a free way of getting publicity, so you should consider having a social media presence on major platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Unfortunately, just making free posts won’t necessarily help you break into your target market. Most social media platforms won’t prioritize your posts on users’ feeds unless you spend money to run advertisements or promote posts.

The good news is that platforms like Facebook allow you to carefully craft advertisements to promote your practice. You can choose precisely the audience you want in terms of location, interests and demographic variables like pet ownership. What’s more, these kinds of ads generally aren’t too expensive.

Opening Specials and Other Deals

Opening specials, sales and other special deals will only work if potential customers already know about your practice. So be sure to use other techniques to build buzz, but bring customers in the door — and build word of mouth — by sweetening the proposition with an opening deal.

What, exactly, you’ll choose will depend on what you can afford and what you think your customers will be interested in. Maybe you’ll give them a discount on their next visit if they refer a friend. Maybe you’ll offer a hefty discount on services for their first visit or give them a discount if they book another appointment before they leave.

When you’re starting a new practice, you have many marketing techniques available to you to bring customers in the door. By using a combination of many approaches, you’ll reach a broad audience and increase your odds of a successful opening — and a thriving practice for many years to come.

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Top 5 Dental Offers for Clients During Pet Dental Month

by easyDVM

Finding new clients can be challenging, so you need to give the public a reason to visit your practice.

Since February is National Pet Dental Health Month, it’s a great time to educate your clients on the importance of optimal dental care — but how?

In order to benefit both your client’s pet and your business, incentives can be offered to get these pet owners through the door. From there, you can spread awareness about pet oral health, as you grow your client base.

If you want to get creative, here are some ways you can attract new business, while helping the pets within your community. The following five incentives are attractive to potential clients, all while showcasing your presence in the community.

1. Create a Unique Pet Oral Health Kit for New Clients

When new clients visit your practice, they will receive the kit you’ve put together. These kits can include a toothbrush, dental treats, toothpaste, etc. By educating these clients, they’ll also be more open to dental cleanings in the future. In order for this incentive to be successful, you need to promote your practice and this offer specifically.

2. Make Clients Aware of Pain Prevention

In many cases, it’s not that clients don’t care — it’s that they’re unaware. What appears to be just a case of bad breath could potentially indicate a more serious health concern. Start a blog on your website, so that you can post interesting, informative pieces, adding value to pet owners.

In this case, no pet owner wants their pet to suffer, so give them an inside look at what poor oral health can lead to. Before and after pictures are always effective. You could even create an online video, showcasing some common procedures within your practice to improve pet oral health, then send it out to your mailing list. Also, encourage your audience to share your content!

3. Work With Local Groups and Businesses to Donate Items

Once you have a little hype around the importance of pet oral health, reach out to other organizations or groups within your community to collaborate. You could advertise that the first 15 clients who register for a cleaning will receive an item valued at X amount. The groups, shelters or organizations you work with can also advertise through their platforms.

4. Run a Promotion for Both New and Loyal Customers

Whether you pin flyers in local businesses or advertise on social media, run a promotion in regards to a client’s first oral health procedure. For both new and loyal customers, you can offer a discount or a free gift. Perhaps you have developed a loyalty points system? If so, double standard offers in relation to any oral health care appointments.

5. Share and Display Positive Reviews Based on Past Experiences

Clients want to see that other pet owners have had a positive experience with you. If you have had customers schedule oral health procedures in the past, reach out to them for an honest review. You can offer them some sort of incentive, such as 10 percent off their next cleaning. Display these reviews on your website’s home page and within your practice.

Although you have plenty to focus on within your practice, don’t forget about the world outside of your practice. You need to be innovative in order to grow your clientele, all while solidifying your place as an expert in your community. Get involved and be creative this National Pet Dental Health Month — it will be pay off in the long term!

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Getting Veterinary Clients in the Door (A Few Reminders…)

by easyDVM

Content marketing can seem like a complicated endeavour. But, just like anything in business, content marketing is only as daunting as you make it. I understand that may sound a little naive, but there is certainly a grain of truth to the notion that we can over-complicate any task when we lose sight of that task’s guiding principles. Content marketing is a multi-step process, but the strategies that surround content marketing are based on largely common sense and practical principles and guidelines. If nothing else, I am here to remind you of a few of those guidelines and hopefully relieve some stress surrounding content marketing strategies and applications.

Take time to think about your practice and your clients

Before you can generate actual content, take a deep breath and brainstorm about what your practice means to you and your clients. If you don’t clearly define the terms of your practice ( i.e. how you want it to be perceived, what you want it to accomplish, and how you want it to impact your clients), how can you expect to define the terms of your marketing strategy? When you are generating content, it can become very clear very quickly whether your content is being guided by a clear and concise vision. Constructing that clear practice vision can help define your goals and construct a holistic marketing strategy. In essence, treat this brainstorm time like a scientific case study; before you can conduct the study, you must define the terms and variables that will guide your study. Content marketing is no different.

Be brutally honest with yourself

When generating content, you must be brutally honest with yourself. If writing was never your strong-suit, it may not be the worst idea to look elsewhere for content generation. This might mean looking in-house for people on your team that could generate engaging content or be trained to do so, or even outsourcing your marketing to a professional in the marketing field. Either path with require some investment, but if you’re serious of generating engaging content that will bring people in the door (or are reading this post), then I’m sure you understand that. If you decide to remove yourself from the direct marketing process, do not feel that you must exclude yourself entirely. Do not discount your knowledge as a veterinary professional. Whether you decide to stay in-house or outsource your content marketing, utilize your expertise and insight.

Rough draft versus final draft

It’s like you never left college! This might seem like common sense, but the editing and optimization process is vital once you’ve generated content. Check for spelling errors, the presence and placement of keywords, content organization, plagiarism, etc. Treat your marketing content like you would the final draft of a college assignment. Glaring grammatical errors or incorrect data presentation can really detract from the strength of your content, so be sure that your content generation process includes an editing step. Bonus tip: When generating content, particularly when it relates to veterinary medicine, make sure that what you’re saying is client-friendly. More specifically, make sure that what you’re saying isn’t too bogged down in technical jargon or only accessible to other medical professionals. Your focus is on engaging clients in some form or another, so always double check that your tone and content are customer-centric.

SEO. SEO. SEO!

Search engine optimization. This is an imperative aspect to content marketing and entails a variety of aspects involved in optimizing not only the performance of your content but your website, as well. SEO entails things like optimizing your site/content through a responsive design (which can incorporate clean coding, faster load times, etc.), complying with existing web standards, strong backlinks and inbound links through promotion, meta information, as well as mobile search compatability. This last aspect – mobile search – could be argued to be the most important, if for no other reason than the ever-growing prominence of mobile usage by consumers. Search engine optimization also entails integrating your content and website with your existing social media presence. Don’t be afraid of cross-promoting your site and content across different platforms, and always including links and streams from one to the other.
The keys listed above are certainly not the end-all be-all when it comes to content marketing, but they do highlight a few of the major points and pit-stops along the way to successful content generation and marketing. If you’re ever in doubt about the success of your content marketing strategy or just want to stay on top of your marketing efforts, utilizing tools like Google Analytics or the analytics tools on Facebook and Instagram are great options. They can provide a wealth of data on your website or social media platforms, and even track the performance of individual pieces of content. They are meant to be user-friendly, so do not be intimidated by what may seem like a bunch of analytical IT jargon. Such analytical tools ultimately give you greater control and understanding of your marketing strategy, and can even help you better understand what potential and existing clients are engaging with. If you would like to go more in-depth, I have posted some links below to sites and articles that delve into topics like content generation and marketing, as well as SEO. These links are not endorsements of specific companies or entities. Rather, they are simply meant to encourage further learning and understanding.

Content Marketing:
http://www.vmdtoday.com/journals/vmd/2017/august2017/the-five-pillars-of-content-marketing
SEO:
https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Veterinary Medicine and Technological Trepidation

by Hunter Little

In a recent editorial published in the May/June issue of “Today’s Veterinary News”, the University of Georgia’s Simon R. Platt wrote a piece concerning the telemedicine, the AVMA, and the implementation of new telecommunication technologies in the veterinary field. The editorial, in part, focused on a report written by an AVMA advisory panel that attempted to define telemedicine and its potential implications for veterinary medicine. Platt’s assessment saw telemedicine and veterinary telemedicine as dividing into two distinct camps: the first being a kind of consultation structure that facilitated collaboration and cooperation between practitioners, and the second being a more diagnostic role, offering a diagnostic/care service for remote situations, etc. But the real task at hand, as Platt argues, is the degree to which this kind of technology can fit into veterinary medicine not just accurately, but ethically too. Platt notes how “we fear where it all could lead […] the rules of the game don’t change because a consultation occurs electronically rather than face to face.”

To outsiders looking in, veterinary medicine, in some regards, is a very slow moving beast when it comes to technological implementation. But, as Platt’s piece indicates, this isn’t such a bad thing. There are ethical and legal aspects to consider. More importantly, there is the question of standard of care. And here, I would have to agree. Pets present such a raw, emotional attachment for their owners; unconditional love from a pet is an almost universal constant, and something veterinarians must contend with at all times when providing medical care. So it would stand to reason that the technology that is implemented into veterinary medicine augment animal health and well-being in such a way as to support that underlying principle. On the individual practice level, this sentiment towards technology holds true, almost more so than at the broader, AVMA-policy level. So, my thought is this: when you, as a practice-owner, are considering new technologies and software to implement into your practice, consider its ability to effectively relay that standard of care. If your software can relay that level of care so inherently intertwined with veterinary medicine, then perhaps it is technology worth considering. If it only proves to bog your practice down, and mar your ability to provide that certain standard of care, then perhaps you should look elsewhere. When implementing new tech or software, trust what you see, and trust what your employees see. Platt includes a quotation at the beginning of his piece that reads:

“We must always tell what we see. Above all, and this is more difficult, we must always see what we see.” – Platt

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Veterinary Wellness Plans in Veterinary Practice – Pros and Cons

by easyDVM

Woman out running along a grassy track with her two dogs. Rear view if get legs with both dogs in view. Early morning light creates shadows at atmosphere. Shot on iPhone 6If you are in the field of veterinary medicine, you have heard about wellness plans.  You may be asking yourself if these plans would be profitable for your practice. Here are some pros and cons that wellness plans can bring to your business.

Pro: Increased Vet Visits

Clients have been known to increase the amount of times they bring their pets to the vet by two to three times when they have wellness plans. When a client can pay for services at a discounted price monthly, or even annually, they will be inclined to utilize these services more often. This leads to better care for pets, improved bond between the veterinary team and the client, and increased revenue for your practice.

Pro: Wellness Plans Tailored Towards Specific Practice Needs

Do you need to draw more revenue towards a specific service, such as dental cleanings or spay/neuter surgery? Create a wellness plan that includes items associated with only these services.  This can drive clients to providing yearly bloodwork and dental cleanings for their pets, or even spay/neuter services with a new puppy/kitten vaccine package. Ultimately, again, this improves pet care and the bond with your clients, as well as increased revenue.

Con: Wellness Plans Can Be a Sensitive Matter

There are many things that can make wellness plans fall apart. As a veterinarian, you must pay close attention to what is best for your clients and their pets. Communication between yourself, your team, and your clients is essential to the success of wellness plans.  Clients need to understand which wellness plan is best for their pet at various times throughout their care.  Therefore, you cannot implement a successful wellness plan without thorough research to provide appropriate options and excellent communication to your clients, as well as your team.  Everyone must be on board to make it work.

Con: As With Everything, Things Can Take a Terrible Turn

It happens.  Clients cannot pay their wellness plan fees.  A pet dies with months of unused services.  As part of implementing wellness plans, veterinarians have to at least attempt to prepare themselves for the inevitable. Know what you are going to do; maybe your practice will offer a refund of services not used or have a clause that protects the plan, and your practice, if a client defaults on payments. If you have covered your bases beforehand, and communicate this with your team and clients, it will not be as difficult to deal with, should the time come.

Summary

This information merely grazes the surface of wellness plans in private practice.  In conclusion, the most important thing is to do your research as a veterinarian and include your team and clients in the implementation of your pricing strategy.  Find out what is best for your clients and roll with it. Wellness plans may not be the answer for you and your practice, but they are worth a shot.

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Indirect Veterinary Customer Service: Technology and the Employee-Customer Dynamic

by Hunter Little

I’ve got to say, I am really proud of the title of this blog. If nothing else, I’ve managed to make something that is, at its core, a very simple concept and transform it into a seemingly complicated theory (there is always something humorous about over-complicating simple ideas). When I say “Indirect Customer Service”, what I’m really referring to is the notion of improving customer service by improving other aspects of your business that do not directly deal with customer service. That is to say, addressing customer service indirectly by addressing other areas of your business. Also included in the title is this notion of the employee-customer dynamic, or more specifically, the daily interactions that occur between employees and customers (we can even include employee-to-employee and customer-to-customer interactions).

My theory is quite simple, and is ultimately based on a few basic observations within the workplace. By implementing a few key technological improvements into the lives of employees (with the idea being that these technological installments are meant to make the employees’ work easier), the employees would ultimately be happier and more productive (I promise, this is not some kind of pseudo-communist plot). This direct influence on employees has indirect benefits for customer service. A happier employee is bound to have a pleasant interaction with the customer. If you have ever been introduced to any kind of behavioral-based psychology, then you know that people oftentimes direct emotions at outlets other than the source of their emotions. Thus, an employee that is, for example, stressed out about the complicated process for inputing a new client’s medical history into the medical records database may be more likely to imbue that employee-client interaction with their negative emotions regarding their practice software. The client ends up being the recipient of an employee’s frustration, and thus has a negative customer service experience. Yet, this negative experience had nothing to do with the client. Thus, because we failed to directly address a problem or inefficiency within the workflow dynamic (or the workplace as it applies to the employees), we have indirectly influenced our customer service.

This notion of indirect customer service was one of the driving factors behind the creation of EasyDVM veterinary practice software in the first place. We wanted to create something that was entirely based on a customer-centric model, emphasizing the importance of customer service before anything else. This means that, when we began designing the software, we designed it through trial and error, utilizing the input of our employees throughout the creation process. It is easy to design a software platform that is aesthetically pleasing and loaded with tons of features. but none of that matters if your employees can’t use it. Functionality and ease-of-use became imperative to the creative process behind EasyDVM veterinary practice management software. What I ultimately found was how this indirectly affected customer service. If employees are happy, then clients are happy. It may sound simple or a little overreaching, but I challenge you to try it. Like I have done before, I challenge you to put customer service at the forefront of your business, and see what changes come with that new approach.

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Diamond in the Rough: Making Your Veterinary Practice Stand Out

by easyDVM

Veterinary practices today operate in a highly competitive market. To attract new clients to your practice and retain existing ones, you not only have to provide a good service, but also convince clients that your practice offers greater value than all the others in your local area. If you are struggling to get enough business while other practices in town hog the limelight, use these tips to polish your practice’s marketing until it shines like a diamond.

Upgrade Your Website

When pet owners look for a local veterinary practice, they often turn to search engines to find out what their options are. If your website sits low in the rankings for key search terms, such as “vet [your local area],” people may not know your business exists at all. In this case, adding keyword-rich content to your site in the form of a blog could help to raise your site’s search ranking.

What if your website ranks highly, but still fails to bring in much business? In that case, you need to consider whether the content on your site is doing its job correctly. Does your website clearly state your location, opening hours and the services you offer? Most importantly, does it provide easy ways for clients to get in touch, such as a contact form, phone number and email address? Making communication as easy as possible could help to ensure your business is the practice of choice for pet owners who are new to the area.

Network Online and Offline

Building connections with the local pet-owning community can help you attract and keep customers. You can stay in touch with clients by inviting them to connect with your practice on social media, where you can share tips on pet care, pictures of your team and updates on the latest services your practice offers. However, even in today’s digital age, it is important not to underestimate the importance of real-world interactions. Increase your community presence by attending community events or giving talks about pet care and veterinary careers at local schools.

Partner With Local Businesses

Local businesses that cater to pet owners, such as pet stores, professional dog walkers and grooming services, can put you in touch with new clients. Research the pet-related businesses in your local area and approach the most popular ones with an offer to partner up. For example, your practice could hand out discount vouchers for a local pet store, encouraging your customers to buy their pet food and accessories from that business. In exchange, the store may allow you to place advertising materials for your practice in their store. Building relationships with businesses that pet owners already rely on is a great way to boost your brand’s reputation and attract new clients to your practice.

Deliver Outstanding Service

All the marketing tricks in the world won’t help you build a loyal client base if you can’t deliver a good service. Be sure to schedule plenty of time for appointments, so your veterinarians can take the time to make pets comfortable and build a rapport with owners. Use veterinary software programs to eliminate billing errors and other admin-related issues. Finally, always ask clients for feedback, as this can help you to identify problems with your service and address them to ensure your practice is truly outstanding.

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

The Top 10 Problems Veterinarians Face (and How to Solve Them)

by Sam D Meisler DVM

The life of a veterinarian is very rewarding, and you likely enjoy your career. Still, it does have its challenges. If you’re struggling with a specific problem or simply want to improve your practice, read on for the most common problems and how to solve them.

1. Angry Customers

Most pet owners are cordial when their pets are well, but the tables may turn when the news isn’t good. If you want to prevent angry customers, push the importance of veterinary preventive medicine and regular veterinary wellness checkups. When a customer’s emotions are heightened by stressful news, try to stay calm and comforting at all times.

2. Pricing

Pricing is a critical issue for veterinarians. If you price too high, your customers are disgruntled. If you price too low, however, your veterinary practice may suffer.

The trick is to find a competitive price that still pays your bills and your employee salaries, and leaves a little for savings. Review your pricing regularly and compare it with your net profit to determine the sweet spot for pricing.

3. Stress

Like most medical jobs, veterinarians deal with daily stress – and so do your employees. You can’t prevent stress completely, but you can manage it with regular breaks in a quiet room and shorter shifts for employees.

4. Disgruntled Employees

Every industry has the potential to upset its employees. Make sure you’re paying your employees what they’re worth, and keep your expectations reasonable. Most importantly, follow the proper procedures to keep your employees safe from diseases and injuries when working with animals.

5. Slow Cash Flow

Nearly all veterinary practices experience slow cash flow. To boost sales when cash is short, create special offers to entice new customers. You might offer a special for pets who are behind on immunizations or provide extra services for puppies and kittens.

6. Continued Education

Veterinary practice is a science, and science is changing constantly. Staying on top of trends and advancements isn’t always easy, but it’s important for your career. To make the job easier, consider learning as you work by watching videos or listening to podcasts.

7. Competition

You’ll face more competition than ever before, thanks to mobile clinics, mega pet stores and internet diagnoses. You can’t possibly defeat all the competition, but you can stay relevant by offering to match the prices of other clinics (when asked), advertising your strengths and focusing on one or more specialties.

8. Lack of Time

You’re probably busier than most people you know. Instead of just accepting that you’ll never have free time again, try to find ways to streamline your business. Maybe you could convert to digital records instead of paper, or perhaps you should hire additional support staff so you can focus on the most important aspects of your business. There are likely numerous ways to make your life easier if you brainstorm a bit.

9. Finding Great Employees

It’s a struggle for any business to find the best employees. To find yours, consider cutting your experience requirements, and focusing instead on finding people who love animals and can learn quickly. Once you find a great employee, do everything you can to keep them – it’s cheaper to retain employees than to find new ones.

10. Low Income Pet Owners

Some pet owners simply don’t have the funds to take care of their pets. It’s heartbreaking, but what can you do? You have your own bills to pay, and many of your customers can afford your services. Here’s one solution: You might offer your services at a reduced rate if your city leaders agree to fund a clinic that provides basic veterinary care to local residents. When it comes to larger treatments like surgeries, there are many financing companies with which you can partner. And if a low income, affordable clinic comes to town, embrace them rather than try to compete with them.

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Taking Time to Find Perspective: A Veterinary Client’s Point of View

by Hunter Little

Back in April of 2015, the periodical Veterinary Economics ran a survey asking pet owners why they left their former veterinary practice for a new one. The responses covered a wide range of topics, from post-euthanasia horror stories to rambunctious dogs running loose through the hallways of an undisclosed practice. As I read these reader responses, I was left with the impression that these seemed rather far-fetched stories. What I mean by ‘far-fetched’ is, if I were reading these as a veterinarian, my thoughts after reading might best be summed up as, “Those stories could never happen in my practice!” And sure, it’s only natural to assume that your practice is a well-oiled machine, efficient in treatment and outstanding in customer service. But then I got to thinking: how often does one consider their practice from a client’s perspective?

Now, you may think this is a ridiculous question. “Of course I do”, you might say. “Customer service is of the utmost priority at my practice.” But that’s not really the focus, at least not directly. Taking a moment to step back and consider your practice from the client’s perspective means taking stock in both the macro and the micro; seeing both the big picture and the minutiae. From this perspective, you must go beyond the basics – like greeting clients as they walk in the door (although that is nevertheless important) – and try to see what the client sees. For instance, what is your post-euthanasia protocol? If it’s anything like one client had to experience before they left their old practice – “One morning I sat next to a couple and their dog in the waiting room. They were called into an exam room, then emerged several minutes later crying and carrying the euthanized dog in a black garbage bag.” 1– then you have clearly not taken the time to consider things from the client perspective. Another example might be cleaning stray hairs off the exam table in-between exams, or knowing when to bend the rules to accommodate potential special needs for clients.

Another way of understanding this may be to consider tapping into the client perspective as a way of redefining customer service. We look to customer service as a means of understanding how we actively shape a client’s experience into a positive one. But that understanding places the emphasis solely on the caregiver-to-client relationship. What about the client-to-caregiver or client-to-practice relationship? What about the protocols and routines you currently have in place within your practice that don’t necessarily take the client into account, yet may directly or indirectly affect them? I’m not suggesting some radical shift in how we look at or define customer service within the veterinary realm. Rather, I’m suggesting we take time to gain a little perspective, step into the client’s shoes and see how they view your practice. Raise these questions at your next staff meeting and see where the dialogue goes. Perhaps previously unforeseen problems or challenges will arise, or, at the very least, your employees and co-workers will gain a fresh, nuanced perspective on how they interact with clients. At the end of the day, engaging with the client perspective –  trying to see what the client sees – is a lesson in the little things, the subtle nuances that make your practice unique. Your client may never notice these little things, but it can mean all the difference when it comes to making your practice a comfortable space for your clients and their pets.
1 Veterinary Economics. April, 2015