Why You Need to Improve Communications in Your Vet Practice and How to Make it Happen

• March 25, 2020
• Author: Keith Young

Poor communication and customer service are the top reasons clients leave a veterinary clinic. Clearly, focusing on the quality of service and communication in your practice is essential. 

Here are 3 reasons why you need to improve communications in your vet practice:

1. Veterinarian-Client Communication is Key to Better Pet Care

As a veterinarian, your communication skills are a key factor in a strong relationship with pet owners. This communication is crucial to the care pets receive. 

Clients who believe their vet communicates effectively also feel they have a strong relationship with their veterinarian, shows a study by the American Veterinary Medical Association. This leads to client loyalty, which is good for your practice. 

The same study found that nearly 70% of pet owners with a strong relationship with their vet said they always follow their vet’s recommendations. This means good communication between veterinarian and client also benefits the pets.

2. Better Communication Means Better Customer Service

Because quality customer service is an important factor in loyalty to your clinic, better communication will go a long way toward the success of your veterinary practice. 

A big part of client service is their experience on the phone. Clients phone your clinic to book appointments, ask questions about a pet health concern, or for emergency situations. Ensure these calls are as pleasant and stress-free as possible. 

Nobody likes to wait on hold, especially in a tense situation. And when it comes to the wellbeing of a beloved pet, knowing the person on the other end of the line genuinely cares will greatly impact how a client feels about their call. 

3. Clients Prefer Alternative Communication Methods

Making up the largest segment (35%) of pet owners, millennials are prepared to spend an average of nearly $2,000 for their pet’s medical care. That’s a valuable population to target.

One way of appealing to millennial pet owners is by offering alternative ways of communication with your clinic. Text messaging is the preferred method of communication (including appointment reminders) for 75% of millennials. 

Unlike voicemail messages which are often left unopened in the millennial inbox, text messages have a 99% open rate. ¹

These statistics portray the millennial segment of your clientele, but the numbers are increasingly reflecting a majority of today’s pet owners.

How to Improve Communications in Your Vet Practice

There are many ways to improve communications in your vet practice. From policies and procedures to staff training and follow-ups, there are endless opportunities to better your clinic communications. 

Your phone system, however, is a primary factor in the quality of care your clients receive. Do you have the right phone system for your veterinary practice?

Here are 5 key features of a cloud phone system that can improve your clinic’s communications affordably. 

SMS-Messaging

With a cloud communications system, your business phone number can be used by anyone on your staff to send and receive text messages through SMS. The online portal or the softphone app make this function easily accessible from anywhere. New or existing business phone numbers can be converted to send and receive SMS Messages.

Reduce Hold Wait Time Stress

You can minimize the amount of time clients spend on hold when calling your clinic through features like Auto-Attendant, Call-Back and Call Queues. 

• Auto-Attendant is a virtual assistant that can automatically direct callers to the appropriate extension. This is especially useful in the case of emergencies. You can have emergency calls automatically forwarded to a designated line.  
• Call-Back gives callers the option of receiving a call back when a staff member becomes available instead of waiting on hold. 
• Call Queues route incoming calls to the next available extension in a predefined sequence. This will ensure calls are always answered by someone, even if the initial person is busy. 

Customized Greeting & Messages

Customized greetings and messages-on-hold allow you to create a more personal client experience. 

Your recorded messages can include helpful information and reminders about pet vaccinations or tips for healthy pet care. Directing callers to an extension with an automated message about your clinic hours and location can reduce the volume of calls your receptionist needs to deal with while providing just what the caller needs. 

Mobile Integration

A cloud phone system can integrate with mobile devices. Any mobile phone can become an extension of your clinic phone. You can keep your personal mobile number private while remaining available and connected any time and from anywhere. 

Set Your Veterinary Clinic Up with Better Communications

UnitedCloud has the best phone system for your veterinary clinic. Build stronger client-veterinarian relationships with better client service and improved communication.For enhanced communications in your vet practice, contact a UnitedCloud specialist today.

Click here to Download our Veterinary Practice Business Phone Data Sheet

¹ Burke K. “63 texting statistics that answer all your questions.” Text Request, May 24. Accessed 04-03-17 at bit.ly/2pGJFWc