Veterinary practices offer a vital service to pet owners, agriculture, and a plethora of other niche markets. Yet despite that fact, there has been some growth slowdown in the veterinary industry. According to MarketResearch.com, one key point about the industry is that visits to many practices have fallen among pet and livestock owners in recent years.
With that in mind, many entrepreneurial veterinary practice owners have evolved their businesses. And, what’s more, many of them are experiencing a boost in client referrals and visits. Here are the leading ways that the veterinary profession is changing and how practice owners can evolve their services:
Better service equates to higher referrals
There’s no denying that veterinary practices are busy places at the best of times. Unfortunately, when practice staff have plenty of work to do, customer service can sometimes suffer.
The thing about lower than expected levels of customer service is those experiences soon make their way into the public domain. And when that happens, even a single social media post can discourage existing and new clients from visiting the practice.
Veterinary practices must improve their internal processes and have a clear focus on customer service. Only then can they continually enjoy higher referrals to their businesses.
Practices must offer a “one-stop-shop” service
Many pet owners and other clients of veterinary practices have high expectations. They want to know the best veterinary professionals can look after patients by offering an array of products and services under one roof.
There was once a time where people would only invoke the services of a veterinary practice to treat injured or ill animals. Nowadays, those same clients expect more services available to them during each visit. Examples include pet grooming, specialist foods, and even pet accessories like harnesses.
Investment in state-of-the-art technology is a must
Today’s modern veterinary practices must treat all patients with the best tools at their disposal. Some examples include:
- IT systems that interconnect with suppliers, allowing practice staff real-time access to information;
- Weighing equipment such as digital industrial scales that can cater for large patients such as equine animals;
- Medical and laboratory equipment that affords practice staff with the best ways of monitoring ill and injured patients.
Flexible ways for clients to pay
There’s no denying that cost has always been a big problem for many clients of veterinary practices. It’s one of the reasons why client numbers have dropped in the industry in recent years. With that in mind, practice owners must evolve their businesses in such a way that clients have more payment options.
Examples include fixed-cost healthcare plans for pets, finance for emergency surgery, and, of course, affordable pet insurance.
Web and smartphone app connectivity
Sadly, some veterinary practices have not embraced today’s digital age. Many practice clients want more accessible ways to book appointments and request medication. Website booking systems and smartphone apps are two examples where practice owners can make the customer experience easier and more streamlined for all parties concerned.
