The ability to build strong relationships with clients and their pets is the determining factor on whether a veterinary practice becomes successful. Apart from making sure that each animal patient is comfortable and receiving the best medical treatment, the greatest strength of a practice lies in its ability to provide good animal care. In what ways can you improve patient care to enjoy increased visits?
Listen to Owner Concerns Attentively
As a part of the medical profession, it may feel tempting to respond to client concerns right away with a diagnosis and solution. Developing the skill of listening attentively, however, can help customers feel comfortable and gain trust for your care. Simply listening can help you get a full picture of the pet and its history, which could significantly help in providing effective treatment.
Be Diligent about Follow-Up Calls
The following day after the visit, make it a point to call the owner to check on the pet and remind them of any after-treatment recommendations. Making follow-up calls can help increase compliance to the medicine schedule and ensure that patients follow go-home instructions. Your receptionist can help by performing the duty and relaying any possible issues to you. More importantly, following up with patients shows that you care about your client’s pet and its well-being.
Educate Your Customers Properly
Apart from catering to the needs of animal patients, make sure you also make the owner understand why non-illness related treatments, such as a dental cleaning, is necessary. Distributing client handouts can come in handy, so the pet owners have materials to browse after they get home. Additionally, using the right terminology can make a huge difference: for instance, say “treatment plan” instead of “estimate” as the latter is a patient-friendly term that doesn’t focus on the financial aspect but the welfare of their pet.
Create a Board of Appreciation
Veterinary medicine is a team effort. Now and then, clients could bring in tokens or cards to thank everyone that helped their pet. It would then be useful if you put up a board of appreciation where you can hang up the cards and pictures of the animals that you helped save — it also cements your credibility as a reliable veterinary practice.
At Positive Impressions, LLC, we care about helping veterinary clinics build lasting relationships with their customers. This is why we offer a comprehensive range of customizable veterinarian products that could serve as a bridge between vet clinics and their clientele.