Dealing with human patients is not all that different to dealing with animal patients – except maybe that there is a lot less fur to deal with!

What can the vet industry learn about delivering better CX from the healthcare industry?

Here are 4 quick lessons to get you up to speed.

Lesson 1:  Understand your patients values, needs and wants

Everyone brings their own unique viewpoints, preferences and experiences to the human consult room. The same can be said for the vet consult room – only the pet owner is the one making the choices not the patient. Understanding the ideals and experiences of the pet owner, including any negative associations they may have with visiting the vet can help you better manage the consult process.

Lesson 2:  Work in partnership with patients – it delivers better results

Much like making decisions about human healthcare, working in partnership is key to delivering the best results for pets. Take time to explain and explore the consultation and treatment options that pet owners are most comfortable with and make the best decision for the patient together.

Lesson 3: Remember, customer experience is the responsibility of the whole team

From the reception staff picking up the phone to the vet nurses who are helping out in the consultation room, each member of your team has the ability to influence the pet care you deliver. This makes it critical to embed a strong culture of CX into your practice.

Lesson 4: Let patients engage with you on their terms

With the COVID-19 pandemic increasing the popularity of services like telehealth, online bookings and consults, patients have come to expect to be able to contact providers through a variety of online mediums. Succeeding in this climate means providing ways for patients to engage with you on their terms so it is worth considering how you can help them do this through  your online channels for example website, online chat or instant bookings.

In principle all of these lessons sound easy, but in practice they can be tricky to implement. This is where VetCX can help.

VetCX specialises in customer experience for Veterinary businesses. We provide benchmarking services, consumer insights, customer service management, and tailored training packages to help practice owners/managers make small changes and grow sustainable businesses.

If you’d like to have a chat about your practice needs, please contact us.