The hotel industry is known for its commitment to delivering an exceptional experience to its customers. From leaving complementary chocolates on the pillow to the ubiquitous, smiling concierge – each thoughtful element goes a long way to enhancing a guest’s stay and encouraging them to return again.

Here are 3 lessons that the veterinary industry can learn from one of the oldest CX focussed industries in the world; the hotel industry. 

Lesson 1: Provide a personalised experience for customers

You may have heard the phrase “make them feel like the most important person in the room” before. This means hotel staff remember peoples preferences such as what name they like be called, what room they usually prefer – perhaps what foods they might like in the minibar. Vets can provide a similar experience for their customers by remembering to use a pet’s name during a consult, making an effort to refer to specific details from previous visits and even taking the time to ask thoughtful questions about the owner and pet’s personal background such as “how was your trip away with fluffy over the holidays – did you manage his symptoms ok?”

Lesson 2: Make reflecting about customer experience a regular priority for staff 

Hotels regularly ask for feedback about client experience in their day-to-day to ensure that they are providing the best quality service that their guests expect. Veterinary practice owners and operators should consider how they too can embed a focus on CX into the day to day of staff. Whether that is a monthly meeting to deep dive into customer feedback or small daily tips/reminders around the office on important aspects of CX, finding a system that works for the unique culture of your practice is essential.

Not sure how your CX is tracking? VetCX’s Customer Care Insights is a useful tool that enables you to benchmark your CX performance against other practices nationally. It’s a great prompt to talk about CX in your practice regularly. Sign up now for a FREE TRIAL.

Lesson 3: Recognise that CX starts before a customer even enters the door

The customer journey starts before a guest has ever set foot in a hotel– it often begins on the phone. When your call is answered with a courteous smile and a “Hi, I’m Steve at Hotels R US -how can I help you?” vs a disgruntled “Yep, what do you want?” makes a big difference to our overall experience and desire to book at a hotel in the first place.

In the veterinary industry the practice phone is a lifeline to opportunity and more business. What the person picking up the practice phone says on the other line when they pick up a call can set the tone for the experience customers can expect when they come in. It’s also often the place where many vet practices fall flat with prospective new customers by talking about prices of treatments too soon or failing to offer to book an appointment. Answering with a smile, asking about a pet’s history and signalling empathetic responses can make or break whether someone decides to book in with your practice or the competitors the next suburb over. 

Book for a complementary consult with VetCX to talk about a tailored CX program for your veterinary practice.