November 01, 2020

Millions of people pay hundreds of dollars every year for the experience of visiting a Disney theme park—despite the huge crowds, long wait times, and short rides.

There’s a lesson here for veterinary practices, says Aggie Kiefer, a licensed veterinary technician and former editor-in-chief of Veterinary Technician Magazine, who spoke during the AVMA Virtual Convention 2020 about the importance of exceeding client expectations.

“You want the pet owner to be happy with their experience at your clinic—so happy with their experience that they tell other people how their experience was and recommend that they come see you as well,” Kiefer said at her Aug. 21 presentation, “Understanding Your Personal Strengths to Build Your Career and Team.”

Kiefer suggested veterinarians think clients are overly sensitive to cost, but the economic data show otherwise. She cited figures from the American Pet Products Association as indicative of U.S. pet owners’ willingness to invest in their animal companions. For instance, owners spent $95.7 billion on pets and pet products in 2019, with veterinary care and products accounting for roughly a third of total spending, she explained.

Most clients think of their pets as family members, and they come to the clinic with high expectations of the entire practice. “They’re watching and listening to how your whole team is interacting with everybody,” Kiefer said. “They’re listening to your tone, not just the words you say. They see your expression.

“They won’t remember everything you said or even everything you did, but they are going to remember the way that you make them feel, and that takes good communication.”

Veterinary practices are constantly competing to prove their value to clients, Kiefer said. They compete with “Dr. Google,” the doggy day care owner, friends and family, and direct-to-consumer marketing.

“We are overshadowed by so many of these other sources, and part of that is simply due to the limited exposure they have to us,” she explained. “Most people are probably only coming into our practices once or twice a year, and that’s not much of a touch point, whereas they’re going to the pet store every couple weeks for food or other supplies.”

Veterinary practices must therefore take advantage of each and every interaction with a client to make a lasting impression, just like Disney does. That means not only meeting a client’s expectations for high-quality veterinary care but also exceeding them by providing exceptional service.

“It’s those little extras,” Kiefer said.

It can be as a simple as returning a patient to the owner dressed in a bandana after a nail trim or talking through each step of a physical examination so the client feels included. Offering to take a photo of the client and patient together on the client’s smartphone is another way. Being especially loving with a senior patient or a patient who is ill goes a long way with owners, too.

“When we give clients value, we keep them in that positive mind frame. We’re going to have fewer complaints and reduce that anxiety in our team and in ourselves, and that, to me, is a huge payoff,” Kiefer said.