Communicate Your Plan to Pet Owners
Break Up Larger Costs
By breaking larger expenses down into smaller pieces, veterinarians can help make the costs of veterinary care more manageable for pet owners. One example of this is to offer an in-house wellness plan where pet owners pay monthly or quarterly for the preventative treatments their pets need during the year. This can work very well at some clinics, but may be too much extra administrative work for some practices.
Another example is to stage veterinary care over multiple visits. For instance, you could divide vaccines into separate exams or perform necessary diagnostic testing in advance of surgery. This way, your client gets several smaller bills that can be paid over a period of time rather than one large invoice due at once. This can also help avoid client “sticker shock.”
Added Benefits of Staged Care
Staging care has an added benefit, since it provides veterinary team members with multiple opportunities to engage with pet owners. This can help build trusting relationships with clients and encourage them to reach out to your practice first—rather than groomers, dog walkers, friends with pets, or “Dr. Google”— when they have questions about the health or behavior of their pets.
If your clients have sought out information from other sources before coming to you, you should avoid making them feel guilty or lecturing them about it. Keep in mind that they see themselves as responsible pet owners who are trying to get it right. Treating them as educated and interested partners can go a long way in establishing positive relationships with them.