The pet ownership landscape has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, ushering in a new era driven by the preferences and expectations of millennials and Gen Zers and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those two generations, born from 1981 to 2012, represent nearly 50% of all pet owners. Veterinary practices would do well to understand and adapt to the evolving needs of these modern pet owners.
Understanding Them
Millennials, representing a third of all pet owners, exhibit distinct behaviors and preferences in caring for their animal companions. They often view their pets as family members, which shapes their spending habits and approach to veterinary care.
Let’s explore some key characteristics of these pet owners.
They value a technology-enabled experience: Having grown up with an electronic device in their hand, a tech-driven, convenient pet care experience is paramount. Leveraging digital tools and online platforms is a norm for them, from purchasing pet supplies to managing health care and accessing pet travel services.
They aren’t afraid to splurge on their pets: Despite economic fluctuations, pet spending continues to rise. Younger generations prioritize pet expenses over personal care products.
They think beyond the paw: Gen Z and millennial pet owners show a penchant for a variety of pets beyond cats and dogs. Compared with older generations, they’re more likely to own hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, rabbits, lizards, fish and turtles. (A Forbes report has the details at bit.ly/44GF0EF.)
Communicating With Them
Younger pet owners’ relationship with technology drives many of their preferences. They want high-touch pet care experiences that resemble what they find in human health care. At the same time, they look for a customer experience that offers ease and instant gratification. This dichotomy has led many veterinary practices to leverage texting, automation, self-serve digital tools and workflow automation to bridge the competing demands of today’s clients.
When combined with quality in-person service care and treatments, digital tools create high-touch, personalized experiences that give pet owners confidence and make them feel important. Digital tools can support the veterinarian-client relationship by automating reminders, questions and answers, appointment requests, and document creation and distribution.
Here’s how millennials like to communicate:
- According to Idexx, 27% of them want their veterinarian to be available on social media.
- They spend hours a day checking their email. (So, no, email is not dead.) To win at email with this group, write strong subject lines and personalized messages.
- They can sniff out a generic email with ease. Personalization helps your emails avoid pesky spam filters.
- According to the American Animal Hospital Association, 57% of them prefer texting for appointment reminders.
- 36% of them prefer texting for communications about overdue balances.
The AAHA survey also identified the percentages of millennial pet owners who want a veterinarian to text them for a specific reason. For example:
- 86%: Appointment reminders
- 59%: Checkup scheduling
- 48%: Prescription refills
That’s right, your clients want you to text them.
Catering to Modern Pet Owners
It’s time to dive into how veterinary clinics can tailor their services to meet the specific needs of modern pet owners. Here are two opportunities to serve clients and unlock additional revenue streams:
- Emphasize preventive health care services: Given younger pet owners’ inclination to spend on veterinary care, think regular exams, vaccinations, lab testing, prescription medications and nutrition.
- Prepare pets for travel: Many modern pet owners don’t travel alone. Outside service providers can help veterinary practices facilitate seamless documentation and movement tracking, aligning with the expectations of tech-savvy clients. Consider bundling travel services to increase practice revenue. For example, you can offer microchipping and vaccinations instead of selling only an international health certificate.
The Path Forward
Adapting to the evolving landscape of pet ownership requires veterinary clinics to rethink their strategies and services. Embracing technology and offering diverse and personalized services can set a practice apart in a dynamic market, positioning your clinic as a trusted partner in the care and well-being of beloved pets.
In a world where convenience, personalization and technology intersect, clinics that understand and cater to the changing demands of modern pet owners will thrive in the evolving pet care landscape.
WELCOME BACK
According to an American Animal Hospital Association survey, the top drivers of millennial loyalty are friendly staff (57% of respondents), personalized service (49%) and a clean office (47%).