I was tasked recently with helping a veterinary practice navigate big changes. In addition to unexpectedly losing a veterinarian, the hospital would close on Saturdays. A priority was ensuring that the team and clients learned about the changes efficiently, effectively and consistently. The project seemed simple at first, but it ended up being a great opportunity to also step back, look at the hospital’s messaging and online presence, and find ways to better connect with pet owners.
Not every change requires a formal announcement to clients, but significant adjustments do. Those that affect the client experience — such as new hours, the hiring or departure of a veterinarian, and new services or technology — warrant clear and timely communication. You must evaluate how each change might affect client interaction. If it could cause confusion and inconvenience or, on the positive side, improve the experience, a thoughtful communication plan is worthwhile. By proactively sharing updates, you build trust, ensure that pet owners remain informed, and reduce the likelihood of causing surprise or dissatisfaction.
Start With the Team
After the hospital leaders confirmed the changes, the practice team needed to be notified. For instance, instead of telling employees, “We’re going to be closed on Saturdays,” consider delivering the information with a time line, a little bit about the “why,” how they might be affected and the solutions, and preemptive responses for when clients asked or complained about the change. Suddenly, a seven-word sentence becomes a seven-paragraph statement. It’s more than “We’re going to be closed on Saturdays.” It’s “We made this decision for A, B and C reasons. The benefits are D, E and F, and affected employees can expect G, H and I. We expect clients to have a few common questions, and here are the responses you can use.”
While I’m not a huge fan of meetings, significant changes warrant one. Document the discussion for later reference and to share with team members who were unable to attend.
Formulate a Plan
Like with a medical SOAP note, listing to-dos is the best way to ensure you don’t miss any steps. Adopt a multimodal approach and consider everything a change will affect. For instance, new hours at the practice I assisted involved more than updating the sign on the door.
The hours also had to be changed in the following places:
- Online portal for booking appointments.
- Client reminders.
- Business cards and brochures.
- Rescue groups and urgent-care practices that referred Saturday patients.
- Practice website.
- Email auto responses and email signatures.
- Practice app.
- Google Business dashboard
- Facebook, Yelp, Nextdoor and Instagram pages.
Then, the communication plan needed to include:
- Email to all clients, regardless of whether they had a Saturday appointment.
- Email advising clients to reschedule Saturday appointments.
- A script to read when a team member calls clients.
- Email notice to referral partners.
- Social media posts.
The hospital wanted to give advance notice to clients and be respectful of team members’ schedule adjustments, so a 10-week lead time was chosen.
Finally, ensure your team is fully informed about when to discuss the changes with pet owners, when the news will appear on social media, and when emails will go out. This way, team members will feel prepared and confident and less likely to be caught off guard by client inquiries.
Task Management
While the hospital’s to-do list was not extremely long or cumbersome, it involved multiple team members. Whether you’re changing hours, altering doctor availability or adding a service, implementing changes should be a team approach, if for nothing else than to ensure accurate information. Utilize your team leads or most trusted employees to delegate the work or get it done. Then, reevaluate everything through a pet owner’s eyes. I recommend creating a cloud-based document to assign tasks and track their completion or using task-management software like Asana or Monday.
Alerting Clients
Once all the back-end work is complete and the team is ready, it’s time to announce the updates to your clientele. In general, advance notice is always best, whether about a change in hours, an upcoming retirement, an additional service or a new policy. A rule of thumb in veterinary medicine is that if a change could affect a patient’s appointment, a minimum 30-day notice is ideal.
While the most obvious place for a big announcement is on social media, don’t ignore your other channels, particularly email. Plan first for a practicewide email with details and then two or three social media posts. If you need to send a short and sweet announcement — “Meet our new veterinarian!” or “Now offering telemedicine!” — a push notification via your practice app can link to a social media post or blog post with more details.
In longer announcements, like with email and social media posts, craft the message using the same structure you did when informing the team:
- The change.
- A brief why, particularly about how the change will benefit pet owners or your team.
- The time line for the change.
- What a client can do, such as book now, change an appointment or ask questions. Provide a call to action and a clickable hyperlink.
One email announcement should be enough, but consider sending a reminder in regular emails or in reminders going out over the next four to six weeks.
Social posts can vary in frequency depending on the nature of the announcement. If you’re adding a service or a team member, post the news multiple times. Begin with the initial announcement and follow up with graphics, photos or videos highlighting the service or team member. Consistent visibility increases the likelihood of clients becoming more familiar with what’s new and acting on it.
Your Effort Will Pay Off
Effectively communicating changes is crucial to maintaining trust and clarity with your team and pet owners. Whether it’s about adjusting hours, starting a service or welcoming a new veterinarian, a well-structured plan ensures that everyone is informed and prepared. By focusing on clear communication and strategic task delegation, you can minimize confusion and make the transition smooth for everyone.
Remember, proactive communication isn’t just about announcing changes. It’s also about reinforcing your commitment to the team and client experience and ensuring everyone feels valued and informed every step of the way.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to a 2023 Veterinary Hospital Managers Association survey, 89% of the respondents said their practice was open on Saturdays.