The poet Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That’s an odd beginning to a finance column, but how you make your clients feel is paramount to business success.
I’ve been an animal lover all my life and a veterinary client for 30-plus years. During that time, I’ve had seven cats and three dogs and gone to six clinics within a 10-mile radius. For this article — my last one — I’m wearing my veterinary client hat and will start by sharing seven thoughts on how to build strong relationships with pet owners.
What Clients Want
1. Don’t leave us guessing. Not many things are worse than being shut in a windowless exam room and waiting interminably for the doctor to “be right in.” Clients know that emergencies happen and that veterinarians could be interrupted at any moment by a metaphorical fire. However, don’t leave us alone for long unless you want us to text another practice and make an appointment with them instead of you. If the wait will be longer than expected, just tell us. Don’t keep us guessing and imagining that you forgot about us.
2. Present all the options. My current dog is 40% Great Pyrenees and 100% suspicious of any food put in front of her. Pilling her is a significant undertaking, and no amount of squeezed cheese will convince her to swallow. After years of monthly ordeals getting heartworm tablets down her throat, I received an out. Her doctor suggested ProHeart, an annual injection that eliminates the pill. The injection is a bit more expensive than the pills, but the convenience far outweighs the price difference.
3. Educate us. When the cost differential between the gold, silver and bronze care options is significant, clients need more information to make the appropriate choices. Point us to trusted online sources so we don’t rely on internet trolls or artificial intelligence.
4. Deliver terrific service along with great medicine. You’ve heard it before: Clients can’t distinguish between fabulous and mediocre medicine, so they judge the medicine based on the service experience. Were you on time? Did they feel rushed? Did the staff refer to a female Persian as “him” throughout the appointment?
5. Solve problems occurring at home. I had a dog that regularly grazed in the litter box. I complained to my veterinarian, who advised me to brush my dog’s teeth. Yuck!
6. Think out of the box. My family adopted a kitty that we took to a practice closer to home. I’ll call the clinic GVH. When I mentioned the litter-eating dog, the doctor began by empathizing and then suggested I train the dog to avoid the litter box room. What a novel approach! Instead of assigning me an unpleasant toothbrushing chore, she gave me a creative solution. Within a week, the problem was solved. And my dog started seeing GVH, too.
7. Remain personable. The GVH team loved on my pets at every appointment and remembered their names. The practice reached out via phone or text message after every appointment. I spoke with a veterinary nurse any time I called with a question. The doctors declined to honor a specialist’s request to push me toward an aggressive treatment plan. When my litter-eating dog left this earth through a home euthanasia service, her GVH doctor called to offer comfort and compassion. GVH was not the cheapest practice, but I received so much value that I never questioned the bill. I stayed with GVH until it was sold and my doctor left. By then, the culture had changed to the point where I no longer felt valued.
People Come First
I’m not saying your hospital’s financial performance isn’t critical. It is! However, people are more important than economic or productivity goals.
For a few years, I worked at a global IT company. I don’t remember the company’s motto, but I won’t forget the philosophy that ruled us: “Eat lunch or be lunch.” That’s true for much of corporate America, particularly software firms. Employees are commodities, or at least they were back then.
When I was laid off after a merger and returned to the veterinary industry, I experienced severe culture shock. At the IT company, I had become accustomed to watching my back and expecting resentment or hostility from co-workers and clients. I was surprised that my new veterinary colleagues were friendly and welcoming. But then, veterinarians are genuinely nice people. Sure, everyone has days when someone drops a frog in their latte, but I never encounter open hostility.
Your Unwavering Commitment
During my consulting career, I bought and sold a business, hired and fired employees, disagreed with service providers, and had many wonderful clients and a few truly awful ones. But what made it special were the people I met and the friends I made. I traveled to the finest winter conference locations. (I’m also thinking of you, Baltimore in December, and you, Toronto in February.) I watched only the second half of too many NFL playoff games with my fellow travel-weary management speakers in Orlando and spent many Halloweens with the best group of veterinary valuation experts.
However, it was never about me. It was about you and your commitment to animals.
As I wrap up my columnist role, let me say your passion for animal care inspires me daily. I admire your resilience, your unwavering commitment to animals and the compassion that drives everything you do. The veterinary profession is one of immense responsibility and heart, and it has been my privilege to support you in your mission to deliver outstanding medical care while meeting your business goals.
As I move to the next chapter in my life and whatever it has in store for me, I thank you for your trust, collaboration and friendship. Together, we navigated challenges, celebrated successes and shed a few tears. I wish you all continued success and fulfillment at work and home.
While I didn’t expect to spend this much of my career in the company of veterinarians, I am a better human and more humane for doing so. Thank you for everything.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Money Matters columnist Leslie A. Mamalis has written for Today’s Veterinary Business since the magazine’s 2017 launch. Read her first article (“Using EBITDA Can Be Tricky”), this final one and everything in between at go.navc.com/Leslie-Mamalis.