{"id":22558,"date":"2022-10-01T00:00:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-01T00:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=22558"},"modified":"2022-11-17T21:16:06","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T21:16:06","slug":"veterinary-business-clients-1022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/veterinary-business-clients-1022\/","title":{"rendered":"The Return to Normal"},"content":{"rendered":"

A different atmosphere might be brewing in your veterinary hospital. The phones aren\u2019t ringing off the hook, the parking lot isn\u2019t overflowing, and only two squeeze-in appointments are scheduled. What\u2019s going on? Is it the economy? Is a new nearby practice cannibalizing your client list? Or is a less-than-crazy schedule just the seasonal slowing of business? Wow, do you remember those days?<\/p>\n

After the chaos of the past 2\u00bd years, we can all use a break, such as a less frenzied workday, appointments finishing on time and finding the time to eat lunch<\/a>. But will a quiet afternoon lead to a slow week? Or a slow month? Let\u2019s look at the data.<\/p>\n

The Veterinary Industry Tracker from the American Veterinary Medical Association and VetSuccess for Sept. 3, 2022, reported average revenue growth of 6.3% among 4,653 practices over the preceding 12 months. If this were 2018, you would think, \u201cThat\u2019s not bad.\u201d But in 2022, after two years of double-digit industry growth, 6.3% might seem like a reason to panic. Trust me, it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n

Before 2020, revenue growth in the mature veterinary hospitals I worked with averaged 5%. Sure, outliers existed, but the average was 5%. When looking through that lens, 6.3% doesn\u2019t seem too shabby.<\/p>\n

If a few slow afternoons turn into a quiet week or two, don\u2019t worry. Just dust off the tools you used in the past to check in on clients, confirm appointments, schedule delayed care, and maintain practice profitability and cash flow.<\/p>\n

Here are a few ideas.<\/p>\n

Check in on Clients<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you are concerned about reduced cash flow, start by booking more patients. The pandemic caused enough chaos with appointments and caseloads that clients had a tough time accessing care at your practice. That\u2019s just a fact and not a reason to judge yourself. Unfortunately, no matter how hard your team worked to see as many patients as possible, the inability to see every pet owner who wanted an appointment might have damaged your practice\u2019s reputation or reduced client loyalty.<\/p>\n

While you were working in overdrive, some client reminders were suspended because you couldn\u2019t handle more requests for things like follow-up services, vaccinations and long-term medication tests.<\/p>\n

But now that you have a few open spots on the schedule, designate a team member to run reports and reach out to lapsed clients. Text them or send reminders through your hospital\u2019s mobile app. Promote appointment openings and welcome last-minute requests and walk-ins if you have the capacity.<\/p>\n

One caveat: While a slower pace might be nice, don\u2019t take more time to perform veterinary services. Sure, your clients enjoy seeing you in person again, but just because you have extra time in your schedule doesn\u2019t mean your clients aren\u2019t busy. Don\u2019t trap them in prolonged discussions about parasites or the local high school football schedule.<\/p>\n

Also, note that during the height of the pandemic, many practices stopped marketing. When demand far exceeded capacity, attracting more clients wasn\u2019t a priority. Now, however, slower times allow you to regroup and map your marketing for the next six to\u00a012 months.<\/p>\n

Though the idea seems counterintuitive, the best time to market is when you\u2019re busy. Since few clients respond immediately to an advertisement or notification, you\u2019ll prolong a slow stretch if you wait until you have time for marketing. So, go ahead and:<\/p>\n