The veterinary industry is becoming increasingly competitive with new practices opening across the country every week. With practices seemingly on every corner, pet owners now have more options than ever for which vet they want their animal companions to see. As practices are constantly competing for clients, it is crucial for a practice to offer the best services possible.

A recent study shows that veterinary practices lose up to 15% of their client base each year. The same study also shows that 38% of first time clients do not return to the practice after the initial visit. Consequently, it is quite difficult for practices to retain clients and the financial impact of losing those clients can be significant. There are ways to minimize the number of clients your practice loses and the revenue they take with them.

Next In Line is at the forefront of improving veterinary practices as a whole and can be used to reduce the client attrition rate. Let’s take a look at some common reasons clients change vets and how Next In Line can help your practice retain more pet owners and distance yourself from the practices that are slowly losing their client base.

Eliminate wait times

A crucial factor in a person’s decision to leave a practice is excessive wait times. In most cases, scheduling an appointment is a long process with several phone calls or emails. Once clients arrive at the clinic they don’t want to wait in a lobby with other pet owners until the staff is ready for their pet, especially if the pet is sick.

Next In Line combats this issue by significantly reducing wait times. Through our real-time online booking technology, clients can book appointments at the times that your practice is free to take them. Your practice can configure the booking settings to ensure that there are no overbookings and shorter wait times when your patients arrive at the clinic. These wait times are often caused by asking clients demographic and symptom-related questions in the treatment room. By capturing all this information online ahead of time, vets can focus more on the pet’s treatment plan and finish more appointments on time.

Improve communication

How long does it take for your staff to respond to your pet owner’s calls, emails, and appointment requests? It is likely that your answer is ‘too long’. When clients reach out to your practice they expect an immediate response. Some clinics take hours or even several days to get back to eager clients. By that time the client has likely contacted other hospitals to see who will respond first. This is especially true for first time pet parents and new clients as they try to find their preferred clinic.

Next In Line gives pet owners an instant booking confirmation when they schedule appointments online. This also frees up staff members to pay more attention to the pets and pet owners both inside and outside of the practice. Spending more time building relationships with clients during appointments, providing hospital updates, and following up with pet owners after their pet’s visits all go a long way in improving communication and retaining clients.

Extend practice hours without extra burden

What happens when a pet owner tries to contact your practice to book an appointment after it has closed for the evening? It can be frustrating for a client when they have to call within your business hours if their schedule does not allow for that. By only being accessible to pet owners for a portion of the day you run the risk of missing out on clients and revenue.

With Next In Line your front desk becomes open 24/7/365 by enabling your clients to book appointments online even when your practice is closed. Booking a routine pet visit is one of many to-do activities for pet parents, which often gets overlooked during a busy day. Giving pet owners more flexibility in scheduling their pet’s vet visits by extending your practice’s front desk hours will better accommodate their busy schedule and save them time. This allows you to never lose another client because of their inability to schedule at their convenience and generates more revenue by keeping your appointment calendar full at all times.

How Veterinarians Can Reduce the Number of Lost Clients

These three methods will help your practice minimize the number of lost clients, complete more appointments, and generate more revenue. Using Next In Line is an astute decision in the increasingly competitive veterinary industry. Retaining clients is important for your practice’s continued growth and profitability. Providing them resources that will alleviate stress and keep them happy will ensure their loyalty to your practice.

If you are ready to learn more or take that next step towards saving staff time contact us today to request a demo.