This month, Insiders’ Insight took a deep dive into identifying how practices set fees. Respondents shared information about setting service and product fees, strategies for uncovering prevailing fees in their areas of service and the prevalence of using discounting and bundling in the practice.
The survey concluded with an open-ended question that asked respondents to speculate about the following---Besides good quality medical care, what features do you think that pet owners value in a veterinary hospital and are willing to pay a premium for?
The responses addressed a wide range of issues and are bulleted below. Several responses highlighted specific services like home delivery and curb-side pickup, others spotlighted honesty, trust and integrity, ethical principles that cannot be monetized.
Respondent Say: Veterinary Features Clients Will Pay For
- Trustworthy and honest veterinarians who aren’t up-selling but instead educating clients
- Rapport with doctors and staff—ongoing relationship with the same doctor—great bedside manner
- Timely callbacks
- Location
- Convenience—hours, curb-side pickup, home delivery, etc.—practice makes clients’ lives easier
- Availability of doctors and other team members
- Good communication and client education—clients feel listened to, team members are friendly
- Compassion and sympathy—empathy for pet and pet owner—understanding how much the pet means to the owner
- House calls
- Personalized/individual service
- No wait time
- Payment options/monthly billing
- Low stress handling
- Enough time with the doctor
- Appropriate prices (will vary amongst clinics and clients!)
- Novelty services—acupuncture, laser, and CT
- After hours support
- Breed specific and personalized care
- Practice team doesn’t judge client if services need to be declined/delayed
- Consistent staff
- Timely prescription refill
- One-stop shopping
- Excellent client service—white glove experience
The comments do provide a useful starting point for considering options for revamping services that are so important to clients that they may be amenable to paying more to have access to them. However, truly understanding what clients value involves not only asking the veterinary team, but asking the client the right questions---questions that crack the surface and encourage pet owners to examine the issue from a different or deeper perspective.
Encouraging clients to tell you what they want
Whether you decide to survey clients, conduct a focus group or speak to them individually, spend time constructing the question or questions to maximize the impact of the responses. Questions like, “What services are you willing to pay a premium for,” do little to inspire creativity and “out of the box” thinking. Instead, try asking more provocative questions that lead the client on a journey. They may even be surprised themselves at what they uncover!
Asking the right questions may be a bit more work, but ultimately, the end results will be richer and more insightful.
Consider these alternatives to the question “what do you want?”
- Can you describe a client experience (veterinary or otherwise) that had a strong, positive impact on you? What was it about the experience specifically that made it extraordinary?
- What’s the one thing the practice could do to create a better customer experience for you
- What could the practice do that would make you a client for life?
- What are you not getting from this practice today that you wish you were getting?
Most of us do not invest a significant amount of time thinking about what we want from our veterinarian, medical provider or others. We provide quick, intuitive responses that may not accurately reflect what we want or need. Questions like these will help to get you and your clients started on building a foundation on which you can add initiatives or modify existing services.
With a better understanding of the client's needs, the practice is better equipped to provide value to the client and patient.
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