Chapter 8
The Client Experience

The client journey in a veterinary clinic involves multiple touchpoints, each contributing to the overall experience and fostering essential connections between the client, team members, and the practice. These touchpoints include digital and in-person experiences, which strengthen relationships and contribute to better pet care.

This chapter provides an easy-to-understand breakdown of the client journey, highlighting the relationship connections and cultural benefits at each stage. Understanding and utilizing digital tools at each stage can enhance client relationships, improve team collaboration, and improve patient outcomes.

The client journey includes five key stages to build trust, enhance client satisfaction, and foster loyalty:

1.  Awareness: Utilize digital-enhancing tools to help potential clients find your hospital during their research on pet care. Employ resources like an informative website, blog posts, engaging social media, and paid advertisements to present your clinic as a reliable resource.
   

2.  Consideration: Clients evaluate your service options against others based solely on their experience with your website. Establish credibility with comprehensive service pages, testimonials, case studies, virtual tours, and convenient tools such as online booking.
   

3.  Decision: Provide clear pricing, FAQ sections, and live chat support to help clients confidently select your practice.
   

4.  Retention: To maintain client engagement, build strong relationships through follow-up emails, loyalty programs, text reminders, and monthly newsletters.
   

5.  Advocacy: Transform satisfied clients into ambassadors through referral programs, social media engagement, and online reviews, enhancing your reputation based on their positive experiences.
   
   
   Steps 1-3 help clients select your practice.

   
   
   Steps 4 and 5 focus on client retention.
   
   Both are needed, in conjunction with an exceptional team member and patient experience, to ensure long-term practice growth. 
   
   

6.  Patient Experience: When pets enjoy visiting the veterinary practice, clients are happy to bring them and pets receive the necessary care. Conversely, when pets dislike the vet, clients postpone care until it’s absolutely essential. Every practice must ensure that the patient experience is optimal, starting with keeping pets and parents together as much as possible for the care they require. Additionally, this enhances the client experience, allowing them to appreciate the care being provided in real time.
   

7.  Team Member Experience: When team members enjoy their jobs, clients (and pets) appreciate them. However, for team members to truly enjoy their jobs, they require clear expectations, comprehensive training, performance feedback, career pathways, and a sense of being valued in their roles. Engaged team members boost client loyalty and retention. 
   
   

When the client experience is done well, the practice will see:

•  Client retention

•  Increased client compliance

•  Increased team member satisfaction and retention

•  Empowered and valued team members

• Better care for pets