Webinar: 4 Things to Try in 2024: Borrowed Research from the Big Brands  |  December 17   Register Now

People everywhere rely heavily on their mobile phones to stay connected and informed. This trend has extended to the pet care industry, where vet clinics are beginning to use text messaging to streamline communication and improve the care experience for pets and their owners.

Today’s Veterinary Business states, “Texting enables your veterinary clinic to connect with pet owners faster. In fact, most texts are opened and responded to on the spot, bridging the gap for urgent matters, quick questions and fun updates.”

The benefits of using text messaging in a vet clinic are numerous, ranging from improved efficiency and convenience to better patient outcomes and client satisfaction. This blog will discuss the best ways to implement texting into your practice.

• Triage and appointment scheduling
• Patient updates
• Reminders
• SMS promotions
• Text-to-pay

Text messaging can be a valuable tool for determining if a vet patient needs to come in for an appointment. By sending text messages to clients, vet clinics can quickly assess the severity of a pet’s condition and determine whether an in-person visit is necessary.

For instance, if a client texts about their pet’s symptoms, the vet can ask follow-up questions to gather more information and provide advice on whether an appointment is needed. This approach can help vet clinics triage patients more effectively and reduce unnecessary appointments, saving time and resources for both the clinic and the pet owner.

Outside of urgent appointments, text messaging can also be used to set up check-up appointments, surgeries, boarding, etc. Mobile scheduling capabilities will give the client ease and convenience to ensure they get the pet scheduled at a time that works best for them. If something pops up, they can easily reschedule the appointment through SMS instead of having to call in and dealing with often busy phone lines.

While the pandemic introduced the idea of patient updates via SMS, it has stayed a common practice in the last couple of years. Keeping pet owners informed during a vet visit is essential to providing a positive experience for both the pet and the owner. Text messaging is a convenient and effective way to update pet owners throughout the appointment process, from check-in to post-treatment follow-up. Text message updates can include details on the pet’s condition, any necessary treatments, and estimated wait times.

By receiving real-time updates, pet owners can feel more connected to their pet’s care and have greater peace of mind. Additionally, text message updates can help reduce anxiety and stress for both pets and their owners, leading to a better overall experience at the vet clinic.

Jessica Ayre from Today’s Veterinary Business adds, “A major part of customer retention is ensuring that your clients and their pets feel comfortable during appointments. Texting plays an important role in that.”

Text reminders are a vital communication tool for veterinary clinics as they help increase communication efficiency between the clinic and its clients. By sending text reminders to pet owners about upcoming appointments or medication refills, veterinary clinics can reduce no-shows and missed appointments, increasing clinic revenue and retention by keeping clients informed about upcoming pet needs.

Wendy S. Meyers with Veterinary Practice News says, “Texts are cheap to send and can be automated reminders or carry personalized messages. Texts show that your veterinary practice is high tech and high touch.”

Text reminders can also help to improve client satisfaction by providing timely and relevant information about their pet’s care. Clients enjoy getting all necessary updates on their phones and can usually take action directly from the text itself. Moreover, text reminders are a cost-effective way to communicate and require minimal effort from clinic staff, who are generally slammed with more pressing matters on a day-to-day basis.

Today’s Veterinary Business states, “Pet owners want only the best for their furry companions, and text promotions help get more of your products and services in front of them. Increase sales by texting pet owners the latest updates and offers on your products and highlighting overlooked items.”

SMS promotions can offer several benefits to clients of veterinary clinics. They provide clients with exclusive offers and discounts that can save them money on services or products for their pets. This can help build loyalty and increase customer satisfaction as clients feel valued by the clinic. These discounts on services will also encourage pet owners to add the service at their next appointment when they would normally pass on them.

SMS promotions can help to raise awareness of new services or products that the clinic offers, such as grooming or boarding, which clients may yet be aware of. This can increase revenue for the clinic and provide more options for clients to choose from. SMS promotions are a convenient way to communicate with clients as they can be delivered directly to their mobile phones, allowing them to access the promotion and take advantage of it easily.

Text-to-pay capabilities in a vet clinic can offer several benefits to the clinic and its clients. With text-to-pay, clients can conveniently pay for services and products directly through their mobile phones, eliminating the need to visit the clinic or make a phone call. This can save clients and clinic staff time and improve the overall payment experience for clients. Text-to-pay capabilities can reduce the risk of payment disputes or errors, as the payment amount and details are confirmed in the text message before payment is processed.

For the clinic, text-to-pay can streamline payment processes, reduce administrative costs, and improve cash flow. This text feature can increase revenue by offering clients a more convenient payment option, which may encourage them to use the clinic’s services more frequently.