There are several forms of communication in your practice:
- Communication between your doctor and staff
- Communicating with vendors
- Overall client communication
I imagine you’ve got a solid grasp of the first two listed. Client communication, however — that’s another story.
There are a few situations where you can, and should, reach out to clients. Additionally, there are a few best practices to adopt based on certain situations. Keep reading to find out what they are and the reasons behind them.
1) Reminders
Can you imagine where you would be if your clinic didn’t send out service reminders?
Personally, I have a hard time seeing any clinic stay in business on last minute and emergency appointments alone. That’s why someone, many eons ago, invented the illustrious health service reminder. It’s how your clients remember to book annual checkup or vaccination appointments!
Whether it’s a postcard, email, text message, or push notification, service reminders are what bring repeat business back to your clinic.
2) Pickup Notifications
Surgery pickup and drop-off are great times to message clients.
With dental month just around the corner, you can put this one into practice soon and see results.
Why is it important? Your clients work. They have busy lives. You might not be able to reach them over the phone. That’s why a simple text message, email, or push notification is great — reaching your client without interrupting them.
3) Promotions
If you give special deals or promotions at your clinic, it’s best to message your clients to let them know when and where they can partake.
You really can’t rely on word-of-mouth to do the heavy lifting here. At best, you will only reach a small percentage of your clients.
The solution? Message your clients to get the word out. Email and push notification — both great ways to get the word out about your promotion.
4) Boarding / Grooming
Similar to pick-up notifications, clients need to be kept in the loop when they’re boarding their pet or dropping them off at the groomer. Plus, it will make them smile!
Why do I recommend this? If your client is boarding, they’re probably out of town. Flights get delayed. Plans change. Digital channels are best when clients are on the move.
5) Business Hour Changes
For clinics in the Midwest or East Coast, weather can shut down roads or highways leading to your clinic. As a result, clinic hours can become unpredictable during the winter months. You should have a way to let your clients know when your open hours suddenly change.
Similarly, time changes in the Spring and Fall can affect your business hours. It’s the same idea here. Rather than call all of your upcoming appointments, quickly message them instead.
While this list can go on and on, I’ll let your imagination do the rest. If you think there’s a reason you should message your clients, make it part of your clinic’s protocol. With better client communication, your customer service will delight your clients into returning over and over again.
If you’re interested in learning more about client communications or messaging, feel free to request a PetDesk demo.
