Adopting tech solutions to help your practice thrive - it's easier than you think

The challenge for vet practices: all-time high demand, stretched resources yet struggling to realise returns

In a challenging landscape, it’s vital to step back and be strategic. What tools can help you better meet your client needs, while easing the burden on your team? With more competition than ever for your clients’ spend, you can’t afford not to enhance your offering.

Even before the pandemic, shoppers were switching to online delivery across all sectors. Whether it’s an everyday essential or a little luxury, busy customers often favour the click of a button to a time-consuming trip into town. This quest for convenience also applies to pet owners seeking everything from flea treatments to dietary food. And with 75% of online shoppers buying between 6pm and midnight [1], it’s increasingly hard for a veterinary practice without their own online shop that offers 24/7 service to keep pace.

The upshot? Despite the strength of the vet-client relationship, we see business shifting away from practices. Millennials are the largest pet-owning generation, and they are savvy shoppers. They don’t want to haul 10kg bags of cat food into their cars, or queue in a busy practice for a single parasiticide. They expect convenience and services available from other retail experiences such as home delivery.

The research supports this trend; practices suffered a 26% drop in sales of parasiticide treatments through traditional vet channels, while other outlets are seeing a 42% increase in the sale of non-prescription parasiticides [2]. Meanwhile, an incredible 44% of UK online shoppers subscribe to a delivery service, with 14% of subscription boxes involving pet products [3]. The market is there, but vets are struggling to see their share of sales. Practices need to embrace the message that convenience is king for earning business.

Creating a seamless client experience

Smart content solutions ensure your clients receive targeted, tailored and relevant communications automatically. From personalised appointment reminders to medication support, they can offer up to an eight times return on investment, through increasing sales and just as importantly decreasing your team’s workload. Picture this: your reminders contain personalised repurchase links for regular treatments and medications straight from your own online shop, delivered straight to their door.

This same platform can support subscriptions to any product and custom health plans fulfilment directly to the client. No need for upfront investment for stock, storage, management or potentially waste. Prescriptions can also be managed electronically, with pre-authorisation tailored to appropriate treatment durations. Your pet owners will stay in your healthcare journey from appointment and prescription to continued purchase of treatments.

What we've just described is your one-stop shop for everything for your clients need and for your team to fulfil them with minimal effort.

Let vets be vets!

New channels for business like this are critical for earning recurring revenue and ultimately extending your services beyond the practice door. But of course what these solutions should also be doing is lightening the workload for your team. Instead of fielding phone calls, managing prescriptions or dispensing, their time can be spent doing the job they love. Co-founders Jamie Crittall and Charlie Barton say, “We know only too well the value of embracing tech solutions. We launched Virtual Recall over a decade ago to better meet client needs at our own practice. Since then, we’ve witnessed first-hand that injecting innovation leads to better service and, ultimately, better business.” Client demands have changed, and you need to make sure you can keep up as their primary source for all their pets’ needs.

1. Royal Mail Delivery Matters report 2019

2. Kynetic, 2019-2020

3. Royal Mail Delivery Matters report 2020