Client Communication Enhanced at
Two Hospitals
Patricia Twentier, Aberdeen Animal Hospital & Power Road Animal Hospital Mesa, AZ
Client communication is key for Patricia Twentier, who, with her husband Carl, owns and manages two veterinary hospitals in Mesa, Arizona.
Thanks to a jam-packed schedule, Patricia frequently finds herself conducting routine personal business in the evening, after normal business hours are done. Knowing that her clients are also busy, Patricia "figured that with the Internet being such a great communication tool, a lot of [other] people are doing business at night, too."
When the couple started planning websites for their practices they knew they wanted a simple way for their clients to send them messages and requests at any time of day or night.
Patricia first discovered Vetstreet while attending the Western Veterinary Conference. "I stopped [at the Vetstreet booth] and listened, and realized 'oh my goodness, they're doing exactly what we want to do. I wonder how they're doing it?'"
Although the web designer with whom she was working offered to create something similar, Patricia chose to go with Vetstreet, figuring "Why reinvent the wheel?"
Thanks to Vetstreet's Pet Portal service, Patricia is able to stay in close touch with her clients: "If our clients have questions or comments, it's really easy for them to write us a note at 11:45 in the evening ... It's almost like we have a 24-hour clinic--but we aren't open 24 hours a day!"
"There's something for everyone, whether they want to get really into it, or just look at their pet's health information," says Patricia. "There are so many options available: Pet owners can use Pet Mail or upload their pets' photos. They are so jazzed about the birthday greetings, and they've taken advantage of the client communications surveys."
"A lot of people forget when their pets' vaccines are due, and it's so easy for them to go onto our website, log in to their Pet Portals, and see what they need to know," Patricia explains.
Between the easy access to each pet's information, and the enhanced communication, Patricia has seen concrete benefits at both her practices. "Our client compliance is definitely improving significantly."
The service also plays a key role in attracting and retaining new clients. "A significant number of our clients are new clients, and they're enamored with the idea of being at a clinic where they can be in touch 24 hours a day...[Vetstreet] helps us establish a loyal client base."
Patricia's looking forward to getting started with Vetstreet's automatic reminder postcards. The Postcard Reminders are "going to be very cool, because they're very personalized to each pet," says Patricia. "The more information we can get to clients in a pleasing, attractive, and timely way, the better their compliance will be, and the better care they will take of their animals."
For anyone considering adding Vetstreet to their practice's repertoire, Patricia has these words: "If you really want to communicate with your clients, and you want to do it well, Vetstreet is the only way to go."