Don’t Hang Up, Veterinary Clinics! The Persistent Power of Phone Calls & Orders

Dr. Ernie Ward

As veterinary clinics rush to fill online orders and ramp up telemedicine, don’t forget to answer the phone! Over 30-percent of your clients may be depending on it! Let’s go Off Label!

Between 2008 and 2018, the Baby Boomer generation entered their 60’s and went from about 27% of all pet parents to over 32%. Over the past couple of years, Millennial pet parents, those born between 1981 and 1996, surged past Boomers to become the dominant demographic in US pet ownership. My generation, Gen X, was once-again overshadowed by these massive masses of babies born during particularly fertile times. These Baby Boomer children are delaying having their own gigantic generation by ushering in an era of unprecedented pet population growth. 

These iPad-loving and Baby Mozart-raised kids have now captured the attention of every type of business eager to get their hands on Millennial money. Of course, that means billions in online purchases, smartphone searches, and virtual services. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the urgency to implement veterinary telemedicine and home deliveries has largely controlled how clinics and corporations have responded, catering to tech-savvy young pet parents.

But what about the 30% of older pet parents? Boomers account for forty-percent of all pet spending in the US, totaling over $34 billion. 45% of 70 to 74-old Americans have a pet, and pet ownership increased 8% in those 55-and older from 2008 to 2018. 

While they continue to spend a lot of money and have a lot of pets, studies suggest that people over 60 to 65 years of age are less likely to use online ordering, and are more uncomfortable sharing credit card or bank information over the internet. So what do they still regularly use? The telephone. Don’t hang up! Let’s review some steps to keep your clinic’s phone connections clear with clients.   

The first thing you need to do to make sure you’re not missing out on 30% of your clients is to answer the phone promptly. Answering within three rings is still considered a minimum courtesy by most older US adults. By the fourth ring, many are hanging up, and you’ve lost the chance to connect, book, or sell. During these uncertain times, don’t risk losing an in-person or online sail because a client thinks you are closed. Cross-train your team to answer the phone especially if you find yourself short-staffed or busy. If you simply can’t answer the phone, make sure your message acknowledges that you are open and due to Covid-19 disruptions, you will call them back. Be specific about when the client can expect a phone call. Have a system in place to make sure you respond to all messages in a timely fashion.

Second, be sure to include on your online ordering and telemedicine promotions that you’re also available by phone. Many older pet parents don’t have the latest smartphones or experience browsing online stores for prescription pet meds. That’s why there’s still a very successful online veterinary pharmacy named 1-800-something that brought in over $280 million last year. Millions of pet parents are simply more comfortable speaking with another human being instead of an AI chatbot. 

The truth is some clients may feel uncomfortable with all the high-tech your clinic uses. Be sure to include these clients by offering traditional or low-tech options as well. No matter how clearly you educate or how accessible your online services are, nothing will replace the warmth and reassurance of a human voice for many clients.