When clients evaluate their experience at a veterinary clinic, they don’t just consider the treatment that was provided. Rather, the whole experience matters—from booking the appointment to checking in and waiting to receive helpful follow-up information.
In every aspect of care and customer service, communication is key. These days, communicating effectively with veterinary clients means embracing modern tools that simplify scheduling, messaging, intake, and waiting.
Vet Care Intake & Communications: The Need for Modern Solutions
The adoption of digital intake tools is an ongoing trend throughout the healthcare world. Cloud-based management software opens up clear, easily accessed lines of communication between providers and clients. These tools simplify registration and check-in procedures, shorten wait times, and automate data transmission between clients and providers.
For veterinary practices, digital communication tools address one of the most challenging aspects of care for both staff and clients: the waiting room.
Anxious cats and pups can make a waiting room a stressful and even dangerous environment. Fortunately, digital intake tools are transforming the waiting room experience by streamlining check-ins and empowering clients to avoid the waiting room process entirely.
How Veterinary Customer Communication Software Works
A customer communication platform for veterinary practices is a system that streamlines intake, appointment queuing, and communications. Let’s take a closer look at the key components of a digital customer communication platform.
Digital Intake
When pet owners are asked to fill out registration forms after arriving for an appointment, this process may slow down patient flow. With online digital intake, clients can fill out their forms online before their visit.
The advantages of digital intake include:
- No more clipboards or kiosks
- Data enters the system automatically via the cloud
- Less printing and scanning
- No limit on how many clients can complete intake at one time
When patients complete their intake process remotely, their arrival at the clinic is simple and worry-free. Meanwhile, the reception staff can more easily manage the waiting room thanks to a reduction in paperwork and manual data entry.
Digital Queuing and Wait Room Automation
When a pet owner wants to know when their appointment will begin, reception staff is often stuck playing a guessing game. Digital queuing replaces this uncertainty with data-based estimates and a transparent waiting room flow.
Here’s how digital queuing works:
- A pet owner checks in to their appointment from their mobile device, using a text link or a QR code
- The client is automatically added to the virtual waitlist
- The client waits in the waiting room, lobby, parking lot, or from home while monitoring their place in the queue
- The digital queue continuously updates the estimated start times as appointments are completed
- The digital queue sends automated status updates via texts to waiting clients, while a waiting room status monitor displays the queue and projected start times
Digital queuing software keeps records of patient flow rates and appointment durations. This data informs the automated estimates provided to clients. Thus, clients receive more accurate start time estimates while the burden on reception staff is eased.
Two-Way Text Messaging
Offering text message alerts is a great way to connect with clients in their preferred communication method. Compared to calls or emails, texts are more easily delivered and more likely to be quickly acknowledged.
To go one step further, enable two-way texting. With two-way texting, clients can respond to alerts, ask questions, and confirm agreements. While the patient communication platform uses automation to send alerts, incoming messages can be viewed and responded to by staff. Thus, two-way texting combines the efficiency of automation with the personal touch of direct communication.
Two-way texting is also useful for post-discharge communications. You can provide links to helpful resources and prompt clients to complete customer satisfaction surveys via simple text exchanges.
Improve the Client Experience at Your Veterinary Clinic
At ER Express, we provide smart software solutions that help veterinarians better serve their clients and patients. Our mobile check-in and digital intake tools provide smoother, more transparent communications that make the waiting room experience a breeze for guests.
Helpful features of our vet practice intake software include:
- 24/7 scheduling and queuing options
- Built-in two-way text messaging
- Custom screening questions and custom feedback surveys
- Real-time reports and analytics
If you’re ready to streamline your intake process and improve the client experience at your veterinary clinic, contact ER Express today to request a product demonstration.
