As a veterinarian, it is essential to stay on top of the latest trends and technologies in Vet Med to provide the best service to your clients. Automation has become an increasingly popular means for streamlining processes and improving efficiency in veterinary practices. In this article, we’ll explore five ways that you can use automation in your veterinary practice to help you reach the top of your game.
Scheduling Client Appointments
Appointment scheduling is one of the most time-consuming tasks for any veterinary practice. With automated appointment scheduling software, you can easily keep track of client appointments, send notifications, and manage waitlists. This allows you to quickly respond to requests without having to manually enter each appointment into your calendar. Additionally, automated appointment scheduling can help reduce no-shows by sending reminders to clients before their scheduled visits.
Many of these software options feature a “widget” which can be embedded on your website, so clients have a quick, clear and easy way to make an appointment. Not only is this simple for clients, but valuable time is saved where your reception team can be spending time face-to-face with your clients in-clinic.
Online Store Management/Recurring Deliveries
Your veterinary practice already offers products such as pet food or medication, so automating store management and recurring deliveries can save you time and money. Automation can be used to handle orders from customers, process payments securely, and ensure that items are delivered on time. This will free up more time for you to focus on patient care instead of managing inventory levels or tracking orders.
Not only are you freeing up time, but you are freeing up essential real estate in your practice. What could you do with a room that previously was used for food storage? Perhaps add another exam room, or utilize another room for tech-specific appointments.
An added benefit for clients and pets is that they are more likely to be in compliance with parasite prevention protocols if they are never “out” of the products they need.
Social Media Scheduling
Using automated social media scheduling tools is another great way to stay connected with current and potential customers while also freeing up valuable time. Automated social media tools allow you to pre-schedule posts so that they are posted at optimal times for maximum engagement. You can also use these tools to track analytics such as likes and comments so that you can better understand what content resonates with your audience. Some options include:
- Hootsuite
- Sprout Social
- Planable
- Loomly
- HeyOrca!
- Sendible
- Buffer
By working in “batches” and preparing a week or even a month’s worth of content in advance, you actually save time and never need to worry about forgetting to post on a busy day.
Getting Reviews from Clients
Getting reviews from clients is a great way to build trust with potential customers and show them why they should choose your veterinary practice over other options in the area. Using an automated review system allows you to quickly send out requests for reviews after a visit which helps encourage more people to leave feedback about their experience with your practice.
There’s a good chance your practice management software has a built-in system, or you may be able to purchase an add-on. Take some time to get acquainted with it, then schedule time on your calendar each day or week to solicit reviews. The level of automation varies from software to software, but these reviews are worth gold to the digital presence of your clinic.
To get reviews, consider sending them via email or SMS message. Also include links to leave reviews at the bottom of invoices or flyers that you had out after a visit. Worried about negative reviews? Many systems allow clients to first leave internal feedback just for your team so that you can improve systems from within.
Collecting Information from Clients Before Their Visit
Collecting information from clients before their visit is one of the best ways to ensure that everything goes smoothly during the appointment itself. An automated form system allows clients fill out forms online before coming in for their visit which ensures that all relevant information is collected ahead of time and eliminates confusion when they arrive at the office. This helps save time during appointments since there’s no need for paperwork or data entry during their visit.
Not only will this take pressure off of your reception team, but it will increase the comfort level of your clients. Juggling a cat carrier or a dog leash in an environment that is unknown to your pet can be stressful, for both you AND your pet. Accompanying that stress with multiple forms that need to be filled out before you get to the exam room only adds to their anxiety levels.
This comfort level will lead to a better experience within the exam room, with more time allotted for conversation with the pet owner about questions and concerns they may have about their pet.
Start Automating!
Automating various aspects of your veterinary practice can help free up valuable time for patient care while also ensuring that processes run smoothly and efficiently behind the scenes. From automated appointment scheduling tools, online store management systems, social media scheduling tools, getting reviews from clients, or collecting information before visits—automation has numerous benefits when it comes to running a successful veterinary practice. Use these tips today to start automating certain processes in order to get ahead of your competition.
At Animal Health Innovations, we are always on the lookout for the latest technology that can help make running a veterinary practice easier, more profitable, and more efficient. Contact us today to learn more about our solutions for your veterinary clinic!
Image credit: Alexander Supertamp / Shutterstock
