By Jesi Tassava, Executive Assistant
Pet owners have many options when it comes to finding an animal hospital to take their pets to. When was the last time you made a quick Google search to look at all of the animal clinics near you? Odds are, there were quite a few! I recently had to find a new clinic to take my 2 cats to, and I didn’t just choose the one that was closest to my apartment (read about my experience here!). As someone who is often the first person a client (old or new) speaks to, it is so important that you provide him or her with an excellent customer experience. Your job is to provide value to your services, educate the caller about your clinic and provide a personalized experience. All too often, client service representatives focus all of their attention on simply answering a caller’s questions. However, a client’s experience involves much more than this. You must ensure that you create a positive first impression, and leave a lasting impression on the caller.
Providing a Great First Impression
It cannot be emphasized enough that pet owners have many animal clinics to choose from. If a potential new client calls you with a question or wants information, they are likely calling the clinic down the street as well! This means that you need to stand out and a great way to do this is to create a personalized experience and build rapport with the caller, right off the bat. Even though you may answer 100 calls in one day, each person calling is different. You don’t want to come off sounding mechanical, but instead you want to make sure you smile each and every time you answer the phone. Listen to the caller as he or she explains why they are calling, and respond in a way that shows that you care about their situation. If they are calling because they got a new puppy, congratulate them! If they are calling because their kitten seems sick, express your sympathy! Let’s say I am calling because I recently moved and I need to find a new veterinarian for my dog. Here are two different responses I could get from Clinic A and Clinic B.
Clinic A: “Do you have any medical records for your dog? We will need those to know exactly what he or she is due for.”
Clinic B: “Welcome to the area! We are so glad you called us. What is your doggies name?”
Right away, I am going to be drawn to Clinic B because of the personal experience I receive and because the response expressed enthusiasm towards my situation. The bottom line is that pet owners care deeply about their pets and want their pet to have the best experience possible. The way in which you present yourself on the phone during those initial interactions can make a world of difference.
Leaving a Lasting Impression
Since potential new clients are likely calling around to multiple practices, you want to ensure they remember you, by providing a lasting impression. One of the best ways to create a great last impact on a caller, while also making sure they remember everything you discussed on the phone, is to offer to email or mail the caller. Sending them an email with the estimate you discussed or even just a friendly email letting them know you are there to help can go a long way. At the end of the phone conversation, you want to make sure you wrap everything up, without leaving any questions unanswered. Ask them if they have any other questions, and then let the caller know they can call back any time and remind them of your name. Again, this creates a very personalized experience, allowing the caller to feel as though they can ask for you personally if they have any questions in the future. Here is another example of how two different individuals could end the phone call.
Clinic A: “Is that everything? Have a great day. Bye”
Clinic B: “Is there anything else I can help you with today? If you think of anything else moving forward, feel free to give us a call. Again, my name is Jesi and you can always ask for me personally if you would like. Thank you for calling us and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!”
In this case, the last impression from Clinic A definitely isn’t a bad one. They somewhat made sure all questions were answered and told the caller to have a great day. However, when compared to Clinic B, you can imagine that a lasting impression is more likely to be created with Clinic B.
Remember to always create a personalized experience for each individual who calls your clinic. Doing this can elevate the customer experience you provide each and every day. Think about any great first impressions or lasting impressions that you have experienced over the phone. What made these experiences so memorable? Think about these things every day when you begin answering phone calls!