Customer care expertise shared at Cx Congress
For the first time, veterinary receptionists gathered together for their own dedicated congress hosted by Cxclub - a new endeavour to put customer care at the heart of veterinary practice.
Taking place in Derby last weekend (20 June), Cx Congress fills a gap in learning and CPD opportunities for customer care professionals in the veterinary sector.
Key topics included how technology can be used effectively to promote practices and enhance client experience, the importance of empathy over price, coping with the last consult, improving client experience for cat owners and improving the client experience for blind or partially sighted people.
A varied programme of speakers included Matt Craven, managing director of the award-winning Grange Spa in Lincolnshire, who explained how he has used his website, social media and timed emails to grow the business, exploring how this could be applied to the veterinary profession.
Susie Samuel, founder of Vet Help Direct, stressed the importance of online reviews, citing Onswitch research that found reviews to be the second most common way for pet owners to choose a practice.
She urged delegates to encourage their clients to leave a review, recommending a review widget on the practice website to make the process easier.
The debate on 'Dr Google' also surfaced during the congress. BVA recently warned of high numbers of pet owners thought to be using the internet to 'diagnose' their pets. Susie described a symptom checker developed by Vet Help Direct to provide owners with customised instructions, explaining why they need to see their vet and any first aid or other steps they can take in the meantime.
Also speaking during the event was Martha Cannon, co-director of the Oxford Cat Clinic. While it is well-known that visits to the vet can be very stressful for many cats, Martha pointed out that this affects owners too, which could explain why dogs are presented to vets twice as often as cats.
She gave tips on easing the stress on owners by, for example, providing separate waiting areas, or if this is not possible, putting up screens or using high-backed benches to shield cats from dogs. Offering secure places on high shelves where cats would feel safer was also suggested, as well as spare towels or blankets to cover cat baskets.
Onswitch managing director Alison Lambert, who opened the congress, underlined the importance of those working in customer care roles: "You're not just receptionists," she said. "Let's get rid of that once and for all. You're customer care professionals."
During her talk on 'the last consult', Alison cited Onswitch research which found nearly a fifth (19 per cent) of clients did not return to their veterinary practice when they got a new pet, after their previous animal was euthanised.
"I want you to really challenge what you do now," she said, as she discussed methods to improve the way practices handle the last consult. "Whatever you have now, how can you improve it?"
Alison compared the level of planning that goes into thinking about a pet's euthanasia compared to human funerals and urged practices to make information resources available on their websites to help owners plan and prepare.
Empathy over efficiency in dealing with clients during the last consult is essential, she added.
CX Congress represents an exciting first step in customer experience in the veterinary sector and offers a platform for those working in customer care roles to share knowledge and access training. The second event will take place again in Derby on 25 June, 2016.
Image © Cxcare
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
