What Your Patients Are Looking for in a Veterinarian

As a veterinary professional, empathy is one of the most important traits you can develop. This is not limited to the animals you are treating; pet owners require a high level of attention and empathy as well. There are a multitude of different personality types you will have to deal with: first time pet owners, anxious clients, uninformed owners, and more. Your clients are trusting you with their pets’ lives, so it’s completely natural for them to be emotional or cautious. In this article, we will cover some things that your patients are looking for in a veterinarian and how you can improve client satisfaction and ensure your business is known for being reliable and trustworthy.

#1: Transparency

It’s understandable if a veterinarian doesn’t know everything that could be wrong with a patient upon first glance, but patients expect veterinarians to share as much information as possible. A pet owner will be unable to understand what their pet might be going through besides the fact that something is wrong—and this is a major cause of anxiety and discomfort. You should always educate your patients about illnesses, wound management, risks, and success rates of relevant procedures. It might be tough for a pet owner to know their beloved animal is facing health issues, but if they have no idea how severe the problem is, they won’t be able to properly care for their pet.

#2: Collaboration 

As a veterinarian, it might be tempting to think that the opinion of your patient is irrelevant when it comes to treatment options—but this will only cause friction. You must keep in mind that at the end of the day, it’s the pet owner who will be taking their pet home and taking care of them. They might have a financial situation that doesn’t permit them to take certain measures, or they might have unique circumstances that have to be taken into consideration when planning treatment. By discussing these things first before ordering a certain treatment, you will lessen the burden for your client and this gesture will surely be appreciated.

#3: Accessibility

If your patient is sick and needs to be seen, you should do your best to see them—which could mean going the extra mile in terms of your time. But it’s equally important for you to set work/life balance boundaries. You should also be prompt with treatment because in a lot of cases it simply is not safe to have patients waiting for days or weeks. If your clients know that they can rely on you to provide the best treatment possible, then they’re more likely to respect your time.

#4: Genuine Consideration

You might be seeing dozens of patients every day, but think about it from the perspective of your client. For them, their pet means the world to them. If you show an attitude of indifference such as showing up late or being casual with handling patients, this reflects very poorly on your commitment as a veterinary professional. Think about why you joined this profession. You owe it to yourself and to all your patients to do the best job you possibly can, and show genuine consideration for each and every patient. 

We Love Helping Veterinarians

We hope you found this article helpful—and we hope it helps you remember your passion for your practice! If you need any further information, feel free to contact us! We are devoted to helping veterinarians succeed at their practice.