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A fear of the vet, this is a common fear among pets. Often you see videos of cats and dogs who know they’re going to the vet even if nothing is said, and when they’re getting dragged out the house they can act in ways you have never seen. We aren’t talking about a pet’s fear of the vet, instead we’re looking at something more concerning. There are pet owners out there who are reluctant to bring their pets to the vet, some for good reason, but most are due to misinformation and fear. We’re here to highlight how these pet owners think, and give you an idea on how to convince these pet owners to visit your vet and become new customers.
This is often the number one reason why people don’t go to the vet. Modern veterinary medicine has become more expensive in recent years. Technology developed for humans has trickled down into the realm of animal medicine, and as a result treatments have become more effective but expensive. Even just diagnosing a problem through blood tests and such can be a cost many families aren’t able to afford at the moment, and as a result their pets go without a visit to the vet due to financial reasons.
This is somewhat related to the first point, but adds in the element of lacking medical knowledge or expertise on part of the owner. While you as a vet might instantly suggest certain tests or treatments, in the end it is up to the pet owner to decide and their lack of knowledge might make them reluctant to go with a test or treatment. The sheer amount of jargon, options, and cost is a lot for a pet owner to take in, and so suddenly dropping a ton of different treatments with huge costs is a situation a pet owner does not want to be in.
This is a sad, yet widely accepted thing. Especially in the attitudes of Filipinos, they might not see the huge costs needed to keep an old pet healthy as something worthwhile in the long run. Some of this logic is rooted in practicality, while others might see as subjecting an old pet through invasive treatment as inhumane. Whatever the case may be, old pets still need to visit the vet, and how the vet clinic convinces them might be tricky. Instead of marketing services as treatment for old age illnesses and issues, focus your efforts on discovering pet’s biological age, and suggesting changes in pet lifestyle to help extend a pet’s active lifespan.
This is quite a funny social aspect of people. Similar to how humans get embarrassed when they haven’t seen a dentist in a long time, or if they feel conscious about their current health, it all comes down to saving face. A owner’s pet might be overweight, or they haven’t been to a vet in a while, all these thoughts might feel as if the vet might judge them as a pet owner and thus feel reluctant in visiting a clinic. Whatever these pet owners might think, you can focus your marketing efforts in easing these concerns.
There is a surprising number of people who are suspicious of vaccines, and their beliefs spill over into how they deal with their pet’s health. With the fear, misinformation, and lack of trust in the health system, pet owners might avoid the vet due to their misconceptions on vaccines.
There is some truth to this, a poorly behaved pet can be a danger to others, and can cause embarrassment for the pet owner. If a customer is worried that their pet might either be nervous, aggressive, or something unpredictable, you should give them options on how they can minimize the risk. Cages, muzzles, blankets, or other such tools used to calm or restrict access to a pet can be offered. If you have the option of doing home visitation for an extra cost, this might be a service people with less behaved pets might be willing to pay.
People are already finding it difficult to schedule a face to face appointment with a vet, and so with the busy schedules of modern life, it can often be inconvenient to visit a clinic. Luckily, with the advent of online services such as MyVet, your clinic can easily set up online access for potential customers, making booking for a vet an easy and painless process.
There are many reasons for pet owners not visiting the vet, some reasons understandable, while others born out of misinformation and fear. Whatever the case might be, it is important for your clinic to be open to these customers, and market your services in a way that reduces or negates these reasons.
Launched in 2021, My Vet System aims to provide a simple and user friendly network for veterinary clinics. Our system was designed to help veterinarians and clinic administrators efficiently organize their daily clinic operations.
My Vet System covers all of our clients’ needs — from the total automation of keeping records, creating reports, to booking appointments. We work hard on perfecting our services to give veterinarians more time to focus on what matters most: our pets!
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