Staying Afloat in A Difficult Economy: How the Right Veterinary Practice Management Software Can Help

Inflation is a problem for everyone right now, including pet owners, families, and businesses of all sizes. As economic pressures persist, you may be wondering how your practice will remain viable in these challenging times. With fewer visits on the books and less client spending overall, your margins may look thinner than usual.

Veterinary leaders can use simple strategies and technology to stabilize revenue without cutting corners or overworking their employees. The Shepherd team shares how veterinary practice managers and leaders can help clinics weather tough economic times.

Make it easy for clients to schedule

When clients are hesitant to book a visit due to a tight budget, they may abandon the idea altogether if scheduling is a hassle. If clients have to call during business hours and wait on hold, they may move on to another practice.

Online booking makes it easier for pet parents to request appointments at their convenience and reschedule or cancel them as needed. Veterinary teams can even put guardrails in place to ensure complete control over daily appointments. 

Your veterinary software should help you set up online booking to allow:

• Adequate time for specific appointment types
• Booking limits per hour, doctor, or day to avoid overloading the team
• Client’s choice of preferred doctors
• Automated confirmations and reminders

Focus on the client experience

Cash-strapped clients are more selective about where they spend money. Focusing on the client experience can help ensure pet owners feel special without sacrificing your team’s efficiency.

Intuitive, cloud-based veterinary practice management software like Shepherd can help you provide a top-notch experience that clients remember. Features that can help include:

• Easy onboarding — Digital forms let clients register their accounts and pet information before their first visit, ensuring accuracy and reducing lobby wait times. 
• Remote record access — Pet portals give clients access to their pet’s vaccine records without calling or waiting for an email. 
• Transparent costs — Itemized and bundled estimates, along with auto-populated invoices, reduce confusion at checkout.
• Defined treatment plans — Automated and personalized post-visit summaries and discharge instructions remind clients what you talked about during a visit and when to return.
• Faster payments — Integrated payment systems enable staff to check clients out with a single click, reducing checkout stress.

Combining these digital conveniences with genuine kindness, empathy, and personal interactions can keep clients coming back and referring others when their pets need care.

Help clients afford care

Rising prices can leave some pet owners feeling trapped. They want to provide the best possible care, but may have other pressing priorities. Giving clients options when they need financial assistance is a win-win-win. Pet owners feel better about what they can afford, pets receive necessary healthcare, and the clinic continues to generate revenue. 

Veterinary practice management software and third-party partner organizations can significantly improve the affordability of care. Examples of payment options and financial assistance you can offer include:

• Pet Assure — Enrolled clients receive an automatic discount on services when clinics become part of Pet Assure’s network; no insurance claims or administrative work necessary.
• Wellness plans — Clients pay for a year of bundled wellness services in monthly installments, encouraging them to schedule routine visits and spreading out the costs of care.
• Financing and insurance — Financial services software integrations give clients more flexibility to pay overtime without creating an administrative burden for the clinic team.

Keep clients engaged between visits

Clients struggling with cash flow may be feeling high levels of financial stress, which can put them in “survival mode.” Staying connected with clients between visits helps remind them you’re there when they need you.

Software with the right client communication tools, including automated reminders, two-way text and email communication, and email or social media marketing tools, can distribute newsletters and educational or promotional content that brings lapsed clients back. 

Maximize efficiency to decrease staff workload

Generally, more staff means more revenue, but when times are tough, you may not have enough leeway in the budget to hire additional team members. Feeling short-staffed can, in turn, hamper productivity and leave you stuck in a negative spiral.

Learning to do more with less, at least temporarily, can help you overcome this problem. Instead of focusing on what you’re missing, optimize the time and team you have available.

Your veterinary practice management software can help you do more with less. Features like automatic charge capture reduce financial losses, digital client communication tools keep team members off the phone, and scribing and SOAP note tools help employees complete medical records quickly. At the end of the day, you can see more patients and get home on time.

Thriving in a challenging economy

Pet owners’ priorities and their ability to pay for care can change over time. As costs rise and visits decline, focusing on efficiency, technology, and the client experience can help practices stay profitable. 

The right veterinary practice management software gives you the solid footing you need to weather an economic storm. Contact Shepherd to learn how our second-nature veterinary software can help your practice thrive in difficult times—while still providing the best care for pets and their families.