Automation isn’t just about simplifying repetitive tasks, it’s about optimizing your team’s time and the opportunities you have to connect with your clients. In fact, a McKinsey report found that 45% of today’s work could be automated by technology.
Automating and integrating your client communications platform gives your practice the opportunity to provide a relevant, personalized and consistent communications experience for every customer without tying your frontline team members to the phone or computer.
There are also other practical benefits for your veterinary practice that come with the automation provided by a client communications solution, including increasing compliance, reducing no-shows, and boosting practice profitability. And with automation, there’s no need to increase staff numbers or the time spent calling clients.
Timely communications
One of the key benefits of automation is that it requires less manual intervention. This means that messages can be sent when they are most relevant to the customer, not when the responsible person on your staff gets the opportunity to send an email or SMS communication.
Appointment reminders, for example, can be programmed to be sent automatically based on how far in the future an appointment is. Examples range from an instant ‘your appointment has been booked’ notification through to a sequence of reminders in the weeks and days leading up the appointment.
Additionally, if your team no longer needs to send notifications manually, these can be sent outside of normal business hours when your clients are most likely to read them and take action.
Improved customer experience
Automating your communications also gives you the opportunity to deliver a more personalized experience for your clients. For example, you can set up your reminders or customer communications to be sent based on your client’s preferences and can include personalized elements like their pet’s name. This personal touch would be extremely time consuming and difficult if it was to be attempted manually.
Leading client communications platforms include automation features that allow you to easily program simple personalized elements to email or postcard notifications based on the data you hold on your clients and their pets.
Boost business growth
Automated communications also mean it’s less likely that a reminder notification or recall notice will be missed, as you’re no longer relying on staff to send these notifications and your settings allow for multiple touch points. And, if your clients are receiving timely reminder and recall notifications it’s more likely they will turn up or reschedule to a more suitable time if the current booking no longer suits.
This will reduce no-shows, increase compliance and help keep your appointment calendar full. Also, less time spent by your team calling and chasing clients frees up their time for other – more valuable – tasks too, such as looking after patients already in the practice. They can also focus on other activities that could help improve the customer experience you offer and boost the profile of your veterinary practice.