What is the effect of inactive clients?
Would it surprise you to learn that 20% of the clients in the average veterinary practice are inactive, meaning they haven’t visited the clinic in at least 18 months?1 If that statistic shocks you or makes you wonder how many of your own clients fall into this category, you’re not alone. Many of your veterinary colleagues aren’t aware of the extent of this problem either.
Not only is 20% an alarmingly high number, but research suggests that figure is on the rise. In 2012, an estimated 46% of dog owners and 51% of cat owners were categorized as inactive. By 2015, those percentages had increased to 53% and 59%, respectively.2
It doesn’t take extensive calculations to show that lapsed clients hurt your bottom line. At a typical two-veterinarian practice with a client base of 7,000, 1,400 of those clients are inactive. With each appointment having an average value of $150, re-engaging even 5% of those lapsed clients could generate over $10,000 in additional income for your practice. That’s real money you could use to grow your practice or invest in new equipment or software. If you consider that many of your clients have multiple pets, the potential for revenue growth becomes even harder to ignore.
But it’s not just about money, is it? When clients don’t bring their pets to you, you can’t provide proper medical care. That means lost opportunities for early disease detection, wellness examinations, preventive care, and client education. And you lose an opportunity to strengthen your practice’s bond with your clients.
So, how can you encourage inactive clients to return to your practice? Our Patient Recapture Program may be just what the doctor ordered.
What is the patient recapture program?
You choose the best communication tools for your clients
Our Patient Recapture Program uses a series of postcard and email reminders (the choice of which is determined by your practice) to target clients who haven’t visited in 18 months and encourage them to schedule an appointment. Some practices see response rates over 5%, which translates into real earnings for those clinics. In addition to the obvious short-term gains, long-term participation in the program helps maximize the number of clients who remain active and engaged with you in their pets’ care.
The program runs itself
Once the Patient Recapture program is set up, it runs itself. We manage the program for you, so there’s very little time investment on your part. We work out the optimal communication schedule for your practice and generate reports detailing how many clients were contacted and by which methods. Practices can monitor their ongoing success and track their clients’ response rates with a single click.
Our pay-for-performance model means no up-front charges
Another important benefit of the Patient Recapture program is that participation doesn’t cost anything up front – no monthly fees or paying for postage. It is a pay-for-performance program, so you don’t pay anything until clients return. The ultimate cost is based on how well the program performs for you.
We are excited to launch this program and eager to see it perform successfully for practices like yours. We can help you reach your lapsed clients, bring them back into your practice, and keep them engaged over the long term. The Patient Recapture program also works synergistically with our other practice management solutions to maximize the benefits to your practice.
Don’t wait to start rebuilding relationships with your lapsed clients. Your patients and your practice will be better for it. Interested in more information? Contact us today.
- ConnectMogul, Velocity.
- American Animal Hospital Association.