Pere Mercader's Dato:
“You don't know it, but your customers are frozen."
Although it may seem incredible to us, around 50% of the clients of Spanish veterinary centers do not repeat visits every year (not even every 18 months).
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As you can hear! The day to day of your veterinary clinic does not let you look with perspective, time flies by and it seems like yesterday when "good old Thor came to give his vaccines".
How is this possible if your entire team recommends regular check-ups for dogs and cats? Are you doing things wrong? Have you found another vet?
Contrary to what it might seem, this is not a problem of "infidelity", the answer to this problem is not a problem of "infidelity". paradox has a name and a surname: it is called "the frozen customer syndrome".
What is frozen customer syndrome?
The frozen customer syndrome is a term used to describe a customer who is trapped in a situation of indecision, voluntary or involuntary, that leads him/her not to make a purchase or not to consume a service... in our case, to go to the veterinary clinic for some reason.
In the case of veterinary clinics, this syndrome can be caused by several factors:
▪️Falta of concrete information on when and why you should return to the clinic.
▪️Falta of trust in the company or in any member of the team.
▪️Búsqueda of other service options in the competition, looking for better quality or better price.
▪️Búsqueda of other service options in the competition, looking for better quality or better price.
▪️Factores cross-cutting issues such as change of address, separation of partners, and, of course, death of the patient.
It can be frustrating for a company to have a lot of frozen clients, since in the objectives we set for the next year, it is likely to contemplate that all these clients will repeat visits with their dogs and cats.
Sometimes we become obsessed with attracting customers we don't know, while letting those we do know languish for lack of attention.
It is like trying to fill a boat with glasses of water while it is leaking through a huge hole.
Management solutions for the frozen customer syndrome
To address the frozen customer syndrome, it is important to consider the following recommendations:
▪️Identify the reasons why customers do not come: you may find several possible causes.
If you don't find the problem, "you can't treat it". Remember that in many occasions the communication is directly or indirectly at faultThis was insufficient, not entirely clear or unattractive to the center's staff.
It is also possible that the communication channel has not been entirely correct. SMS are unattractive, emails are not opened or go to spam and phone calls are not answered, especially if we do not know the phone number.
▪️Intenta make a visit to the clinic an attractive option: it is important to highlight the benefits of preventive medicine and regular check-ups, both from a health and an economic point of view.
▪️Fomenta trust with customers: the owner of the dog or cat, must feel that he can trust the company and the team that forms it. Generate good feelings in your customers, connect emotionally with them, offer them value with the help of testimonials from satisfied customers.
▪️Establece logical and adapted to each case: It may be useful to establish logical deadlines adapted to those clients who come infrequently, and not try to make them go from not coming for 18 months to taking appointments on a quarterly basis.
▪️Entrena to the whole team and involve them: it's not just you who needs to know how important it is to reduce the percentage of frozen customers. Share this problem with your team and look for consensual solutions that everyone is comfortable with.
The communication skills are a necessary tool to end the frozen client syndrome. A good, sincere and professional relationship with your client, and a commitment from the whole team to think about the medium term of your clinic are a great combination.
These and other related concepts are discussed in depth with the students in our management course.
The paradox of the Frozen Client Syndrome happens in all clinics, and the difference is in those that know how to identify and take action and those that do not.
And now it's your turn...
Access here to our interactive questionnaire and tell us how you can fight for the Frozen Customer
3 comments
Thank you, very informative. In the equine clinic there is also the "frozen horse and owner".
How interesting.of course...sure need to pay attention to this tip as well. Thanks
Naturally. Although we do not have figures, some owners do not make certain routine preventive visits, for example due to lack of knowledge or lack of information or communication with the equine clinic.