Hold happens - learn how you and your callers can make the best of it.
No one wants to be placed on hold, but for busy veterinary practices, it’s almost inevitable.
That doesn’t mean a short wait can’t also be valuable. You can use their hold time to build a more profitable veterinary practice while also giving your customer service a boost.
Here’s how:
1 - Promote Your Products and Services
One of the biggest reasons veterinary practices use on hold marketing is to promote products, brands, and services they offer. You can use hold time to mention current specials, discounts, or coupons to increase revenue.
Whatever you choose to promote, make sure it provides value to the caller and not just your own ego. Callers likely want to know how they can save money versus technical data about your state-of-the-art facility.
2 - Prevent Hangups
huge advantage of on hold messaging versus dead air is its ability to prevent callers from hanging up before you can assist them. Music and messages can keep callers entertained, let them know they haven’t been disconnected, and even make hold times seem shorter.
3 - Build Brand Awareness
Pet parents have a lot of options for animal care - what makes your practice the best choice?
Not all vet practices are created equal, and on hold marketing gives you a chance to talk to a tuned-in audience about what makes you unique. Talking about your competitive advantages on hold gives you another way to strengthen your brand and remind callers why they chose you in the first place.
4 - Motivate Your Callers
The best on hold messages don’t just inform - they engage. When written correctly, your messaging can motivate your callers to take action on your offers.
Make sure your messages have a call to action that tells callers what they should do when their call is answered. For example, if you’re offering a discount on toenail trimming, you could tell them to request an appointment. If you have a special on heartworm preventatives, you could tell them to order through your online pharmacy.
Don’t force your callers to connect the dots on their own. The easier you make it for them to take advantage of an offer, the more likely they’ll be to do so.
5 - Inform and Educate
Not every on hold message has to try to sell something. The best practice is to deliver a combination of sales-related messages and educational-only messages that deliver value and insight to your callers.
For example, you might want to talk about signs of dental disease or the dangers of fleas and ticks and what pet parents can check for. Friendly reminders like staying hydrated or not leaving pets in hot cars can keep important issues top of mind.
When you’re able to show you’ve got your pet patients’ best interests in mind, your callers will know they’ve chosen the right vet.
Grow Your Vet Practice with On Hold Marketing
On hold marketing for veterinary practices can help you increase revenue and build stronger relationships with your pet parents.
Find out what an on hold message for your vet practice can sound like by requesting a free demo today.