If you have a busy veterinary practice, then your phone likely rings off the hook. While you try to get to each client in a timely manner, it is not always easy. However, you can make the hold process easier and more pleasing to callers with the right on-hold messaging.
On-hold messaging tends to be more engaging than music alone. It isolates fewer listeners who may not have the same music choice as your playlist.
Plus, it gives businesses an opportunity to share important messages with an engaged audience.
If you have a veterinary business and aren’t using hold messaging, here are eight hold message examples to offer inspiration for what to say to please and connect with clients.
1. Share Your Hours and Appointment Times
Most often, your clients call to make appointments for their pets. If they are calling about a non-emergency, you can help them plan their optimal appointment time by sharing your hours of availability. For example, highlight any evening hours or weekends that you have available. This will help people who work during the day find a time that works for them. You can also state when the last appointment of the day is (typically at 3:30 pm for a 4:00 pm close) to keep your clients in the loop.
2. Drive Traffic to Your Website or Facebook Page
Your on-hold messaging can be used to promote other aspects of your business model. Use this contact to encourage clients to visit your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages and follow your brand. Share what kinds of updates they can expect if they sign up for your messages.
You can also use your on-hold messaging to drive traffic to your site. This is especially useful if clients can book appointments on your website. Many people prefer to see the available times that are open to them rather than asking your team about certain dates and times for availability.
Online appointment management also saves time for your reception staff and allows them to focus on helping in-office patients who need their full attention. Phone clients, in-office clients, and staff all benefit from send traffic to your digital platforms.
3. Promote Discounts and Seasonal Deals
One of the main benefits of on-hold messaging for vets is the captive audience you have hanging on the line. Your clients are unlikely to hang up if they need something for you, so use this time wisely and leverage on-hold marketing to share any upcoming promotions at your veterinary center.
For example, you could promote specials for grooming and nail trimming packages or discounts on certain flea and tick medications. This strategy allows you to increase revenue using on-hold messaging while helping your clients find deals to save money.
4. Important Health Hazards in the Area
You know how much your clients love their pets, so let them know if there are any issues they should watch out for. These problems can range from the canine flu to what to do with small dogs if coyotes are spotted in your area.
Use custom on-hold messages to alert pet parents, make recommendations for care, and encourage clients to talk to their vet when they come in for an appointment. You can protect dozens of pets in your area just by letting their owners know about nearby dangers.
5. Client Reminders and Suggestions
During peak travel times, like the holiday season or spring break, your veterinary office may be booked if you offer boarding services. A few weeks before the peak season kicks in, set up an on-hold message reminding clients to schedule their boarding stay with your office before all of the space fills up. Your clients will appreciate the reminder, and your office can benefit from the full kennels.
6. Share Success Stories and Heartwarming Tales
You can also win over your clients with an emotional hook in your on-hold messaging. With client approval, use this time to talk about any success stories in your practice. Were you able to complete a successful surgery on a pup or save a cat from the brink of death? These stories are heartwarming and will make the wait seem shorter as clients wait for your call.
Additionally, if you foster dogs and cats within your veterinary practice, talk about the number of animals that have been adopted so far that year. Share adoption stories about pets that found their forever homes. You can also highlight any animals that may be in need of a forever home that your clients might be interested in.
7. Explain Why Pets Need Various Treatments
Along with emotional hooks in on-hold messages, you can also use this time to educate clients about various practices and treatments. For example, what are heartworms, exactly? Why is it important that pets are protected from them?
Knowing why their pets need certain care can make their owners more receptive to your recommendations and treatment. You can also tie this information into specials or promotions. There’s nothing like hearing about the dangers of tick season to bring clients in for a feline Lyme disease vaccine.
8. Show Why Your Practice Is the Best
Use your on-hold messaging to win prospective clients over and get them excited about their upcoming appointment. Explain why your veterinary practice is the best in the area and a favorite of pet parents.
Talk about the experience of your veterinarians, the quality of your facilities, and the advanced treatment options that you provide. This is all information that clients might miss on your website or not know about until they walk through your door. Your on-hold messaging gives your space to brag about yourself. Use it!
Learn More About On-Hold Messaging for Vets
You don’t have to overwhelm your clients by providing all of this information at once. Play the messages interchangeably or cycle through them with on-hold music in the background. Before clients know it, you will be ready to take their call and solve any pet problems they might have.
Want to learn more? Spectrio offers a variety of resources about improving the client experience through in-store marketing tools like hold messaging, WiFi marketing, and digital signage for veterinary offices.
Check out free ebook, Optimize Your Client Calling Experience to get even more tips to help you win over clients whenever they call.