How Live Web Chat is helping veterinary businesses connect with pet owners

As we navigate our way out of lockdown as safely as possible, we’ve spoken with a number of practices who report a huge surge in the number of phone calls into the practice, putting pressure on a potentially already stretched reception team. Does this sound familiar to you? If the answer is ‘yes’, have you considered Live Web Chat as a tool to help support your clients or prospective clients, whilst also reducing the burden on your practice team?

We know that time is an issue for many in practice – more so than ever at the moment! So to save some time on research for you, our latest blog explores Live Web Chat further and the benefits your practice could be missing out on…

 

The benefits of Live Web Chat

Times are changing, and increasingly, people are turning to online resources for all aspects of their lives – including when it comes to looking after their pet. If you’re not active online, your competitors will be there to educate and engage with the pet owners in your community.

As technology improves, consumers (pet owners included!) are becoming more and more accustomed to being able to access the information they need, precisely when they want it. So, in real terms, this means that where possible, you need to be in a position to respond to both existing and potential clients as quickly as possible to ensure you are consistently meeting the expectations of your audience. One simple yet effective way of doing this? Live Web Chat. It is one of the most efficient modes of customer service

Live Web Chat has become a popular form of customer service because it converts. Remember, no one really wants to spend time emailing a business only to be met with an automated response informing them that someone will reply within five working days. Pet owners want answers to simple queries quickly and efficiently, and there are no reasons why your clients – or prospective clients – should have to wait so long for a response, and yet with busier times upon us, it can be difficult to avoid. The risk in keeping local pet owners waiting? Firstly and most concerningly, it could impact their pet’s health. Secondly, they look elsewhere for answers and will no longer be thinking about your practice. In the worst case scenario, they will have engaged the services of your closest competitor and that lead, or potential retained client, will be lost permanently.

General sales research demonstrates that letting just five minutes pass between receiving and responding to a lead results in a 10x reduction [1] in being able to successfully make contact. Veterinary practices can use live web chat technology in myriad ways, from providing your clients with access to registered veterinary nurses to answer pet health queries, to assisting existing clients with booking appointments, advising of prices, supporting your practice promotions and building rapport with potential clients who might otherwise simply remain anonymous visitors to your website. 

At a time when demands on your team are high, our Live Web Chat service aims to reduce the number of calls or messages being fielded by a busy reception team whilst still being able to provide a client with a valuable, efficient and effective response. Our operatives can comfortably manage up to 6 chats at once.

 

The biggest benefit to our Live Web Chat service? It’s lovingly looked after by RVNs.

Our RVN customer service experts respond instantly to client queries on your behalf, in your tone-of-voice, as if we were simply an extension of your team. 

The hours our team are online naturally help to extend your business hours, meaning you can be available when your competitors are not. Our team is customer service trained by the team at OnSwitch Ltd. When you need us the most, we can be supporting you online, triaging potentially urgent cases or discussing sensitive issues that for whatever reason, the pet owner may not be comfortable talking about over the phone or in person. 

 

So, if you haven’t considered Live Web Chat before, is now the time to? Take a look at what one of our clients has to say about the service here or please contact us to discuss further. Or why not make use of our Live Web Chat service to chat directly with our team?

 

[1] https://www.drift.com/blog/lead-response-survey/