Connect
PetConnect
Cortex
An owner who has not visited recently has not necessarily become dissatisfied or left your veterinary practice. They may have moved, their pet's needs may have changed, care may be continuing elsewhere or the animal may have died. Start by treating the gap as something to understand, rather than as an explanation.
This guide offers a process for following client relationships more carefully and reconnecting where appropriate. It does not promise that every client will return, that revenue will increase by a fixed percentage or that software creates loyalty on its own.
Separate clinical follow-up from marketing#
Contacting someone about a clinician-planned recheck is different from sending a discount campaign. Prepare lists and messages according to their purpose, then check communication preferences and applicable local requirements.
UK ICO guidance distinguishes non-promotional service messages from promotional communication. Other jurisdictions require their own assessment. The distinction is useful when clarifying the actual purpose of a message. ICO explanation of service messages.
1. Check the information before labeling a client lost#
Look for an old phone number, duplicate patient or missing visit record before drawing conclusions. A records request or declining a service should not automatically be treated as an intention to leave.
Situation | First step |
|---|---|
Clinician-planned follow-up is overdue | Confirm the clinical need and person responsible for contact |
No recent visit | Check whether a specific care step was actually planned |
Messages are not delivered | Check contact information and preferences |
A complaint was made | Track its resolution and who is responsible for responding |
A move or pet's death is known | Correct the record and prevent inappropriate recall |
A list existing does not establish that everyone on it should or may be contacted.
2. Separate listening from making an offer#
When there is a complaint, first understand what happened. Do not describe an improvement that has not been implemented. Instead of claiming that waiting times are better, explain the actual process you changed and, if measured, the limits of your own data.
Example for an appropriate follow-up discussion:
We wanted to follow up on [issue] you raised. We have implemented [actual change]. If there is anything else you would like to tell us, we would like to hear it. If you do not want us to contact you again about this, we can update our record.
This is an editable team example, not a customer testimonial, success rate or claim about an automated campaign feature.
3. Leave the next care step understandable#
At the end of a visit, make clear where the owner can find information. Explain any clinician-planned follow-up, shared report and route for changing an appointment. Check which records have been shared rather than assuming the owner can see them.
Explore how PetConnect works. Owners can see results, vaccination and appointment information shared by their clinic; the clinic retains control of sharing. This does not mean that every record from every practice is automatically available.
4. Do not confuse reminder delivery with follow-up completion#
Vetigen's reminder workflow includes PetConnect, WhatsApp and SMS. Delivery, an owner's reply and a newly confirmed appointment are separate stages.
Seeing “sent” does not establish that the clinical follow-up task is complete. Decide who acts on replies and which clinical or communication procedure applies when there is no response. Persistent repeated messages should not be treated as an automatic recovery strategy.
5. Use a small, meaningful measurement sheet#
Report people considered for contact, people reached, people who replied and confirmed appointments separately. Do not count one person several times because they received messages through different channels. Visit frequency should not become a loyalty score detached from the animal's needs.
Record outcomes such as resolving a complaint separately from appointment counts. Use comparable periods and avoid presenting a small group's results as a permanent clinic-wide rate.
Review your communication process with Vetigen#
Create your free account, or use Request a call to discuss how records, reminders and client communication work today. During the product discussion, examine the steps you actually need rather than assuming loyalty scoring or automatic win-back campaigns are included.
For the next step, use our reminder message templates and pet owner app selection checklist for clinics.
