The veterinary field is unique for many reasons. One of its defining characteristics is the often unexpected nature of the situations pet owners find themselves dealing with. While this is also true in the human medical industry, pet conditions are often even more unpredictable, due in large part to the fact that an animal cannot verbally tell their owner when they are feeling ill or uncomfortable.
Many times, owners take it for granted that their animals will remain healthy for years to come. Because of this, medical conditions often cause financial strain when they arise. As a veterinarian, you are doubtlessly familiar with situations like this. Pet owners frequently become upset or even despondent, feeling that they will have to choose between paying for their beloved pet’s care and taking care of their bills and other financial responsibilities.
You genuinely care about your customers and their pets. It’s what makes your veterinary practice what it is. So when situations like that arise, you want to do everything you can to assist your customers. Offering veterinary financing is one way of doing that, but it’s important to understand that it’s not just a means of extending compassionate help to your customers (although it certainly is that); it’s also a lucrative investment for your business.
What Offering Financing Does for Your Veterinary Business
In an ideal world, you’d like your customers to be able to pay for the products and services they need from your business. In cases where they go home without having their pet properly treated or without getting the medicine and nutritional items they need, no one wins. Offering financing gives your customers a way of paying for what their animal needs when they need it, instead of making the decision to risk pushing off treatment due to financial circumstances.
In addition to enabling your customers to purchase products and services in the short term, providing a customer with financing so they can get their pet the treatment they need also establishes trust. When it comes to the customer-business relationship, trust is the single most important factor. You should always remember that there are plenty of veterinarians your customers could choose instead of yours.
Establishing trust, understanding, and, indeed, friendship, will ensure that your customers keep coming back to you rather than the competition. And there aren’t many better ways to establish that level of trust than to provide them with financial options when they need them most.
The Best of Both Worlds
Providing veterinary customer financing helps you do everything you want to with your business. You get to provide compassionate care to animals and helpful service to their owners, while also ensuring you have business coming in the door. After all, you want to provide care in every case it’s needed. Offering financing will help you get closer to that ideal scenario.