As I embark on this new journey of practice ownership, I knew I had to set my hospital apart from the rest. Let's be honest, there are a LOT of veterinary offices out there. And often we do the same types of things - we offer preventative care (i.e. vaccines, deworming, heartworm and flea prevention) as well as routine surgeries, dental cleanings, x-rays, and often times in house lab work. Some of us may offer services such as emergency care, sick pet hospitalization, emergency surgery and ultrasound exams. Often newer offices have newer technologies, so we are able to advertise that we provide the "Newest technology in digital x-rays" or "Up to date anesthesia monitoring" or "New laser therapy". And most times consumers see New, Up to Date, or Advanced and they assume that means the best. And often times it does. So what makes my office different from the new office around the corner, or the office 10 minutes away that many of my clients have been going to for years, or even the office on the other side of town that has been open for 30+ years?
I can tell you that we are different than the rest, and not just because I am biased and I think we have the BEST staff in town. Part of my passion in opening a new hospital was a movement started roughly 1 year ago by Dr Marty Becker called the Fear Free Movement. It is still new and gaining a lot of momentum in the veterinary field but it is not very well known amongst the general public. Fear Free takes into account that coming to the veterinary office is stressful for everyone - for the clients as well as the patients. I began to learn about Fear Free at my previous job and started to educate myself on the techniques - and I can tell you firsthand that they work! This isn't just some marketing ploy that we use to try to branch out from the rest. These techniques really do put our patients at ease.
I saw a dog last week that was a bundle of energy - he had come to me because of a hematoma on his ear and his mom was happy to get an appointment with us the same day she called (obviously as a start up hospital, our appointment book is more open than other clinics). This pup came in with a very ouchy ear and was reluctant to let any of us touch it. Upon entering the exam room I sat down on the floor and this pup climbed into my lap. After a few minutes of rubbing and playing with him, he allowed me to take a look at his ears without any issues. In fact his mom even commented at the end of our time together that she was so impressed by the techniques we used and that a doctor would be willing to be on the floor with her dog. It convinced her that we were the clinic for her and she is willing to drive 30 minutes to see us.
Our office is brand new - so we have all the fancy bells and whistles. We offer high quality medicine and we strive to create individual medical plans for each pet. But what really sets us apart is the time we take to get to know our clients and our patients. We may sit with your pet for 15 minutes and just allow them to sniff us, or explore the exam room, or eat treats from us before we start our exam. If your pet isn't feeling too friendly that day and we can't achieve everything we need to, that's ok. We won't push them or force them - we want them to come see us and be happy about doing so. If that means it takes a few visits for them to adjust to us and to complete their medical care, so be it. The more times they come to see us, the more times they get treats and petted and loved on. And the more our bond with them grows. We believe in Fear Free and we want to educate all our clients and the general public about the positive results it can create. Have questions? Call us and ask what sets us apart. Check out www.fearfreepets.com and our website www.chestnutarborvet.com to learn more. Come see us to see the difference in Veterinary Care. You and your pets will be glad you did!
No comments:
Post a Comment