3 Nov 2015
Ernie Ward
Job Title
Image: ©deepblue4you/iStock.
One of the more awkward affairs to follow is an ageing heavy metal band. Bare chests, bravado and body-hugging buckskin have morphed into pruned pouts, blank stares and mom jeans.
I wonder if hip Millennial pet owners sometimes look at today’s veterinary practices and liken us to Iron Maiden rocking the local Travelodge?
Millennial pet owners are here and poised to dominate the future of veterinary medicine. It’s time we transition from a Boomer-centric practice model or risk looking like out-of-shape and out-of-touch geezers to a new generation of clients.
Fortunately, we’ve got a little time to prepare for this new wave of pet owners. In approximately three years, Millennials (born 1981 to 2000), will begin outspending Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) on everything from cars to cats and dresses to dachshunds. They’ll also be buying dresses for their dachshunds according to consumer research firms such as GfK and Wakefield.
In total, 63% of Millennials agree pets should be pampered and treated as family members with 76% reporting they’re likely to splurge on luxury items such as clothing, custom beds and expensive treats. More than 75% prefer pet supplies made from natural or organic materials, are bisphenol A-free and hypoallergenic. Right or wrong, 86% feel “natural” pet food is essential and favour retailers and brands with a socially – and environmentally – responsible platform. In other words, younger pet owners are choosing clinics and companies committed to protecting our planet and people. What other strategies can veterinarians use to attract and retain Millennial pet owners?
I recently saw one of my all-time favourite 1980s New Wave bands play. They’d just released a critically acclaimed album and embarked on a North American and European tour. Together 30 years and still making vibrant, contemporary music. One of the cool things they did that night was solicit song requests on social media. I hash tagged my treasured tunes, along with about 200 other concert goers. After the show, the guitarist told me they ripped the idea from a (much) younger band earlier in the year and wanted to keep current. “If you stop growing, you’re dead,” he said.
Veterinary clinics need to actively include Millennials in decision making. While Boomers relied on doctors to decide what was best for their pet, the Internet Generation was raised on choosing for themselves. Baby Boomers were told what to do as children while Millennials were brought up being asked what they’d like to do. This is a significant shift and directly affects how veterinarians should engage young clients. Shared decision-making strategies have been around for years; they’re no longer an option. Vets must allow Millennials to feel they’re in complete control of their pet’s care and provide extensive information, resources, and time to choose.
Control is key because Millennials will be fact-checking you constantly. As soon as you exit the exam room, young clients immediately consult Dr Google to authenticate your advice. This is one of the reasons I started offering clients an iPad with a website to review whenever I needed to leave them alone. I realised they’d be searching online behind my back so I figured I’d at least lead them to a trusted track.
I believe we must do a better job of explaining our examinations, or “actively articulate your actions” as I like to put it, providing written diagnostic rule-outs, and offering treatment options, especially to Millennial pet owners. If you neglect to mention a common alternative test or therapy, they’re going to find out. Don’t fear this; embrace it. This generation values education and information, our professional strengths. Shift your communication style from dictums to discussions and enjoy the strong bonds you’ll forge.
More than 87% of Millennials report their smartphone never leaves their side and they surf the web using two to three devices a day.
Strategic online marketing is essential for future success. Your website must look fabulous on multiple platforms, tell your story in a succinct and compelling way, and offer ways to interact at the virtual push of a button. This includes online shopping, appointment booking, communications and pet records.
Regardless of what is or isn’t possible, what has or hasn’t been done, and what you feel you can or can’t do, young pet owners are demanding these services and more. How are we going to handle virtual vet visits, non-veterinary medical care and opinions, and the avalanche of bad online pet care advice?
The veterinary profession must solve these economic, legal and ethical challenges and create safe and effective methods for veterinarians to provide the services of the future. Quickly. If veterinarians don’t, outside providers will continue to win the hearts, revenues and smartphones of tomorrow’s pet owners.
One of my dear college buddies is now head of Facebook media partnerships. He helps develop how Facebook delivers news. That’s important, because about 88% of Millennials get their daily news from Facebook, 44% reveal they check Facebook “several times” a day and 36% and 33% prefer Pinterest and Twitter, respectively, to learn about their world. Newspapers and television are so 2000.
You probably already dabble in social media. It’s time to deep dive. Collaborate with your team and experts to determine your social media strategic objectives, deployment, monitoring and measurements. Resources dedicated to social media are necessary to remain competitive in today’s online world.
If you’re unsure how to proceed, seek outside help. Time is too precious to waste it posting content that doesn’t generate results. You also don’t want to go viral for something stupid. “Leave Britney alone!” anyone?
You’ve probably heard of a disgruntled client who went on social media to viciously attack a veterinarian. Cyberbullying of vets got so bad in the 2015 “America’s favourite veterinarian contest” that it had to be cancelled.
A single “F” or one-star rating is enough to scare many prospective clients from trying a veterinary clinic. Millennials take online reviews, rating websites and crowd wisdom very seriously. Many report they trust online advice over friends and family recommendations. Studies show younger adults believe anonymity promotes greater honesty. I think they’re probably right until I get dinged with an unfounded and unsubstantiated negative review or comment.
Online reputation monitoring should be a part of your daily routine. It can be as simple as creating free Google alerts for your clinic and team or as comprehensive as using a professional service. If you’ve already received a few harmful reviews, you should probably hire a pro to help. If you haven’t, you may want to go ahead and purchase some peace of mind. I hate to tell you to spend money on this sort of thing, but I’ve seen too many clinics suffer the damage a handful of haters can cause.
The great news is online reviews can boost your practice. Don’t be afraid to ask clients to rate you. I instruct my receptionists to subtly slip in: “It was great meeting you today. If you’re happy with how Fluffy did with Dr Ward, we’d really appreciate if you’d tell your friends or rate us on our Facebook page.”
Sometimes that gentle nudge is all it takes to get five stars.
Iron Maiden, Saxon and Judas Priest are still touring. Ozzy is a TV star. I don’t view them as doddering doofs donning denim and doling out drivel; I see them as teachers. You can continue doing things the same old way and probably get away with it for years to come. The greatest hits will always be hits. If you want to grow, evolve and remain contemporary, you’ve got to change.
The Millennials are coming. It’s up to each of us to write new songs or be content playing our greatest hits. There will always be an opening at Travelodge on Tuesday night.
