Pet Wellness Plans: How They Work and Why You Should Offer Them
Do you operate a veterinary clinic? If so, you should consider offering pet wellness plans. It’s an easy and effective way to increase your veterinary clinic’s revenue while improving the health of clients’ pets in the process. Not all veterinarians are familiar with pet wellness plans, though. To learn more about pet wellness plans and why you should offer them at your veterinary clinic, keep reading.
What Is a Pet Wellness Plan?
Also known as a pet wellness package, a pet wellness plan is a bundle of preventative veterinary services for a specific type of pet. There are pet wellness plans for dogs, cats, reptiles and other common types of pets. Each plan consists of preventative veterinary services. Rather than buying each preventative service separately, clients can buy a single pet wellness plan.
Most pet wellness plans are ongoing. In other words, clients will typically pay a monthly or annual fee to use them. If a client no longer wants or needs the preventative veterinary services, he or she can cancel the pet wellness plan. Pet wellness plans use an ongoing, subscription-based model. Clients can buy a pet wellness plan by subscribing to it. As long as a client is subscribed to a pet wellness plan, he or she will have access to the included preventative veterinary services.
Pet Wellness Plans vs Pet Insurance Plans
In addition to pet wellness plans, there are also pet insurance plans. Pet insurance plans are different. They work like regular medical insurance plans. Pet insurance plans will provide partial or full compensation for the cost of certain veterinary services. Clients can buy an insurance plan for their pet, and if their pet needs any unexpected veterinary services, they can file a claim with the insurance provider to seek compensation. Pet wellness plans, on the other hand, simply consist of multiple preventative veterinary services for a given type of pet.
Here are some of the most common types of preventative veterinary services included in pet wellness plans:
- Physical examination
- Vaccinations
- Heartworm testing
- Nail trimming
- Flea prevention
- Dental cleanings
- Grooming
Benefits of Offering Pet Wellness Plans
Offering pet wellness plans will make your veterinary clinic stand out from its competitors. According to a survey conducted by the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, only about 14% of veterinary clinics offer pet wellness plans. By offering pet wellness plans, clients are more likely to choose your veterinary clinic over its competitors.
Many clients prefer the convenience of a pet wellness plan. Dogs, cats and other pets require preventative veterinary services. Clients can always buy these services separately, but doing so can be tedious. At the same time, some clients may forget about certain preventative veterinary services when the time arises. A pet wellness plan offers a solution. After buying a pet wellness plan, you can send the client a reminder when his or her pet needs a preventative veterinary service that’s included in the plan.
Aside from being convenient, a pet wellness plan can save clients money. The total cost of all veterinary services in a pet wellness plan is lower than that of the services when purchased individually. If a client buys all of the preventative veterinary services separately, he or she will spend more money. Therefore, many budget-conscious clients prefer pet wellness plans.
Of course, offering pet wellness plans can lead to more revenue for your veterinary clinic. Many clients overlook the importance of preventative veterinary services. It’s not until a medical problem arises with their pet when they realize the importance of such services. With a pet wellness plan, you’ll be able to sell preventative veterinary services in bundled packages. And because they are convenient — as well as cheaper than individual preventative veterinary services — clients will often buy them, resulting in more revenue for your veterinary clinic.
You can increase loyalty among your veterinary clinic’s clients by offering pet wellness plans. Clients who buy a pet wellness plan will naturally become more loyal to your veterinary clinic. They’ll visit your veterinary clinic more frequently. When it’s time for a preventative veterinary service, they’ll take advantage of their pet wellness plan by visiting your clinic. Over time, these frequent visits will make them more loyal to your veterinary clinic.
Not surprisingly, pet wellness plans promote healthy pets. They can reduce the risk of injuries and illnesses in clients’ pets while helping them live longer and healthier lives. All pets need preventative veterinary services. Some of these services are essential to their long-term health. You can offer pet wellness plans to provide clients’ pets with these preventative veterinary services.
In Conclusion
A pet wellness plan is a bundle of preventative veterinary services. By offering them, you can make your veterinary clinic stand out from its competitors, improve client satisfaction and loylaty, generate more revenue and promote healthy pets.