What motivates clients to stay loyal to your veterinary hospital? Emotions drive 70 percent of decisions.1 “Share your heart—not just the science and expertise you have,” advises Simon T. Bailey, who presented the keynote on “Spark Customer Love” at a practice health summit in Sea Island, Ga. “Your brand is an emotion, a connection, and a memory.” Creating moments of caring impacts patient care and client spending. Margaret Dunsford brought her cat to Howdershell Animal Clinic in Florissant, Mo., for a simple nail trim. The technician noticed subtle signs of pain and alerted a veterinarian. The cat was treated, and the grateful client wrote a five-star review about the experience. Here are ways to emotionally engage your clients and strengthen client retention: 1) Have a patient welcome board Write patients’ names on a colorful chalkboard or illuminated LED message board. Update the board throughout the day based on your patient volume. Clients will smile—and take photos and post them on social media—when they see their pets’ names on the welcome board. Include your clinic logo on the board for branding and social media tags. Posting patient names for new client and wellness appointments works best. You may want to forgo listing names of patients visiting for sick pet appointments or euthanasia. 2) Celebrate puppy and kitten milestones with first visit boards Heritage Veterinary Care in Hopedale, Ohio, created dry-erase boards with decals where staff write the puppy or kitten’s name, breed, age, weight, and a much-loved interest (Figure 1). Team members and clients take photos of puppies and kittens with their first visit boards and share them on social media, generating more followers for the practice. Figure 1. Create milestone memories and delight clients with puppy/kitten first visit boards. Technicians can take pets’ pictures with their boards at the beginning of appointments. Heritage Veterinary Care in Hopedale, Ohio, personalizes boards with the pet’s name, breed, age, weight, and much-loved interest. Post photos on social media to encourage followers. Photo courtesy Heritage Veterinary Care Northern Veterinary Clinic in Bemidji, Minn., wanted to give equal love to senior pets. Its “Senior Spotlight” board has the pet’s name, breed, age, guilty pleasures, and favorite activity (Figure 2). Figure 2. After the success of puppy/kitten first visit boards, Northern Veterinary Clinic inBemidji, Minn., created similar moments with “Senior Spotlight” boards. Photo courtesy Northern Veterinary Clinic 3) Personalize medical records with photos Include pets’ “profile photo” on receipts, treatment plans, health and rabies certificates, and discharge instructions. Besides personalizing paperwork, pet pictures also help staff easily identify patients. 4) Keep client information sheets about personal interests In a document separate from the legal medical record, take notes about clients’ hobbies, work, vacations, children, and interests. Besides enhancing your bedside manner, these insights can help you take a One Health approach that protects pets and people. Knowing a client is undergoing cancer treatment provides an opportunity to emphasize the importance of protecting pets from parasites and zoonotic diseases, which can pose serious health risks to individuals with compromised immune systems. Pets are also part of the family, providing needed emotional support. 5) Greet clients and pets by name upon arrival You’ll make an emotional connection and build trust. Know upcoming appointments so you can use names and adjust greetings based on the reason for visit. Share your smile and make new clients immediately feel part of your practice’s family. Say, “Hello, [client name]! We’re excited to meet you and [pet name]. Thanks for completing the online new patient form and emailing medical records in advance, which our medical team has reviewed to prepare for [pet name]’s appointment. Did you bring a stool sample? [Client responds.] Fantastic, I will take the sample to our lab so a technician can prepare the intestinal parasite test. I will let Dr. [Name] and his/her technician [Name] know that you’ve arrived. What questions can I answer before we get started?” Express empathy when clients check in for sick patient appointments. Say, “Hello, [client name] and [pet name]. We are glad you’re here today so we can help [pet name] feel better. Thanks for completing the online health form about [pet name]’s symptoms, which the doctor and technician have reviewed to prepare for the appointment. I will let Dr. [Name] and his/her technician [Name] know that you’ve arrived. Let me walk you to a quiet seating area where [pet name] can rest comfortably until the appointment begins.” Show compassion and immediately escort clients and patients to exam rooms for euthanasia appointments. Say, “Hello, [client name] and [pet name]. It means so much that you have entrusted us with this moment. We are here to offer you both comfort, dignity, and love. Let me take you to an exam room where Dr. [Name] and the technician will discuss the next steps.” 6) Create a comforting environment for euthanasia Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties in Walpole, Mass., has a dedicated comfort room for euthanasia services (Figure 3). Amenities include soft music, cushioned pads so clients may sit on the floor with their pets, tissues, a basket with bottled water and reading glasses, dimmable lighting, and a padded exercise mat covered with a washable rug for pets. Figure 3. Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties designed a euthanasia room filled with soothing amenities. Dimmable lights and soft music create a calming atmosphere. Clients can sit on thick cushions on the floor with their pets. The washable rug placed on top of a thick vinyl mat provides the familiar feel of home to pets. Photo courtesy Tufts Vets The hospital also has a webpage about its end-of-life services to prepare clients and share resources.2 If a shortage of exam rooms doesn’t allow for a dedicated euthanasia room, store small amenities in a portable cart or in exam room cabinets. Hang floor cushions on wall hooks when not in use. Prepare consent forms in advance so paperwork doesn’t pull you away from supporting clients during heightened emotional experiences. 7) Mail handwritten notes Sympathy cards, new client welcome cards, and referral thank-you cards make clients feel special and are more meaningful than texts or emails. Use notecards branded with your clinic logo and have teammates who provided care write personal messages and sign cards. 8) Express appreciation during checkout Checkout is not just the end of the visit—it’s a final opportunity to make an emotional connection and leave a lasting impression. Whether collecting payment in exam rooms or at the front desk, summarize services and products to create a perception of value before stating the total. Share a simple statement of gratitude. For a sick patient appointment, say, “[Client name], thank you for trusting us with [pet name]’s care today. You have [medication name] and home-care instructions. Dr. [Name] will see [pet name] at [time, date] for a progress exam. The appointment reminder is on this receipt, and we also sent confirmation by text/email. If you have questions before then, please contact us. We appreciate the opportunity to help [pet name] feel better.” 9) Provide exam door-to-car door service When discharging hospitalized patients, technicians or assistants escort clients and patients to their cars. Show the client how to properly secure the cat carrier for travel, placing it on the floor behind the front seat or using a seatbelt to secure it in the back seat. If a veterinarian advises preventing the dog from jumping during post-surgical recovery, show the client how to properly lift the dog into the car and provide tips on exiting the car. “Hug” your clients with your words and engaging experiences at your practice. Go the extra step, exceeding expectations and creating feelings—not just transactions. Wendy Myers, CVJ, knows the right words will lead clients to accept your medical advice, driving patient and practice health. As founder of Communication Solutions for Veterinarians, she teaches practical skills through online courses, conferences, and onsite consulting. Myers’ experience as a partner in a specialty and emergency hospital helped her understand issues owners and managers face. Learn how she can train your team at csvetscourses.com. Reference Pendell R. Customer Brand Preference and Decisions: Gallup’s 70/30 Principle. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/398954/customer-brand-preference-decisions-gallup-principle.aspx. Accessed Sept. 24, 2025. https://tuftsvets.org/services/walpole-pet-end-of-life-services.php
