Swipe Up for Care: How the Customer Experience is Changing in Unexpected Industries
Meeting customers where they are, in ways that work for them, is one of the most significant actions organizations can take. The pandemic caused many businesses to pivot. We’ve seen some incredible innovations that make the client experience more efficient, direct, and – most importantly – safe. Virtual stores and omnipresent home delivery are just a few examples. Businesses in every industry must continue to reimagine the experiences they offer in order to compete and succeed.
Here’s what I’m tracking as the three main drivers of the evolving customer experience, and how Banfield is innovating through greater customer-centricity:
1) Digital Innovation
Sophisticated digital experiences are now commonplace in almost all aspects of our daily lives. With such a variety of apps or devices to meet client needs, pet owners will come to expect similar convenience at the veterinarian’s office. Technology is expanding quickly and providing our industry new ways of gathering important information and data, both through in-hospital services and remote communication with our clients.
This includes enhancing our hospital-based equipment and diagnostic options, like digital dental x-ray machines in all our hospitals. We also work with partners such as Whistle to remotely monitor individual pets in their regular activities like walking, running, and scratching to gather objective data on responses to therapy.
As is the case in human-healthcare, technology helps us provide leading, high-quality medicine across all our hospitals and improve patient outcomes.
2) Ease of Access
At a time where virtually everything can be done through a smartphone, we must constantly evaluate how we can make it easier for clients to access pet care.
One of the biggest advances in this area has been in telehealth. Banfield’s Vet Chat lets our customers connect with a veterinarian through our app or website – day or night – for general advice and triage support. With demand steadily increasing, Vet Chat has proven to be a convenient way to ensure pets are getting the quality care they need, when they need it. We are further expanding telehealth options through new virtual pet care offerings for our wellness plan clients. I’m excited about the ways we can continue to grow telehealth in the years ahead to reach even more pet owners.
3) Personalization
In an era with so much digital connection, customers have gotten used to experiences that are tailored just for them. Think about getting an ad about an item that you’ve been shopping for, or having a playlist curated for you based on music you’ve previously listened to. These custom insights are enabling personalization that improves the customer experience.
Banfield built our proprietary health records system in 1994 and we have been disrupting how the veterinary industry manages pet data ever since. Customers can walk into any Banfield around the country and, with just a few clicks, our team will know everything about their pet’s health history and exactly how they can best help.
While this data is key in providing individualized experiences to our clients and their pets, we are also able to track important trends on the state of pet health in the U.S. We use these insights to address the needs of pet owners and improve treatments for all pets. Read our latest report to learn more about how the pandemic impacted pet ownership in 2020.
4) Customer-centricity
Banfield is always evolving. Our clients and associates consistently provide invaluable insight into how we can best optimize the customer experience. With customer-centric, personalized and efficient service, I’m confident that Banfield is well positioned for long-term success. By remaining agile and adapting to meet the needs of our community, we’ll continue to deliver on our purpose – a better world for pets.
