Veterinary medicine is not merely an area of occupation but also an area of business. In a business the customer service is its identity and brand and more importantly what makes the client choose and recommend the clinic to other potential customers. The licensed veterinary nurse is habitually the one who first meets the clients at the clinic. Therefore it is particularly important for the licensed veterinary nurse at the clinic to offer high-quality customer service.
The object of this study was to understand and elucidate how the pet owners experience the encounter with the licensed veterinary nurse at different stages in their contact with the clinic. Starting from the first phone call when booking the appointment, to when they first arrive at the clinic and all through the appointment ending with the overall feeling of satisfaction with the encounter they have experienced. This was done by a questionnaire handed to the pet owner at the arrival at the clinic. Thirty pet owners responded from three different clinics.
The mean value for the overall experience, on a scale of 1-5, was 4,79 which is excellent. Important for the pet owners during the encounter was the expression the personnel display. At the telephone contact accurate, knowledgeable and a happy voice were characteristics of importance. When arriving at the clinic these characteristics were smiles, eye contact and a personal meeting together with just being seen. After the appointment, at payment and last counseling, accuracy and knowledgeable were again of great importance according to the respondents.
The environment in the waiting area was described frequently using descriptions for the mood. This was generally positive descriptions like comfortable, friendly and cozy. The cleanliness and complementary services like coffee, tea and a corner for children were all appreciated by the respondents. A few respondents commented that the room was boring and sterile with no color or art.
In accordance with previous studies the pet owners in this study stated that if personnel communicated about delays they understood and accepted the delay better than if no communication occurred. This increased the chances of having a satisfied pet owner after the appointment even if a delay was present. The same is true for adequate and satisfying information given throughout the appointment, from a pet owner point of view.
It is relatively easy for the personnel to become unaware to how customers are met in the daily profession, especially if the personnel have been employed for a long period of time. It is beneficial to continuously use a questionnaire to evaluate how the customer service works at the clinic. This gives another perspective on what the personnel see every day and can generate excellent ideas for improvement
