Postcard reminders

I don't always reinvent the wheel here on this blog. For one thing, just as it says in the Bible, "There is nothing new under the sun." All of my advice has already been given. Perhaps I have a slightly different take, or perspective, or I have changed, omitted or redecorated what was already out there, but no one giving business advice is giving anything particularly earth shattering.

That being said, my goal, as I see it is to offer fresh perspectives to stale concepts, touch on the high points of certain ideas, share what really works, and sort through all the advice out there so you don't have to.

So, in this month's (1/2014) Messenger (MWI's little magazine) there is a fantastic discussion about post card reminders. In it it lists client pet peeves about postcards. Many of them are obvious (receiving one right after another pet has been in, receiving one for a dead pet, receiving one for a vx due in days).

There were some other interesting pet peeves I thought worth sharing:

1. Not offering a discount or coupon. I found this one interesting. I do know how enthusiastically clients embraced the paltry $1.00 coupon sent out by a hospital where I worked. They tracked that dollar like it was a hundred, often asking multiple times if the staff had credited it. And yes, it was one dollar, so, no, the coupon does not need to break the bank.

2. Not including the date of the last visit on the post card. I found this interesting, but in light of the fact that many hospitals have moved to a more exam over vaccine model, I can see why clients would want to know when they were last in. I recall at the AAHA meeting a discussion about client perceptions of when they were last in versus reality. It seems that time flies, and clients are often unaware that they haven't been in in a year.

3. Arriving mangled. This is a growing problem with printer-friendly post-office unfriendly card stocks. The flimsy card stock that your printer finds so easy may be getting chewed up by post office sorting machinery.

4. Using pleading tones as if it were written by the pet that infer that the pet has been or is about to be neglected. They may sound cute in the hospital, but in the real world, they may be annoying and rude.

Post cards are still a large part of veterinary marketing to existing clients. It is an easy and cost effective way to keep in touch. For other information and the complete list of owner pet peeves see this month's issue of Messenger by MWI (I would link to the article, but it doesn't appear to be online.)