How does a vet practice remind clients of vaccination appointments?

The short answer

You keep track of vaccination and check-up appointments when every animal has a fixed due date and the pet owner gets a reminder before that date. The vet practice enters the date right at the appointment, sends the reminder two to four weeks before and follows up if there is no reply. That is how vaccination reminders for clients work even without special software.

Which appointments must a vet practice keep track of?

A vet practice has to keep track of all appointments that repeat and don't stand out on their own: vaccinations, check-ups, worming and aftercare. The pet owner rarely remembers these appointments on his own, so the gap almost always appears there. The table shows who at the practice should record what. The examples are recommendations from practice, not requirements.

All time periods are examples. Set them with your team and adjust them to the type of animal.

How do you set the next due date reliably?

You set the next due date reliably by entering it right at the appointment, before the pet owner leaves the practice. After the appointment it is too late, because then there is no time for this task. Briefly discuss the date at the counter and say it out loud: "The next vaccination is due in March." That way the pet owner hears it and your practice has it in writing.

Once a week, check a list of the animals whose appointment is due in the next four weeks. One team member is responsible for it, not the whole team. Without a fixed owner, the list stays untouched.

What ways are there for pet owners to be reminded of appointments??

There are four common ways to remind pet owners of appointments: phone call, letter or postcard, email and a message on the phone. Each way has pros and cons. A call doesn't reach many because they are at work. A postcard costs time and postage. The message on the phone is usually read by the pet owner right away. These are values from experience, not measured values.

What do you write in a reminder?

A good reminder names the animal's name, the reason and an easy next step. The animal's name makes the message personal, the reason makes it important, the button makes replying easy. Keep it short and never send more than one thing per message. Names and dates below are an example.

What do you do if the pet owner doesn't reply?

If the pet owner doesn't reply, you follow up exactly once, not more often. Wait about a week and then send a second, shorter message. If this one also stays unanswered, the practice calls or brings it up at the next visit. More than two messages feel pushy in our experience. This is a recommendation from experience.

How does SmartChat help you with this?

SmartChat sends the reminder via WhatsApp and can repeat it in a sequence of messages. With follow-ups, SmartChat checks in when the pet owner doesn't react, before an appointment is forgotten. There is an iCal link for the appointment: the pet owner adds the appointment to their calendar with one tap and gets a reminder from the phone itself.

Messages only go to contacts who agreed via double opt-in, and everyone unsubscribes with STOP. How this can be used in a practice is described on the page for vets. SmartChat does not replace practice software: you keep maintaining the due date where you maintain it today.