Ways Veterinarians Can Reconnect with Clients After the Holidays

By Jenny Alonge, DVM, FFCP

The holiday season is a whirlwind of festivities, and maintaining client connections during the joy and chaos can be difficult. Reconnecting with your clients after the holiday season is a good way to remind them of your important role in their pet’s life. Keep reading to learn heartfelt strategies that will rekindle relationships with your clients after the holidays to ensure a warm and welcoming start to the New Year.

Prepare Pet Owners for Your Holiday Schedule

No one wants to be caught unaware when their pet needs veterinary attention. As soon as you know your practice’s holiday schedule, send emails and post notices on your social media platforms to ensure your clients know when your practice will be closed. Continually repost the reminders through the holidays along with emergency veterinary services contact information, so your clients can access care if their pet needs veterinary attention. 

Send Thoughtful Post-holiday Greetings

Once your business re-opens, reach out as soon as possible with post-holiday greetings. Suggestions include:

• Personalized emails or cards — Send personalized messages that ask about your client’s holidays and express gratitude for their continued trust in your practice.
• Social media shoutouts — With your client’s permission, post heartwarming stories about some 2023 cases to foster a sense of community.

Remind Your Clients About the Importance of Wellness Care

The New Year is a great time to encourage your clients to make New Year’s resolutions that prioritize their pet’s health. Send friendly reminders about upcoming wellness checks, vaccinations, and parasite-prevention medication refills. Also, post informative blogs about pet health resolutions, nutrition tips, and exercise routines to kickstart a healthy year.

Hold a Holiday Pet Photo Contest

Use social media to hold a holiday pet photo contest. Let your clients post pictures of their pets dressed seasonally or posing in front of seasonal decor. Include positive comments with every picture, and post the winning photo on your timeline.

Introduce New Year Offers

Introduce new loyalty programs and special discounts to show appreciation for your clients’ continued patronage and their commitment to their pet’s health and wellbeing. Examples include:

• Let clients earn points—or paws—every time they visit your practice.
• Reward clients with free nail trims or branded items, such as clinic-branded chew toys, when they accumulate a certain number of points.
• Offer special discounts to clients who purchase a year’s supply of parasite preventives, monthly medications, or food autoship orders.
• Offer a free fecal check for clients who bring in a fecal sample for their pet’s annual wellness examination.

Offer Exclusive Educational Webinars

Host educational virtual events to engage your clients and offer valuable information to help them keep their pet healthy. Pet owners appreciate knowledge and will likely tell their friends and family about these exclusive opportunities—and you may have new clients. Potential topics include:

• Nutrition — Many pet owners find that determining the best food for their pet is difficult, and your nutritional tips will likely foster interest.
• Behavioral problems — Provide tips and troubleshooting strategies for clients who have pets with behavioral problems, such as destructive chewing or scratching, excessive barking, or eliminating outside the litter box.
• Grooming tutorials — Demonstrate grooming techniques, such as toothbrushing, ear cleaning, and nail trimming. 
• Preventive care — Explain the importance of annual or bi-annual wellness visits, year-round parasite protection, and keeping vaccines up to date.

Ask for Feedback

Provide your clients with surveys or forms so they will share feedback on their experiences at your practice, which will let them know that you are committed to continuous improvement. Request permission to share their responses and highlight their positive responses on your social media platforms.

Organize Pet-friendly Events

Begin the New Year by connecting personally with clients on a pet-friendly walk to encourage a commitment to daily exercise or a charity drive for neighborhood pets. 

Showcase Your Team’s Commitment

Provide behind-the-scenes content that showcases your team’s dedication to your patients on your social media platforms. Your clients will appreciate seeing how your team passionately cares for pets, and they will get to know your dedicated team members through these interactions. 

Reconnecting with clients after the holidays is not only about veterinary services but also about fosteringing a sense of community, empathy, and shared love for our four-legged friends. By implementing thoughtful and personalized strategies, you can ensure a warm and welcoming start to the New Year, and strengthen the bonds that make your practice more than just a clinic—you show that you are a trusted partner in pet care.