2020 was a year that will remain etched in memory for many decades to come. The shellshocks wrought by a global pandemic jolted us professionally, demanding new customer approaches and innovations that will carry beyond the turbulent year.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Sweeping shutdowns in many parts of the country in 2020 led to spiking rates of contagious diseases, such as parvo, as pet owners delayed preventive care. But the grim news was matched by the good.

With so many Americans stuck at home, 2020 saw an unprecedented surge in pet rescues. One in five people surveyed between March and June said they’d adopted one or more dogs or cats, up from fewer than 5% during the same time in 2019.

Delivering high-quality care to a new deluge of clients amid a pandemic demanded innovation from veterinary professionals and veterinary partners across the country.

Touchless Tools Enable More Care

To empower practices to meet this challenge, VCP launched curbside and self-sign up services to enable pet owners to independently enroll in wellness plans through a self-service portal. Available via mobile devices and computers, the portal permits clients to conveniently enroll wherever they are, whether it’s at home or while curbside outside the hospital.

With just a few clicks, clients can browse through available wellness plans, pick optional services, review FAQs, and pay the required enrollment fees. The entire process, which takes mere minutes, frees up valuable staff time to care for more pets inside the hospital.

If owners don’t choose options at sign up or aren’t sure which options to select, VCP’s technology includes the exclusive ability to add optional services after enrollment. Offering optional services to personalize wellness plans is one of the most potent means to stand apart from competitors — and win the loyalty of clients.

Going forward, veterinary professionals must continue to reimagine the delivery of wellness services to gain an edge in today’s ever-changing marketplace.

As a partner, VCP provides a wellness platform to easily create and manage wellness plans, with an ecosystem to help grow additional services and provide more care. VCP is designed to help more pets get care, give pet owners choices, and equip veterinarians with robust tools and analytics to propel practice growth.

Read about the lessons learned when an animal hospital rolled out self-sign up.