Pet Owners Surprising Veterinarians Through Diggo Survey Data

 

Pet Owner Survey Data Reveals Surprising Statistic About Veterinarians

Less than 40% of veterinarians are confident about how well they understand what pet owners think.1 After all, today’s pet owners are a different breed. The things veterinarians once knew to be true often apply to a much smaller segment of clients. Using the same tactics to reach and retain evolving pet owners is a futile effort that is leaving many veterinarians perplexed and scrambling to make up lost revenue. Diggo performs proprietary studies specifically for veterinarians—to educate them about changing pet owners needs and provide usable insights into how to better serve them—so there are less surprises in the future.

Less than 40% of veterinarians are confident about how well they understand what pet owners think.1

Pet Owners are Constantly Evolving

Pet owners are evolving in what services they want, why they switch and how much they trust Dr. Google. But, let’s talk for a moment about Walmart veterinary clinics. Recent Diggo quantitative survey data found that only 12% of veterinarians thought pet owners would consider getting annual adult wellness examinations with bloodwork from Walmart, but 44% of pet owners said they would. That’s a huge gap. And a whole bunch of veterinarians who may very soon wonder where their clients are going. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that 71% of pet owners expect the quality of care from that Walmart clinic to be the same or higher than their private practice (ouch!).

Upcoming survey topics include:

  • The front office staff’s influence on client decisions
  • Pet owner confusion and expectations on nutrition
  • Attitudes and behaviors toward nutraceuticals, including CBD
  • Technology’s influence on communications and services

Getting on the Same Page

Understanding the realities of today’s veterinary market is great and all, but the truth is, data doesn’t do much good if you don’t know what to do with it. Diggo briefs provide detailed action plans for veterinarians to begin putting in place immediately in their practices. Each primary topic comes with specific recommendations to address pet owner expectations, build loyalty and strengthen practice revenue.

G.C. Richie, DVM, gives his take, “I think it’s a great concept and can be a tremendous value for practitioners. As veterinarians, we are often nearsighted, believing and acting on things that we’ve always thought to be true. Reading Diggo is like putting on a new pair of glasses and seeing things in a whole different perspective.”

About the Data Source

Diggo was created by Trone Research + Consulting, an independent research firm that has decades of experience conducting marketing research in the companion animal veterinary and consumer segments. Learn more at dvm360 or www.diggovet.com.

1 Trone Research and Consulting Veterinary Perceptions Study, 2018