We live in an on-demand society. Our clients source many services NOW, or at least when they want them. They source rides in cars owned by individuals they don't know that they access in a remarkable app called Uber. The Uber app is remarkable for multiple reasons. It sources rides from people who are willing to provide transportation for others for a fee, at times they determine, and at rates set by customer demand. It sounds a lot like capitalism. In this system, both the customer and the service provider win. Service providers compete to earn the business, and consumers vote with their wallets when they need and want a ride at the fees that are offered.
Our modern communications cater to this on-demand economy. We receive and reply to email, texts, social media, and other forms of communication as they occur. We purchase almost anything online when we hear of it. We buy books at Amazon (and many other things), food delivered by Door Dash, Jimmy Johns, or Domino's, and we are entertained by on-demand movies with Netflix, Apple TV, and many other services.
The question then is: How do veterinarians live up to this on-demand expectation?
Be proactive. Experience the on-demand economy when you have the opportunity. Next time you fly somewhere or go to dinner in the city, download the Uber app and take in the experience. Notice how from the beginning they put you in charge. They allow you to get the information that is important, and they keep you aware of exactly where you are in the process at all times. That fact alone delivers amazing levels of satisfaction. Look also at the Netflix experience and Amazon.
Then, ask yourself what you can do to deliver a similarly disruptive type of experience to your customers. How do you break the mold and over-deliver on customer expectations and deliver a uniquely tranformative experience? You know your customers. You have the answer.
