5 Reasons to Use an AI Chatbot on Your Veterinary Practice Website
Veterinary medicine can be stressful, but emerging technologies can make pet care easier and more efficient for veterinary teams and clients. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one such technology with many possible applications, including website chatbots. An AI chatbot can streamline client communication by helping filter common questions and requests so team members are free to focus on other tasks. Here are five reasons to add an AI chatbot to your arsenal of tools to improve the client experience.
1. Round-the-clock availability
An AI chatbot can provide guidance for common questions or concerns even when your team isn’t in the office. You can program the chatbot to refer clients to an emergency facility, provide links to educational materials on your website, or forward messages that team members can answer the next morning.
2. Simplified scheduling
AI chatbots can be extremely helpful in scheduling appointments and handling intake paperwork. They can walk clients through your online scheduling process, create or update client information, and send intake forms directly to your practice management software. Clients can also use the chatbot to check availability or reschedule visits without calling the office.
3. Enhanced engagement
Chatbots can recognize repeat visitors and tailor suggestions and responses based on past conversations, overdue reminders, or current hospital promotions. You can also use a chatbot to filter and organize incoming messages during live-staffed chat hours. This reduces the chat moderator’s workload and ensures they have the information needed to greet clients with a personalized touch.
4. Streamlined refills
Refill requests can be extremely time-consuming for veterinary teams. Between chasing down a veterinarian to approve refills and calling clients about exam or testing requirements, this task can take up time better spent on client communication or patient care. Chatbots can methodically collect all the necessary details, such as callback numbers and preferred pharmacies, and then forward them to the team for approval. The chatbot can also remind clients of your refill policies so your team doesn’t have to repeat them.
5. Educational support
You can program your chatbot to provide accurate answers to common client medical questions or preventive care recommendations. If you have a collection of blog posts or handouts on your website, the chatbot can provide links or copies for your clients to download and read. The bot can also refer clients to trusted outside sources or provide custom hospital protocols regarding minor concerns. For example, the bot can provide information about a bland diet for soft stool and advise when to seek emergency care for a gastrointestinal (GI) issue.
Choosing a chatbot for your practice
Not all chatbots are created equal. Here are a few factors to consider:
- Compatibility — Choose a chatbot that integrates with your practice management software. This allows it to access the schedule, send notes about a conversation directly to a patient’s chart, or notify team members to follow up.
- Customizability — Generic responses aren’t helpful, so look for bots that allow personalized responses and integrate a human chat feature. The more you can customize, the better.
- Ease of use—Select a chatbot that is intuitive to use from a client and team perspective. A complicated interface can leave clients feeling frustrated rather than more connected to the practice.
Navigating chatbot challenges
While AI chatbots offer many benefits, they have limitations like any other tool. Most bots can handle only basic requests, requiring human intervention to answer nuanced questions. Additionally, chatbots require ongoing training and maintenance to ensure they operate correctly and accomplish the goals you want to achieve. Regularly train and adjust the chatbot’s knowledge and responses, and survey users on their experiences so you can rectify any issues as they arise.
Integrating an AI chatbot into your veterinary practice website effectively promotes client engagement and improves overall hospital efficiency. When you direct clients to your website’s chatbot feature, you can provide information from an expert, trusted source. Carefully selecting, implementing, and maintaining a bot ensures an elevated client and team experience.
