Q: In today's economy, are discounts a sensible way to attract new clients?
Karen Felsted
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"No," says Dr. Karen Felsted, CPA, MS, CVPM, and CEO of the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues. "Once you start
walking down the discount path, you're going to be sorry when the economy picks up." That's because clients who were receiving
discounts will still expect your gold-standard service at a silver price, she says. Instead of luring in pet owners with deals
your practice won't be able to sustain, retain clients—and nab a few new ones—by communicating the value of the services your
practice provides.
Apply this to your regular clientele, too, Felsted says. Why? Because if you consistently start giving discounts on services
like nail trims, clients will begin to think they weren't appropriately priced in the first place, she says. And just try
getting Ms. Saver to pay full price for the sixth nail trim, after receiving five at half the price.
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