“Digital tools give you a head-start”

Grégory Santaner advocates for digital transformation in veterinary medicine

Since 2005, Grégory Santaner serves as head of VetoNetwork, a consulting and digital training agency for animal health. He is also associate manager of two veterinary clinics near Lorient: Anicoon Vétérinaires.

The early days of the pandemic suddenly disrupted our lives. How did you experience that time? 
From one day to the next, quite a lot changed for us. Above all, the situation was highly volatile. Depending on how the pandemic developed, new regulations were put in place by authorities – health authorities, unions, and others. It was quite a challenge for veterinary teams and especially for pet owners to understand what was going on. 

How did you use digital channels to adapt?
Our two clinics have a digital structure that is already well established. This enabled us to be very responsive. We immediately communicated to our clients that the clinic was open and that we were there for them — fully equipped with masks and 3D visors manufactured by a local company. At the same time, we used our website to provide controlled, regularly updated information. The traffic on our site quadrupled. Naturally, we had customer service reps available on the phone to support and reassure our clients.

In March, although we were looking into it at the time, we didn’t have an online store yet. Due to the pandemic, we accelerated the launch of the platform, which is up and running as we speak.

Having a digital presence is increasingly important for pet clinics

What happened at your clinics?
During lockdown, activity was reduced by half at our clinics, but the appointments were longer. This was partially to apply health measures, and partially because of the seriousness of the cases we had to deal with, as we had to postpone the more benign cases.

Is working remotely possible for veterinarians?
We had to reduce our presence in the clinic both to protect people at risk and ensure childcare as schools were closed. There, too, digital technology enabled us to be highly responsive. We had a WhatsApp group for our partners and a weekly videoconference to adjust the protocols, reassure people, give an epidemiological bulletin, and more. Everything was put in place very quickly and we were able to start working remotely without disruptions.

Two customer service reps agreed to try out remote working shifts. Our software allows us to access our data permanently wherever we are. All colleagues have a “professional digital identity” (email address, access to collaborative tools, etc.). With this set up, the service reps working remotely were able to intervene in cases and take on support missions (postponing booster vaccinations, classifying analysis results, etc.) to help their colleagues on site. It worked well, and we’re still doing it! 

What advice would you give to your colleagues working in veterinary medicine?
Developing your individual digital identity is the first step. When you have that, you’re ready in case of a crisis. It improves accountability and shows that you’re valuing your employees, who will feel better informed, more invested in their work and more apt to show engagement and flexibility in a difficult time.

A great many clinics still don’t have effective websites. Many barely or don’t communicate on social media. A crisis like the one we’re going through right now can only inspire us to put the necessary tools in place to make things work – both in good times and bad.