Competition is a good thing

You're lucky you don't have any competition. If you did, you wouldn't be here today."

That condescending statement was directed at me many years ago by a farmer who objected to my insistence that he make payment on his past due account. As I pondered my response, several thoughts went through my mind.

The first was that I did not see myself as particularly lucky to be on his farm. The second was that he was correct in that our practice had virtually no competition. Although there were more than 30 veterinarians, representing 12 different practices within 20 miles of this producer, ours was the only one that offered service to dairy farmers.

I left his farm that day with a check, but also with feelings of anger. I wished I had been able to reason with him, and point out that our fees reflected the value we put on our services, and it was up to him to use us or not. If he truly believed we were not worth what we charged, he did not have to call us. Once he used our service, it was certainly reasonable for us to expect timely payment.

I thought he might also consider the fact that none of the other practices were willing to provide dairy service at all. That fact by itself had strong implications about the profit margin. Unfortunately, he was not in a place to accept any of these points.

Some competition

Years later, in another practice setting, I came to fully appreciate the value of having some "competition". In this location, dairy farmers could chose from at least four different practices. In making calls, I often drove by farms that did not use our practice. When I arrived at my destination, I knew I was there because that producer had chosen us from a number of alternatives. That is a much healthier business atmosphere than the one mentioned at the beginning of this column.

I now work as a sales manager for a feed company, overseeing eight sales representatives who cover eastern Pennsylvania. Now I know what real competition is like! I have found that loyalty to a nutritionist and a feed company is rather small compared to the loyalty I enjoyed as a practicing veterinarian.

If you work in an area where two or more practices serve the same client base, there are some things you can do to structure a healthy relationship.

Develop a relationship with other practices. Ask to stop by and visit their office and get to know them. Go to lunch. You will probably find you have a lot in common, with the same challenges and frustrations. Let them know that you want to have an open line of communication.

Watch what you say

Be careful what you say to producers regarding other practices and their doctors. Dairymen, like most people, tend to gossip. If you criticize your colleague, word will get back to them, often with embellishment. When he or she gets the chance, they will respond in kind.

Along this same line, don't believe everything quoted to have been said by your neighboring veterinarian. Comments get a bit twisted and embellished, and are often taken out of context.

I am aware of significant hard feelings that were traced back to a producer abusing the "he said/she said" game. If you do hear of a statement from a colleague that you think was truly out of line, discuss it with them to get the whole story.

If you get called to work on an animal or herd situation where another practice has been involved, consider contacting them to share what you see and discuss the case. They will likely have insights that will contribute to the final solution. I often tell the client that I am going to do this. Sometimes that makes them uncomfortable, but when I point out that the consultation will help solve his or her problem, they acquiesce.

Learn from colleagues

Learn from your "competition". Pay attention to what they are doing in terms of client education, production medicine, emergencies and collection policies. Listen to what your clients tell you, but be meager in your response. You can learn a lot about customer relations just by listening to anecdotes involving other veterinarians.

When a client switches to another practice, try to learn why. I recall stopping by to talk to a producer after realizing he had stopped using me. We had an amiable discussion, and I learned that most of his reasons for the change had nothing to do with me personally. I was able to maintain a cordial relationship with this gentleman, as well as with the doctor who replaced me. In another situation, I learned that the producer perceived me as "always in a hurry". He appreciated another veterinarian who worked more slowly and seemed to be more interested in the dairyman's affairs. That was a valuable lesson.

None of us can be an ideal match for all clients. Sometimes it is nice to have another practice available for a dissatisfied producer to call as an alternative. Maybe he will find out you weren't so bad after all. If he returns, it will probably be with a different attitude. If not, your professional life will probably be a little less stressful.