If you work in a veterinary practice or in the pet industry or in a business that supplies goods or services to the industry and you have something to say - why not become a 'Guest Blogger'?
For more information click here to read our: Guidelines for Guest Bloggers
Have you ever walked away from a client interaction thinking, “What do they actually want from us?” You’re not alone, and we want your help to address it.
Researchers from Charles Sturt University are conducting a study exploring what small animal pet owners value most when visiting a veterinary clinic and, importantly, what these values actually mean to them in practice.
Previous research and industry surveys consistently identify managing client expectations as one of the leading sources of stress for veterinary staff. Despite this, current research tends to describe client expectations using abstract terms such as empathy, friendliness, communication, professionalism, and trust. In day-to-day veterinary work, these ideas can be difficult to apply because everyone interprets them differently.
This study aims to break these concepts down from the pet owner’s perspective, identifying which values they prioritise and how they define them. The goal is to develop a practical framework that can help veterinary teams better understand and respond to client expectations in a way that is clearer, more consistent, and easier to implement.
We are seeking pet owners across Australia and New Zealand to complete a short anonymous survey.
The survey takes 15 minutes, and participation is voluntary. Participants will receive a free 12-month subscription to The Pet Diaries app after completing the survey.
If you are willing to support this research, you can help by sharing this survey with your clients or displaying a poster in your clinic.
👉 Participant Information & Survey link: https://csufobjbs.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d9W0Uq8EDSuzzpQ
👉 Downloadable poster: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1p0y-VKzc00sx-gYnRnk3ygJeHoaqQaRp?usp=drive_link
The survey runs from the 1st of July 2026 until the 31st of August 2026.
• 18+ years old
• Live in Australia or New Zealand
• Have visited a small animal veterinary clinic in the past 12 months
Your support will help ensure pet owner voices contribute to improving veterinary client experience and make client expectations less unclear for veterinary teams.
Inkarri (BVetTech, RVN) has over 10 years’ experience within the veterinary and animal industry. Specialising in customer service, education, and management. Inkarri understands the complexities within this unique, vibrant community and is passionate about providing support to veterinary clinics across Australia & New Zealand. She strives to provide value to the community through podcasts, articles, webinars, industry talks and direct educational courses. Her career has led her to develop a deep understanding of client and clinic needs alike. Sparking a passion to tackle industry challenges by working closely with the veterinary professional community.
Connect with Inkarri:
We're looking for one Australian veterinary group (10+ clinics) to partner with us on a case study to trial our service and measure the success. Every veterinary team knows that saying goodbye to a beloved pet is one of the most emotional moments on a client's pet...
