Talking About Money Doesn’t Have to Be the Worst Part of Your Day

Communication strategies that protect your team and your patients.

If you’ve ever watched a client’s eyes glaze over during an estimate, or felt the tension in the room shift the moment a number left your mouth, you’re not alone.

Talking about money is one of the most common stressors for veterinarians. In the NAVC Voice of the Vet study, many team members listed clients being unwilling or unable to provide needed care as one of their top three stressors.¹ The second Merck Veterinary Well-Being Study flagged declining willingness to pay and negative online reviews, often connected to billing disputes, as top professional concerns.²

So how do we get better at the conversation nobody wants to have?

Separate Care from Cost

This is the single most impactful shift you can make: stop leading with money.

Here’s the difference. A dog has been hit by a car. Your tech rushes the pet to triage. Your receptionist can say:

“It’s going to be $500 for us to stabilize your pet.”

Or:

“Our technician Christy just took Fluffy to the back. Our veterinarians are going to evaluate her and start some life-saving treatment if that’s needed. We like to let people know that can cost up to $500.”

The second version takes a few more seconds. But it frames the conversation around what you’re doing for the pet, not what you’re charging the client. That reframing is the difference between a client who feels cared for and one who feels charged.

Chunk and Check

Long explanations lose people. When you’re going through diagnostics and treatment options, break it into pieces:

1. Explain the kidney disease. Pause. Ask if they have questions.
2. Explain the anemia. Pause. Ask if they have questions.
3. Walk through each treatment option. Pause again.

This approach, sometimes called “chunk and check,” keeps clients engaged and reduces the chance they’ll walk out confused or overwhelmed. It also gives you natural moments to gauge their comfort level before moving on.

Ask Before You Tell

Two questions that change everything:

“What’s your budget today?” Follow it with: “The worst thing I can do for you is spend all of your available funds on diagnostics and have nothing left to treat. That’s why I’m asking.”

“What’s your goal for today’s visit?” This is especially valuable for end-of-life conversations, second opinions, or cases where the client may be thinking something they’re too nervous to say out loud.

Both questions accomplish the same thing: they put the client in the conversation instead of on the receiving end of it.

Listen, Then Listen Again

Research shows that veterinarians interrupt their clients after an average of 15.3 seconds.³ That’s barely a sentence.

Ask your question, then stop. Let them talk. When they’re done, paraphrase what you heard before responding. This reflective listening confirms you understood what they said and, just as importantly, what they meant.

Watch What You Don’t Say

Non-verbal communication matters as much as words. If your technician is going over an estimate and doing an eye roll, or sighing at an option they disagree with, the client reads that. Tone of voice, facial expressions, posture, body language: these all signal whether you genuinely support the range of options you’re presenting.

Use Your Team

Your technicians, practice managers, and receptionists are often the ones having these financial conversations. Invest in their training:

• Communication techniques (chunk and check, reflective listening)
• De-escalation skills for tense situations
• When and how to step away if things get emotional

Having your team discuss estimates also naturally separates the care conversation (with the doctor) from the cost conversation (with the team), which reduces the perception that vets are “money hungry.”

Don’t Forget Non-Judgmental Delivery

A client who chooses a less intensive option isn’t necessarily showing less love for their pet. They may be making the best decision they can with what they have. Being judgmental about that choice only adds guilt to someone who’s already stressed.

Be transparent about costs and outcomes. Be empathetic in delivery. Be honest about trade-offs. That’s the foundation.

This post is based on a VetOnIt CE webinar by Dr. Kate Boatwright. For RACE-approved continuing education on topics like this, explore our On-Demand Library.

References

1. NAVC. Voice of the Veterinarian Survey. 2020. Survey of veterinary clients, team members, and veterinarians on professional stressors and satisfaction.

2. Merck Animal Health. Merck Veterinary Well-Being Study II. Findings on veterinary professional well-being, including financial stressors, cyberbullying, and declining willingness to pay.

3. Dysart LMA, Coe JB, Adams CL. Analysis of solicitation of client concerns in companion animal practice. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2011;238(12):1609-1615.