The other day I took our cat Pepsi to PetSmart for a rabies shot. Neither I nor Pepsi were much looking forward to it. Our past visits had been crowded, noisy, slow, confused and generally frustrating.

But an Oregon-based pet hospital, Banfield, had taken over the veterinary medicine operations at 500 PetSmart locations, including this one. What a difference.

Our simple rabies shot was a case study in how blending the right sales and marketing techniques results in a satisfying customer experience.

1. Easy check-in. I filled out a simple paper form which the receptionist quickly entered in the Banfield computer system. She explained the information would make future visits faster and help the doctor quickly identify areas of concern. It’s nice to know why you’re filling out forms.

2. Personal attention while waiting. While we were waiting for an examination room to open up, a nurse came over and asked us how we were doing (!). That was a first for me in any medical office, human or otherwise. The nurse noticed that Pepsi was a bit uncomfortable in the Pet Taxi, so she spent a couple minutes calming her down.

3. Multi-media, informative materials. When we made it to the examination room, I knew we’d be in for another wait. But a second nurse came in–very pleasant–and took Pepsi’s temperature and added some things to her chart on a nearby computer. When the nurse left the room, she asked me to watch a video on a large flat screen monitor. The topic was what to do with a cat that bites. Although I wasn’t much interested in the subject, it helped pass the time. (I noticed there were other videos on the menu, but I couldn’t access them. Banfield might want to give customers the opportunity to make their own choice.)

On one room of the exam wall were about 50 tri-fold brochures on a variety of pet care topics, everything from raising a ferret to adult feline peritonitis to dealing with the death of your pet. These brochures were well written and helpful. And they helped pass the time.

4. No hidden sales agenda. By then I was so happy and comfortable, I began to smell a rat (so to speak). Why lavish all this attention on us for a mere rabies shot? Were they setting me up for a hard sell on some treatments we didn’t need? Some miracle cat vitamin supplements? The answer was no. The doctor came in, asked a few caring questions about Pepsi and gave her the shot. “Thank you so much, and please do come back if Pepsi needs any help.” Stunning. I was so ashamed of my cynicism that I felt like buying some vitamin supplements just to prove what an appreciative customer I was. (The feeling passed.)

5. Easy check-out. Check-out during previous visits had been quite vexing. Sorting paperwork and finding the rabies tags took 15-20 minutes. This time, everything was ready before I got to the counter. And the price was right.

6. Personal follow-up. But the capper was a personal call from the clinic that night to make sure Pepsi was feeling OK. How about that!

So, without trying to sell me a thing, Banfield has locked up my business forever. Not only that, I’m telling other people about Banfield. Those are pretty good outcomes for any sales and marketing team.

Banfield is sending a powerful message that they really care about pets and their owners. It’s consistently reflected in their communication and–significantly–in their behavior. Clearly, Banfield’s interest in informing pet owners and treating the pet like family is not just hype.

How do your customers react to their experience with your firm? That is a great question to ask when evaluating your sales and marketing approach.

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P.S. Cat enthusiasts might enjoy this Scrambled Toast post about Rome’s Cat Sanctuary.

Word Sell … Scrambled Toast