There’s a conversation happening in most veterinary practices right now. It’s about fees, transparency, and what clients need to know and when.
Much of it has been prompted by the CMA’s final report, which has confirmed that greater price transparency will become a legal requirement for practices. The direction of travel is clear.
But here’s what that conversation often misses: price transparency and good, proactive fee communication are not the same thing. One is about making information available. The other is about building understanding and removing uncertainty before it has a chance to become anxiety.
Why do clients find fee conversations so uncomfortable?
Often, it's not the fee itself, it's the uncertainty that builds before it's mentioned. When a client arrives at a consultation without any sense of what things might cost, they’re already in a state of low-level uncertainty.
Behavioural science tells us that uncertainty is uncomfortable and that people manage it by filling in the gaps themselves. A client who doesn’t know what a consultation might involve will imagine one. A client who has no idea what treatment could cost will guess. And those imagined scenarios are rarely more optimistic than reality.
The result is a client who may arrive already on the defensive, even if they don’t know why. They’re braced for a bill they can’t predict, for recommendations they haven’t anticipated, for a conversation that might be uncomfortable.
Proactive fee communication doesn’t just give clients information. It removes many of the conditions that make fee conversations feel difficult in the first place.
What does ‘proactive’ fee communication look like in practice?
It doesn't mean publishing a price list and hoping clients read it. It means identifying the moments in a client's journey, before they walk through the door, where a little more information would reduce uncertainty and build confidence. Here are some examples:
At the point of booking
A brief, warm summary of what to expect - what the consultation involves, roughly how long it will take, and an indication of likely costs - costs nothing and can change a lot. It signals that the practice is organised and transparent, it gives the client a frame of reference and it means the fee conversation in the consult room isn’t the first time money has been mentioned.
For a small animal practice, this might be a short, automated message confirming the appointment, what to expect and ideally also including a payment link to enable the client to pay earlier in their experience.
In equine practice, where call-out fees and visit costs can vary considerably, a brief conversation at the point of booking - “the call-out fee for this visit will be £X, and we’ll go through any additional costs with you on the day” - removes a significant source of uncertainty before the vet even arrives.
In farm practice, where the relationship is often longer-standing and visits can involve multiple interventions, setting clear expectations at the start of the year about how costs will be communicated and invoiced is part of good client management.
On the practice website
Most practice websites describe services. Fewer answer the question clients are actually asking before they book: “what is this likely to cost me?”
A simple, honest explanation of how fees work - what a consultation covers, how treatment costs are communicated, and what to expect if further investigation is needed - does more for client confidence than a page of service descriptions. It signals transparency before the client has even made contact.
In the waiting room
The time a client spends waiting is an opportunity that many practices underuse. A short, clear video explaining how the practice handles estimates, options and fees - framed around the client and their experience rather than practice policy - can reduce the anxiety that builds in that waiting period and prime the client for a more open conversation.
Is proactive fee communication just a CMA compliance exercise?
In short, no. Practices that treat it as one will miss the point. Compliance sets a floor but good communication goes further.
Practices that approach this as a communication opportunity will reduce the friction that makes fee conversations hard, build client trust before the consultation has started, and create the conditions which help value land more effectively.
There’s a difference between a practice that publishes its prices because it has to, and one that communicates proactively, in a client-focused way, because it understands that an informed client is a more confident client.
What stops vet practices from communicating fees earlier?
Most resistance comes from one of two fears: that talking about money upfront will put clients off, or that it's the vet's job to have that conversation in the room.
It’s common to fear talking about money in case clients feel that we’re only focused on money. In practice, and when the communications are managed well, the opposite tends to be true. Clients who know what to expect are more comfortable, less uncertain and often also less resistant.
The assumption that it’s the vet’s job to have this conversation is also common. Of course, when treatments or tests are recommended it is crucial that vets explain both the value of their recommendation and the costs. But good systems and a deliberate approach to how the practice communicates at every stage of the client journey will serve to help make those conversations smoother and easier for all concerned.
So, should vet practices talk about money before the consultation?
Yes - clients who arrive informed are likely to be more settled, more open, and better placed to make decisions about their animal’s care. That’s better for them, better for the animal, and better for the consultation.
Ultimately, an informed client is easier to talk to and better placed to make the right decision for their animal.
At InsideMinds, we take veterinary teams through the WorthItTM Method - a structured, step-by-step approach to value-led conversations. If you’d like to explore how our workshops and training could help your team, get in touch.
