Hillside Clinic is a veterinary facility that prides itself on the quality of its services and individualized approach to its customers. One of the provided services is the emergency treatment of pets at night and on weekends. However, the price of delivering care on these hours is twice the normal amount. I believe that the higher cost is justified because emergencies require the medical staff to work overtime. Firstly, the clinic has to function day and night, and some of the personnel have to be constantly on duty. Secondly, emergency care is more difficult and limited due to the absence of other doctors.
Hillside is not a cheap clinic, and it acknowledges the high cost of its services. Its strategy aims to increase the clinic’s reputation by moving to a larger building, hiring more staff, and buying more sophisticated diagnostic equipment (Hillside Veterinary Clinic Marketing Plan, 2008). In order to accomplish these undertakings, significant financial investments are necessary. Besides, the management clearly states that “the higher prices are not seen believed to be a threat to the business” (Hillside Veterinary Clinic Marketing Plan, 2008, p. 10). Therefore, charging higher prices for emergency care fits with the overall strategy.
Moreover, some of the customers are wealthy clients, which have no objections to the size of fees for veterinary care. The clinic treats a large variety of pets, including expensive animals from families of the same breed. In my opinion, Hillside should not charge higher prices for pedigree pets. One of the clinic goals is making sure that it “continues to deliver compassionate and individualized care to its customers” (Hillside Veterinary Clinic Marketing Plan, 2008, p. 33). Raising prices should be done indiscriminately, otherwise, it would convey the message that the clinic values the clients’ purses more than their loyalty.
Reference
Hillside Veterinary Clinic Marketing Plan. (2008). Web.