| Abstract [eng] |
Despite growing scholarly interest in the concept of customer experience (CX), there remains a significant gap in comprehensive research tailored to specific service sectors, particularly health and veterinary medicine. Driven by the rapid spread of technological, digital, and medical innovations, alongside private equity-backed acquisitions (known as "roll-ups"), the small animal veterinary sector is currently undergoing a fundamental structural transformation. The veterinary customer journey is highly complex due to an intense emotional background, limited consumer autonomy, and a distinct triadic relationship where the interests of the veterinarian, the pet owner, and the patient (the animal) intertwine. The objective of the thesis is to assess customer experience within the small animal veterinary services sector in Lithuania in the context of corporate consolidation and to determine future consumer expectations. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive literature review was combined with an empirical qualitative study. The empirical phase utilized a qualitative narrative inquiry based on in-depth semi-structured interviews. To profile the typical Lithuanian veterinary service customer and perform a targeted, criteria-based selection of interview participants, a preliminary screening questionnaire was deployed in the initial stage of the research. The empirical findings reveal that corporate consolidation is perceived ambiguously by consumers. A substantial majority of clients are unaware of the corporate ownership status of their clinics and admit that this is not important to them. This indicates that consolidators tend to utilize quiet "roll-up" strategies to maintain local brand loyalty, while customers focus purely on immediate concerns regarding animal health, welfare, and provider quality within a specific clinic. The study identifies the main criteria shaping customer experience in the context of corporate consolidation: maintaining a harmonious triadic ecosystem and individual connection, preserving a trusted long-term partnership with the veterinary team, handling price increases, and leveraging enhanced technological capabilities. While consolidation introduces negative factors (higher prices, personnel turnover, unaligned processes), its positive outcomes (innovative equipment, specialization, digitization) and an emotionally close connection to trusted staff ultimately prevent customers from leaving the provider. Furthermore, the study highlights critical expectations for both businesses and public authorities. Customers expect corporate networks to balance profit maximization with ethical care, invest in staff psychological health, and provide flexible loyalty programs for returning consumers. Additionally, there is a strong demand for state institutions (such as the Ministry of Environment and the State Food and Veterinary Service) to support homeless animals and vulnerable social groups, and for the Competition Council to strictly monitor clinical acquisitions to prevent monopolization. |
