VCA Vet office generally pretty good, but I have this one complaint ...

... they have a problem with staffing, and getting someone to return a call in a timely manner didn't happened today.

Gray had a visit on 9/30/10 - they gave him Convenia antibiotics.

Just like clock-work - he started sneezing about 6 days afterward - all stressed out from the visit, I suppose.

Friday night I found him drooling, so I quarantined him away into the laundry room. He and his family (mommy and two of her kids) are already separated from the other 4 cats in our home. About the only spaces I have left to quarantine a cat is a closet.

Our vet isn't open on Sunday - so, in an effort to be pro-active in Gray's medical care (he has been diagnosed with FIV) I contacted the vet office.

When I called, neither of his two Vets were in on Saturday - and, they were short-staffed according to the reception person I spoke with.

So, I left a message for the first available vet to call me. Mostly I needed information (and reassurance) as to how much the Convenia's help might be with fighting any potential respiratory infection.

That was at 9:00 a.m.

Since I had left a message like this a couple of months ago, and hadn't received a return call, I decided that I would call again. Two hours later I called back to confirm that someone would call me, and the reception person assured me that I would get a call back, and, that the office didn't close until 5 p.m..

At 4:30 p.m., with no call back yet, I called again, and left a message for the office manager, who is also Gray's vet - telling her about my day's experience. I told her that I wasn't optimistic that someone was going to call me before closing - and for her to call me on Monday. I had checked - she was to be in on Monday.

Now, if Gray was showing symptoms of deep distress - my conversations with Reception would have been more forceful - but, as I had been told earlier, they were short staffed and each of the vets there were in appointments - so, unless I was desperate for Gray, I pretty much knew that even if I went up there with him that I wouldn't be satisfied, and then - Gray would be stressed even more.

The owners of the VCA office I go to have taken the summer off - but they are about to be unhappy with the information I'm about to give them. I like the office manager, and I like it that the office manager is my Vet - but maybe she needs help in getting the owners to hire more staff. I do know that one of the owners told me they were having trouble getting people to work on the weekends, or enough to get a staff for emergency hours.

Fortunately, IF Gray is worse tomorrow, I do have an Emergency Vet option - a good one - but, we're talking another $300.00 I'm sure.

Gray: I'd be holding him on my lap right now, but the interaction with me causes him to purr, then more sneezing and loud breathing - so, I have limited my time with him. He has eaten some today - tonight I fixed chicken with juices to give to him - he tried to sniff it, but I don't thing he ate/drank any yet. I really hope that the Convenia IS helping him right now, and will hold him - maybe even enough to help him over the cold.

Gray Family: and all the others - praying that no one else get the cold - especially his "wife" and kids - 'cause she's still got a lot of Feral in her and the thought of trying to get her into a carrier - well, let's just say, I'm not thinking about it. The family has been confined inside now for only a few days - I keep telling them they are INSIDE cats now - but, they don't want to believe me.

I hear what you are saying....as with everything these days, customer service is terrible.

I know vets are busy. I truly do. But how long does it take to return a call. 3 minutes? They take your money quick enough tho,don't they?

I would tell the owners about this as you say you are going to do.

I am so tired of bad service. I hope your Gray does not get any worse and his family is ok.

It would sure seem to me that in a service business, like a vet's office, you would want to go way out of your way to provide great service in order to justify slightly higher prices. Isn't that the goal of most businesses? Increase the value of your product in order to be able to raise the price?

Obviously, if I knew more about how to run a business, I'd be running one, right? But I know when I WAS an assistant manager, we had policies in place to improve our service over that of the competition. One thing that was a kiss of death for our agents was not returning all calls before going home.

Definitely bring this up. The whole reason one starts a vet practice or ever WANTS to be a vet in the first place is to help animals. At least one would hope. and for Gray

Gray's Vet (office manager) called today. She apologized for the delay in calling back.

Okay that's Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, and today, Wednesday.

Gray's chart was still on the other (new) vet's desk and his regular vet didn't get it until today.
hmmm

Anyway - we did have a good conversation - and, she will be reminding everyone to make sure they return calls, even IF it is after hours.
She also told me that asking for a nurse/tech would be another "back door" way to get the doctor's attention - which I will definitely do the next time. She said if the tech can't answer the question they will grab a doctor.

Gray - he's recovering - but, tomorrow is the 14th day for the convenia - I'm hoping that it will actually be effective longer than that - but ???, so far Gray's issue is more viral so an antibiotic wouldn't solve anything - he's just sneezing once in a great while now. He's eating good, active, and basically himself.

The matter isn't closed and I will be addressing the issue in the future as necessary - meanwhile, I do know how to be a "squeaky wheel" - especially when it comes to those I love - human and animal.

I plan on sending something to VCA if/when I find out this office is controlled by corporate - gotta talk to the owner first and see.

I've got good, caring people here - but being short of staff causes the hard working, well intentioned people to fail sometimes.

It's frustrating for sure - the one suggestion I woudl have is to mail a thank you note to any of the staff who helps you - sometimes a mark of appreciation really (a) makes their day and (b) can help you stand out as a great pet parent and get a little extra attention when you call in. Copying a complimentary note to the boss is also a good thing.

I had bad experiences when my vet (who my family had been using for 25+ years) changed to VCA. I had been having problems with them recently anyway, but these problems got worse when they became VCA owned and the prices also went way up. I always had to wait a LONG time to see a vet, always at least 30-60 minutes after my appointment time before I was taken to the exam room. The worse instance was when I came in with a sick ferret who was breathing funny. I did not have an appointment but I told them what was going on. They told me I'd have to wait until the other patients waiting were seen. We went into the waiting room and someone who was also waiting looked at my ferret and told the receptionist that she thought he looked really bad and I could have her appointment time. They had a tech come out to look at him and they took him to the back right away and put him on oxygen! The clinic also kept losing vets- I'd call to make an appointment with my preferred vet and find out they no longer worked there.
I ended up finding out where a vet I had liked had moved to (she did not like the idea of working for VCA so she left) and followed her to the new place. She's recently opened up her own clinic so even better. I really love this vet, she is really good and listens well, plus she always either gets on the phone to talk to me right away or calls back promptly if I call her. I also have her email address and I often email her instead and she gets back to me right away.

Mine always calls back, in fact I had one of them who couldn't get to it during office hours and called me on his cell after hours to discuss my concerns.

My only issue with them is saying FIV instead of FeLV but they are getting better at correcting themselves. Attitude and Nuts are their only FeLV kitties so at the moment they have more FIV kitties so they automatically say FIV out of habit, but it shows they know they are immunocompromised without looking at their charts and it's easy enough to correct them that it's leukemia not feline AIDS. They always look at the chart before ever doing anything to the animal so even if I didn't correct them they would see it in the chart before they examined them. I almost always forget to tell them Nuts is positive, I honestly forget because he is so healthy. Attitude is in there often enough being sick I mention it every time.

Taryn