Building on Success: Family Pet Health Expands Its PetDesk Solutions with Direct Booking
Products: Direct Booking
The Challenge
Family Pet Health wanted to offer clients 24/7 booking to reduce phone calls, improve scheduling, and lower no-show rates—without compromising efficiency.
The Solution
Already using PetDesk’s communication tools, they seamlessly integrated Direct Booking, allowing:
- RInstant, real-time appointment scheduling
- RBooking fee implementation to reduce no-shows
- RMore convenience for tech-savvy pet owners
The Results
Fewer no-shows, ensuring a more efficient schedule and fewer missed appointments
More new client appointments, helping grow the clinic’s customer base
Less time spent on the phone, freeing up staff for in-clinic care and personalized service
%
no-show rate
average new clients bookings per week
%
out of hours booking
The above data is from July to December 2024
‘Our existing relationship with PetDesk made it easy for us to choose them again for direct booking’
After successfully using PetDesk’s Communication to enhance client communication, Family Pet Health decided to trust us once again- this time with their direct booking needs. Impressed by the seamless integration and exceptional results they experienced with our previous solutions, Michael and his team didn’t even consider looking elsewhere.
Michael and Stephen Shirley have been the decision makers at Family Pet Health ever since the clinic opened and have had a vision of how the clinic should run. Because of this clarity and the relationship they have with PetDesk, they were excited to transition to their Direct Booking tool.
“Our existing relationship with PetDesk made the decision easy to go back to them for online booking. There wasn’t any need to look for another vendor. We added the service to make things more convenient for our clients and to help them find us more easily. That convenience was the main driving force behind our decision.”
“We wanted to leverage an additional feature and explore new options. Our clients are very tech-savvy and quick to adopt technology, including the PetDesk App. Offering the direct booking feature felt like a natural next step to enhance their experience.”
“We chose PetDesk because of the established relationship we had and the confidence that it would work seamlessly. We weren’t sure if any other platform would deliver the same reliability, so our decision was rooted in trust and familiarity.”
stephen shirley, director of operations, family pet health
‘The main goal was to ensure that clients can book an appointment whenever it’s convenient for them.’
The clinic wanted clients to book anytime, anywhere for added convenience. This led to more appointments without staff follow-ups, saving time. Real-time scheduling also streamlined workflow, making daily operations easier.
“The main goal for me was to ensure that clients can book an appointment whenever it’s convenient for them—whether it’s 6 a.m., 3 p.m., or even after we’ve closed. Whether they call us or go online due to some marketing or advertising effort, I want them to have the ability to book directly, without needing to call or make a request. They should know their appointment is confirmed, and we should know it’s booked. From there, we can follow up with PetDesk Pay to secure the deposit.”
michael shirley
‘With PetDesk, we reduced our no-show rate to less than 3%’
Since implementing PetDesk’s Direct Booking system, Family Pet Health has scheduled 317 appointments, with an impressive retention rate of over 97%.
“We’re averaging four new client bookings per week through PetDesk. From July 1 to December 31, a total of 317 appointments were booked, and only 8 were canceled through the system—meaning 309 appointments stayed on the schedule. I’ll take that!”
With a no-show rate of less than 3%, PetDesk’s Direct Booking tool is helping fill schedules more efficiently while reducing lost revenue from missed appointments.
‘With Direct Booking, we save 10 minutes per call with a new client.’
Michael explained that for every new client, a phone call typically takes about 10 minutes. From our calculation that is almost 24 hours saved since they started using PetDesk Direct Booking. This time saved helps the CSRs significantly.
“For every new client, a phone call typically takes about 10 minutes. With Direct Booking, we save that time. For existing clients, each appointment phone call averages 3 minutes. So, depending on how many appointments are booked online, the time savings really add up. It frees up our CSR team to focus on providing a better experience for clients in the clinic or dealing with more complex inquiries. It’s been a huge efficiency boost overall.”
“For every new client, a phone call typically takes about 10 minutes. With Direct Booking, we save that time...It frees up our CSR team to focus on providing a better experience for clients in the clinic or dealing with more complex inquiries. It’s been a huge efficiency boost overall.”
‘PetDesk customized the booking tool based on our clinic’s parameters for seamless working.’
Stephen Shirley stated that he found the customization available from PetDesk to be perfectly suited to their clinic’s needs. He explained that PetDesk took their clinic information and built a framework that enables clients to refine their search criteria based on their doctors, their pets, medical needs, or the time required. According to Shirley, the PetDesk system efficiently considers all variables and presents only the appropriate booking slots.
“Our clinic has three doctors for dogs and cats, one who also sees small mammals, and another who treats exotics, including birds and reptiles. When a client books online, PetDesk automatically filters availability based on pet type and medical need. For example, a rabbit owner only sees appointments with doctors who treat rabbits, and sick pet visits are given longer time slots. This customization runs seamlessly in the background, ensuring a smooth experience for clients.”
‘The support has been fantastic, and the tool has consistently worked well for our clinic.’
Stephen shared that the clinic faced no major issues since launch. New clients complete payment and history forms before booking, streamlining onboarding. He praised the tool’s flexibility, noting how they quickly added tour booking with ease.
“Overall, the setup has been excellent. We did make a change recently to add clinic tours, and it was implemented instantly. They have never said no. At every step, the process has been smooth and responsive. The support has been fantastic, and the tool has consistently worked well for our clinic.”
stephen shirley
‘For the CSR team, the tool has been a game-changer by reducing no-shows and helping them manage the schedule more efficiently’
When asked about the staff’s perspective on PetDesk’s Direct Booking tool, Stephen shared that it primarily impacts the CSR team and benefits the most from its functionality.
“For the CSR team, the tool has been a game-changer compared to how we previously managed direct bookings. With PetDesk’s booking tool, when a client requests an appointment, they see real-time availability, and both they and our team know the spot is confirmed.”
Stephen also recounted feedback from a CSR in his clinic who was initially hesitant about Direct Booking due to past no-show issues. However, after seeing how the booking fee reduced no-shows, she was very happy with the system.
“Initially hesitant, our CSR is now thrilled with the direct booking tool- a remarkable transformation. It just goes to show that the way PetDesk helped us set Direct Booking up has been key to our success. We’ve avoided the issues she experienced at her previous clinic, and it’s working seamlessly for us.”
stephen shirley
‘Knowing my pet parents can secure an appointment immediately, gives them the peace of mind’
Michael stressed the importance of seamless booking for new clients, ensuring they could schedule appointments anytime without waiting for the clinic to reopen. His approach prioritized filling schedule gaps efficiently by removing obstacles in the booking process.
“These are pet owners who need their pets seen urgently. Knowing they can secure an appointment within 24 hours gives them peace of mind and avoids unnecessary trips to the ER. That’s an incredibly important feature to offer.”
‘PetDesk Direct Booking cuts phone calls, easing staff workload and letting us focus on our customers—it’s made a huge difference.’
When asked about the impact on staff workload, Michael explained that since clients are booking online, there are fewer calls, allowing the team to dedicate more time to providing direct interactions and better customer service.
“As for the impact on my team’s workload, I’m not sure we can fully quantify it because it works so well. Since clients are booking online, we’re receiving fewer calls, which frees up our team to focus on providing better customer service for those in the clinic- whether it’s in the lobby, the exam room, or helping someone with another issue on the phone. It allows us to really prioritize the people in front of us, and that’s made a huge difference.”
michael shirley
‘I have 3 tips for clinics looking to implement Direct Booking successfully…’
We asked Michael to give us 3 tips that would benefit clinics who are looking to implement Direct Booking in their practice. And while he emphasized on the importance of trusting the system, he offered valuable advice to those who feel overwhelmed with technology. He believes these strategies have been key to his clinic’s success.
“First, trust the system. It can be nerve-wracking to let clients you’ve never met book their own appointments, but PetDesk makes it work. During onboarding, communicate clearly with the team about your specific needs and operational workflows, and trust that they’ll set it up correctly.
Second, implement a booking fee for new clients. When we added a booking fee, our no-shows dropped to virtually zero. It’s been a game-changer.
Lastly, keep your options simple. Don’t overwhelm clients with too many booking categories. Focus on the essentials: sick pets, healthy pets, and maybe a few specific options like technician appointments or clinic tours. Tours, in particular, can set your clinic apart. Offering tours is a clear reflection of that pride- after all, who offers tours unless they’re genuinely proud of what they do? And it’s not just because we have a new building; we offered tours even in our old, much smaller facility. “
“First, trust the system…During onboarding, communicate clearly with the team about your specific needs and operational workflows, and trust that they’ll set it up correctly.”
‘PetDesk Direct Booking’s onboarding experience was so positive that I actually smiled through it’
Stephen described the onboarding and setup process for Direct Booking as smooth and highly responsive. He appreciated the team’s preparedness and their ability to address potential objections with practical suggestions based on their experience.
“The team had great insights and seemed well-prepared for any potential objections or concerns. They clearly had experience and practical suggestions for every scenario. Honestly, onboarding isn’t something I usually describe as enjoyable, but this experience was so positive that I actually smiled through it.”
Stephen shared that the PetDesk Direct Booking tool has been highly effective for the clinic, requiring minimal follow-up after the initial setup. He noted that the onboarding process was seamless, with the team doing an excellent job in ensuring everything functioned smoothly from the very beginning.
“Honestly, I don’t think we’ve needed to make any changes since going live. I can’t even recall the last time I had to reach out for support because everything was set up so well during onboarding. The team did a fantastic job- everything worked seamlessly from day one.”
stephen shirley
