Family-Owned Practice Improves Staff’s Wellbeing with PetDesk
See how this veterinary clinic was able to give time back to their staff by implementing PetDesk’s online booking, powered by Vetstoria.
%
phone call reduction
appointments booked
%
out-of-hours bookings
Oceanside
Meet Oceanside Veterinary Clinic!
- Appointment Scheduling
- Websites
- Digital Marketing
- Client Management
- Phone Systems
At Oceanside Veterinary Clinic, a family-owned and operated local business, you and your pets are treated like family. Their goal is to help strengthen the special bond between you and your pet through their personalized services and health care education.
Built on the foundation of providing outstanding customer service along with the most progressive medicine for the patients, Ohlandt Vet Clinic was established in 1983 by the beloved Johnny Ohlandt, Jr, DVM, and has been a prominent and trusted fixture on James Island for over 30 years. Dr. Ohlandt retired from small animal clinical practice in 2014. He set the standard for exceptional pet care with a friendly family feel, and it is one in which they continue to pride themselves in today as the newly renamed Oceanside Veterinary Clinic.
Their devoted staff of receptionists, technicians, and veterinarians will always greet their patients and pet parents with a smile, listen to their concerns, and treat their furry friends with love and compassion. They strive to provide the best possible care for your pet; in doing so they are dynamic in our medicine and are ever-advancing their services and technology.
During the COVID pandemic, Oceanside Veterinary Clinic faced a scarcity of Customer Success Representatives (CSRs) at the front desk. Prior to this, the clinic operated a system where all non-urgent inquiries were directed to voicemail, leading to an overwhelming volume of messages for the staff to review and respond to.
The clinic and their clients have been using the PetDesk app for a long time for appointment confirmations, reminders, answering pet health questions, and providing updates on pets under care.
But now, by integrating with PetDesk’s online scheduling system, powered by Vetstoria, the entire game has changed and things have started to look much simpler. The online scheduler allows pet parents to book appointments that are convenient for both them and the clinic, rather than book time frames that were not available. This created less back and forth which also helped the staff lessen admin work.
“With PetDesk’s online scheduling system, powered by Vetstoria, we have been able to reduce phone call volume by 50-55%.”
Kindra Hines, Practice Manager
“I have a family where 3 generations have been bringing their pets to our clinic…”
Pet Owner Demographics on the Island
Oceanside Vets have been on Charleston island in South Carolina for about 40 years now. A certain section of their steadfast clientele still prefer talking to a person rather than booking on an app or a website.
When asked about the age bracket that are comfortable with booking an appointment online, Kindra states that the majority of clientele within the 40-50 year bracket are comfortable with scheduling their appointments online, though this number dramatically decreases amongst the older demographic. This is probably because they’ve done it the same way for every single animal they’ve ever owned.
“I have a family where 3 generations have been bringing their pets to our clinic. The middle generation probably will do the online booking, the youngest generation absolutely wants nothing to do with calling me. And that is the way forward. The oldest generation is probably just going to walk in with their reminder postcard; because they refuse to send me an email, and they’re going to say, ‘these are the things I need and I want to talk to someone face to face’.”
‘The admin work has considerably reduced’
PetDesk and Vetstoria have significantly reduced admin burdens for Oceanside’s staff by streamlining bookings and managing voicemails. Previously, weekend closures led to a backlog of tasks by Monday, requiring staff to contact clients to make scheduling adjustments.
“Before we had the online booking we would have piles and piles of people trying to book appointments over the weekend. Now, it has greatly decreased the amount of work. The clients actually see in real time what is available, which has set PetDesk apart for us. The tool is quick which enables the calendars to sync and block that appointment slot so no one else can double book. It is amazing!”
Since adopting PetDesk’s online scheduling system, Oceanside Veterinary Clinic has booked almost 1500 appointments, of which 40.2% were made out of hours.
Do you feel supported with PetDesk?
Oceanside’s Practice Manager, Kindra Hines, tells us that PetDesk’s onboarding team provided valuable training on system backend management, enabling her to tailor the platform herself to her clinic’s needs effectively.
“So if I need to create a new appointment type, or edit the way things are worded for example, change some trigger words or things like that, PetDesk’s onboarding team is very good about making sure that I know how to do those very simple things.”
“My staff absolutely loves PetDesk’s online scheduling system as it helps a pet parent get what they need by blocking a convenient time immediately so they can just continue with their groove of the day.”
You can no longer hear the stress in their voice which has helped with their tone and general manners when talking to clients on a basic phone call.”
‘Now, each staff member gets an extra 20 minutes for their lunch break.’
Earlier, Kindra remembers, her 2 CSRs would get 35-40 mins only to have their lunch. But now they are all able to take an hour out each, or sometimes more, which makes such a difference to their wellbeing.
“During their lunch break they actually can step away because they don’t have a bunch of voicemails from people trying to schedule.”
With the average phone call lasting 6 minutes, PetDesk has really alleviated staff workload by reducing calls together. This frees up time for more productive tasks or allows for additional personal interaction with clients, enhancing their experience.
“If they hear a phone ringing in the background, the tone of their voice changes on the phone. You can no longer hear the stress in their voice which has helped with their tone and general manners when talking to clients on a basic phone call.”
What’s the PetDesk App about?
With PetDesk’s integration with Vetstoria, pet parents can now see the clinic’s real-time calendar, and book appointments without losing out on the slot they prefer. PetDesk’s App has been continuously evolving to make it the ‘go-to’ app for pet parents.
“I think that the app is very user friendly and the interface is easy for them. To schedule an appointment is pretty seamless with short steps without being inconvenient.”
And the perks…?
“Yes, the loyalty perks are really what kind of bonds them to the clinic. It is a bonding mechanism to the clinic so they can enjoy earning points for a free consultation or maybe $20 off on their next visit. It sets us apart from nearby clinics and corporate entities. Despite the presence of competitors offering various incentives, PetDesk’s loyalty perks ensure high client retention and loyalty.”
“…I wanted someone to really hone in on what was important in the veterinary community…”
Kindra Hines, Practice Manager
Why PetDesk for website services?
Oceanside also recently started using PetDesk for their website and digital marketing services, powered by WhiskerCloud. It has been 9 months since their journey with a newer looking website and more calls to action.
“So we had wanted to move to a veterinary specific website provider. I wanted someone to really hone in on what was important in the veterinary community. I wanted a company who really knew their SEO well, what the target market would look like, all of that stuff – and really help us drive the clientele that are very particular to the veterinary world.”
Final Words
If you’re hesitant about using technology, think about how it could ease your team’s workload, especially for those answering calls. Many tasks, like scheduling, can be done by clients themselves through technology, freeing up your staff. Emergencies will still require personal attention, but for everything else, technology can really help.”
