Phones are still vital for veterinary practices even when the office is closed. Pets can get sick in the middle of the night, clients may get stressed on weekends, and the most urgent questions often do not occur at convenient times. When those calls go unanswered or are sent to voicemail or are routed to a generic answering service with no knowledge of the clinical process, the result is often furry pet owners, anxiety for on-call veterinarians, and missed opportunities for the practice.
This is why the after-hours phone call is now an essential aspect of the veterinary industry. A reputable veterinary answering service is much more than a phone pick-up. It helps protect the relationship with customers, directs pet owners to the next best step, and assists in reducing the load on internal staff. In the current veterinary world the availability of after-hours assistance isn’t just a convenience. It is an essential aspect of how a practice delivers continuity of care.
Image credit: guardianvets.com
Some answering solutions are not specifically designed for use in veterinary medicine.
There is a big distinction between a general vet answering service and one that’s made specifically for hospitals that treat animals. In a hospital environment, answering calls after hours is not always easy. The client might be concerned about toxin exposure, post-surgical complications, vomiting and breathing issues, or whether their pet needs immediate emergency medical attention. These situations are more than messaging. It requires a steady, calm and judicious communication and discipline from a person who knows the veterinary workflow and appreciates the importance.
This is the reason why GuardianVets distinguishes itself. Instead of functioning as an unassuming call center GuardianVets operates as a veterinary-focused support partner staffed by Credentialed Veterinary Technicians. That distinction matters. A trained technician can assess the nature of the call, follow the clinic’s triage and escalation protocols, help the pet owner understand the level of urgency, and direct them toward the right next step without stepping outside the boundaries of the veterinary-client-patient relationship.
A veterinary triage program helps everyone make better decisions
A proper veterinary triage program can give clarity in stressful times. Pet owners usually don’t be aware of whether an issue can be put off until the morning, if they should make a follow-up appointment or require urgent care right away. Many pet owners are unable to determine whether they should seek immediate help or visit the emergency room.
This gap can be closed by triage. Triage gives pet owners someone to talk to who is knowledgeable, reduces confusion and helps practices make sure urgent cases are escalated properly while non-emergent issues are documented and sent to the proper manner. Also, it helps prevent veterinarians from being held up for situations that do not require doctor-level intervention after hours. That can make a meaningful difference in the balance of work and life, especially for hospitals where the same doctors are carrying the clinical workload throughout the day, as well as the on-call burden at night.
The best veterinary call center will work with your workflow and not be a threat to them.
A modern veterinary call center should not operate as a disconnected service sitting outside your practice. It should work as an extension of the team. This means it should know your preferences in communication, appointment rules and emergency protocols, escalation routes, and protocols. It also means integrating with your PIMS system so that notes, results from scheduling, and documentation for calls flow back into the same system your team is using.
GuardianVets was founded on this idea. Its process consists of assessing the gaps in coverage of calls, mapping how client communication currently works, and building an approach that is based on what is happening in the clinic instead of forcing the clinic to conform to a rigid model. It’s a major change from traditional answering companies that often simply record messages and leave it up for the clinic.
More than just convenience is enhanced through a more extensive coverage during the evening hours
A reliable veterinary answering service after hours can do more than just cut down on missed calls. It preserves client trust when stressed, keeps more patients in the practice’s network, and allows teams to better manage demand in the evenings. It can also boost revenue by turning weekend or night-time inquiries into scheduled appointments, rather than missing opportunities.
This reassures the pet owner that they can get help if needed. This type of support is essential in the field of veterinary medicine because emergency calls aren’t always about a matter of logistics. They can also be emotional. They are emotional.
Hospitals who want to improve the quality of care for their clients and team wellbeing, GuardianVets offers a model which goes beyond a traditional answering service for vets. It allows practices to remain available for patients, even when the doors of the clinic close, through integrating workflows with clinical triage, as well as compassionate communication.