Friday, May 20, 2011

Animal Wellness Center - Goodbye

This morning, I called the Animal Wellness Center in Davis, California to see if Mina's test results came back.

Yes they had.

Could someone please tell me the results?

No, your vet is not here. You will have to wait until Monday.

Well, can the other vet who works there tell me?


No, because your vet is not there.

I call back later and talk to Lisa, the Office Manager.

Can you just fax the results to my other vet and she can at the very least tell me if my dog has cancer?


No, we are closing. And we are not open tomorrow. 


Wait, I've been a client for six years. 

Lisa interrupts me.

That does not matter. It's company policy.


I understand that, but please understand my frustration. This dog is very important to me; I have had her for 10 years and am very concerned about her health. It would be great if you would work with me so I don't have to wait another 48 hours. 


No, company policy.


I'm sorry. It's just that my other vet would do this for a long-term client. She'd find a way to get me the results.


Well, your vet OBVIOUSLY does things differently. *Proceeds to slander this other vet on an unrelated issue*.


Lisa, this is very disappointing. I have to tell you that after I get the results from my vet, I will never be a client at the Animal Wellness Center.


That's fine.

Throughout the conversation, while I was clearly frustrated, I was as polite as I could muster. If I ever talked to someone the way Lisa did to me at MY job...my boss would either write me up or fire me on the spot. Especially when we are talking about the welfare of a client's dear companion dog. It's just mean and small and spiteful. Also very unprofessional.

And I am amazed this woman was promoted to Office Manager - she has the people skills of a jackhammer.

So I have to wait until Monday to get the results of Mina's biopsies. I'm a little drained and depressed by what has happened. I do not want to wait, and it hurts a lot to think that her test results are sitting in my (soon-to-be former) vet's inbox at the Animal Wellness Center. Just sitting there. Waiting. Because no one was willing to go that extra foot to find a way to get a vet to read the results and let me know if my dog has a life-threatening illness.

Right now, in this very moment, I have a large amount of - dare I say it - hate directed at the Animal Wellness Center and Office Manager, Lisa, in particular.

Mina's fine.

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