rude vet practices!!

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oliviacharley

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Nothing against Vets as I find most of them brill but the practices and the practice managers I am finding horrible at the moment!!

Ok ok so I know no one has any money but I have always paid my bills even if I have to organise paying over a couple of months.....but I have had two snotty letters this week from my vets -
1st one tell me if I dont pay my £12 which is owe £10 extra will be charged on top and I will be taken to the debt collectors. Also all appointments have to now be made through the practice manager...! Cheek....I have been a customer of theirs for 4 years, always been understanding when they are late, my good friend used to work for them and as they are a small practice I have also been encouraging and carried on using them through loyalty even if they are one of the most expensive in the area.....I have found their customer service team rude and never really get back to me but they know me and my horses well and I was quite stunned with the harshness of the letter....

2nd from my dog's vet stated I didnt pay on my visit - (due to a massive queue and having to dash off) I have no account set up with them and how dare I leave without paying....!! Ive also been told that the debt collectors would be in touch if I dont pay my bill within two days....!! I owe a tiny £30 to them! Understandable letter if I owed over £100 ....
I used to work as a vet nurse for a year with them so they know me really well too.....

What has happened to good customer service...?? I understand bills are tight for everyone but this level of service I just find appalling....we are the customers ....!! I had an animal put to sleep last year and within 2 days a bill came through the post demanding payment....when I worked as a vet nurse we would wait a good two weeks before sending any reminders out as a sign of respect...have vet practices just become money thirsty, rude and superior wallies!!

Im ringing tomorrow to complain so it would be good to hear any one elses views and if they have had simular experiences....




Im complaining tomorrow as I just can not believe the tone of these letters....do they want to keep customers or is this their way of gaining power...?
 
My current vet sent a 'sorry for your loss' card when I had to have my girl pts. Lovely people. I left my last vet for being snotty with appointment making.

Sadly, there are people who are probable serial non-payers and deserve such letters. We all end up paying the price for it.
 
Funnily enough I once had a similar thing with a vet's practice. I went in in person to pay, it was about £90, got a receipt and thought that was it. Then got a snooty letter chasing me up for payment a couple of weeks later. So I sent them back an equally snooty letter, enclosing a photocopy of the receipt. Then got a really rude letter back in response to my snooty one, admitting that someone had forgotten to put my payment in the book but basically telling me that with my attitude, I would'nt be welcome to use their practice again. Talk about arrogant!

I didn't, there are several good vet's practices round here, but what a way to treat your customers. And I was one who did pay FGS!
 
I used to have an utter tosser of a vet (briefly) when we lived near Edinburgh. Their payment terms would change with the weather and once, on a Saturday when I needed an emergency call out, I was told that because there was £34 owing on my account (from the previous week!) I would have to pay the vet when he got there before he would look at my horse - needless to say he didn't last long......
 
I can acctually understand the one from your dogs vet - you didn't have an account so you shouldn't have left without paying.

As for my vets, they have 30 day terms, and you can arrange payment by installation easily and they send a revised account statement every month, with the costs itemised to which horse. Never had a single problem, except when I sent a chq for the wrong amount! Everyone had a giggle and they put my account in credit.
 
good points everyone - however with the dog vets you never used to have to pay on the spot and I would be sent an invoice...just recently they have changed that - without telling me and then I get a rude letter in the post....
I dashed off because I have a job which I couldnt be late back to and other responsibilites so if they can send out snotty letters moaning about payments, maybe they should have more staff to assist the customers so they dont have to stand a queue for 20 mins....
 
dont get me wrong - I am the most patient and laid back person ever but after about 6 rude letters in the post demanding payments when I am prob one of the nicest customers they could have - I send them xmas cards etc Im kinda sick of this now....
 
Cheeky buggers. With an attitude like that it's a wonder they have any customers.
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The letters are probably standard letters for late payers.

So I think your saying you haven't paid either of your vet bills and are complaining because they have sent you letters.
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Maybe when you pay for your dog set up an account
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How would you like it if your boss says I'll pay you later even vets have bills to pay. Sorry I know that vets charge ridiculous amounts but we know that when we have pets. Our vet give you 10% discount if you pay on the day which is great.
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There do seem to be some jobs-worth managers and receptionists at some veterinary practices, but I have to say that mine are great about invoicing
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They know money is tight and ASK if I'd like to pay a bit each month - even for the dog!

The vet has even offered to operate on my injured leg if the NHS don't get it sorted
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And before any of you die of shock I'm sure he was joking... I think!

I'm sure the general helpfulness of the vet permeates through all the staff and general helpfulness ensues.

I did have a useless vets practice quite a few years ago, (over 100 miles from here used in another life), they let me struggle with 8 (huge) GSD pups coming in for first jabs, they had a tiny car park which was always full with the staff cars. Couldn't put the pups on the filthy floor. Sighs and tut's for the inconvenience I caused only bringing in 2 at a time!! Got a new vet post haste....
 
These letters will have nothing to do with the vets themselves. They will have been sent by the office staff, or whoever does the paperwork. To them, you are just 'a customer' and they will have set rules to follow regarding payments. It is fairly normal practice now to require small animal owners to pay at the end of your visit, and with almost all vets now, you must pay either within one month or risk being sent to a debt Collector.
£20 or £30 owed from a dozen or more clients mounts up and Suppliers to the vets are now very strict, and will not provide further supplies unless they have been paid for previous supplies.
 
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