A friend had to take her dog to the emergency vet due to seizures caused by ingested gum. (Xylitol sweetener is super-bad for animals.) This, of course, required tests and treatments — and a four-hour wait, an average length for this type of visit.
It seems that the vet was focused solely on the medical experience and failed to take the total experience into account. There was no area for the pet parents to eat a meal. No grass for the pets to use when they left. The building was located away from retail or food, making it inconvenient for people to grab a meal during their wait. Instead, my friend had to leave to get dinner and then eat it on the concrete steps outside the building. What happens in the winter?
Of course, the medical care was (and should be) the primary focus, but why miss the opportunity to tend to the human care as well? Anyone who is at an emergency vet is full of anxiety. A bit of attention to provide the humans with a compassionate experience could go a long way in addressing the worry that comes from needing to be there in the first place. Delivering good service encompasses everyone that is involved in the transaction.
Thanks, Laura and River!
