Business ProfileforAnimal Dental Clinic

I am disappointed and frustrated regarding the billing practices of the Animal Dental Clinic. Recently, I scheduled an initial appointment for my pet at this clinic, specifically for a dental consult. I was asked to pay a substantial amount of money, nonrefundable, upfront before the actual appointment took place. This practice seemed quite unfair and left me feeling dissatisfied with the overall experience. In my opinion, it is customary for veterinary clinics to charge for services rendered after the appointment, once the veterinarian has had an opportunity to assess the specific needs of the pet. Requiring payment upfront, especially for a preliminary examination, felt like an unnecessary financial burden for pet owners. I believe transparency and fairness are crucial in any business, and this experience has left me questioning the integrity of Animal Dental Clinic's billing practices. It is disheartening to feel taken advantage of, particularly when seeking medical care for a beloved pet. I urge Animal Dental Clinic to reconsider its billing policies to ensure a more customer-friendly approach. Transparency in pricing and billing will undoubtedly contribute to a more positive and trusting relationship between your clinic and pet owners. I hope my feedback will be taken constructively, and that Animal Dental Clinic will consider reevaluating their billing procedures for the benefit of their clients and their pets.

Faye, When you called the day before to schedule a consultation for Ollie we explained that anyone scheduling an appointment within the same week is required to pay a non-refundable deposit at the time of scheduling. In the case of consultations, this is the full cost of the visit ($180). This was fully explained to you yesterday before providing payment details. You were also immediately sent an email that explained that last-minute cancellation forfeits your fee. Unfortunately, you have had an emergency and could not make your appointment this morning. When you called & spoke to me this morning, I took into consideration your situation & offered to reschedule your appointment to a later date rather than forfeit your fee. You declined. I then told you I would hold the amount for a later appointment, but could not refund the money, as per the policy that was explained to you both over the phone & by email yesterday. I am not sure how we could have been more transparent & upfront about our fees than we were. We informed you at the time of scheduling what the costs were, the policies affecting this fee & followed them up with an email. You agreed to these terms before paying for the appointment. We have this policy due to last-minute cancellations & the inability to refill the appointment at such a late timing. Seeing only a few patients a day, a cancellation (especially those here for procedures) can impact our day greatly. We also often have a wait list of patients trying to get sooner appointments. When that happens, we could have called one of them in, had we had advance notice. In your case, I understand there was no advance warning to be given. That is why I tried to work with you & your situation rather than just forfeit your consultation fee. We also feel we are fair in our costs & very comparable to those in the DMV. In fact, there are many that cost more. I am sorry you felt our fees were too high. I wish we could have had a better conversation by phone, but I understand you are dealing with other issues right now. I hope everything turns out alright for you & those around you. Sincerely, Cristal W****** Practice Manager