As a business person I know how important it is to...

As a business person I know how important it is to have good reviews and the last thing I want to do is post a negative review about a business but the horrible experience I had at the Valley View Pet Center today leaves me little choice. A few weeks ago,I made an appointment to have my two cats come in for a wellness examination. The morning of that appointment day I called the center to confirm and they said I did not have an appointment, and that the doctor does surgeries on that day. While on the phone with the receptionist who had the demeanor of an IRS collection agent, I forwarded them an email showing them the offer from them for the appointment and my email acceptance of that appointment. In a very indifferent non apologetic tone she said we can schedule you for another day. I did reschedule and that day was today at 12:00 for one cat and 12:15 for another (I have the emails to prove it).

When my wife and I arrived at 12:11 PM, 11 minutes late (4 minutes early for the second cat) after taking a wrong turn on Valley View Lane I was greeted by the receptionist with a stone face, monotone voice, no smile and a I could care less that you are here attitude. I was told that if I had arrived at 12:00 the doctor could see my cats and that I would have to make another appointment and come back. I told her what an ordeal it was to travel with two cats all the way from Plano Texas and I apologized. She said the doctor had just gone in to surgery a few minutes ago. I said how would the doctor been able to see my cats if he just went in to surgery. She continued to blame me. It appeared to me that they were behind schedule, very disorganized and looking for an excuse to get me out of the way and off the schedule.

I am a Physician and would want to know what was going on at my front desk and that I was losing goodwill and money because I had staff that had attitudes, indifference to the success of the practice and lack of an ownership mentality. I would have fully understood if she said the doctor had an emergency, is in surgery and would you be kind enough (with a smile on her face) to offer me another opportunity for another day especially if she showed some compassion other than acting like a prison watch guard.
Chances are I would have found the doctor to be excellent and very skilled but I will never know and he will never meet me because of the uncaring rude attitude of an employee, who by the way was training a new employee who seemed very embarrassed about the way my poor experience was going. I found another doctor a few hours later, spend over $500.00 at his office and now have a professional relationship with my new Veterinarian. Employees come and go but hopefully the doctor will read this review and make changes in his staff or at least their attitudes and save his practice from financial ills.