You have probably heard of the Banfield Pet Hospital as it is one of the larges chains of pet hospitals in the world. Covering most of North America Banfield has placed itself in a very unique position as a leader in the market. By leader I don’t mean by being the best but rather by being the largest of its kind.
Pet Hospitals
Because of this I find that it would be in place to conduct a review of Banfield Pet Hospital. So many animals are treated in one of their hospitals every single year and as a pet owner you want to feel secure that not only the quality of treatment is high but also that you’re not being ripped off when you see the hospital bill.
Now as you might have guessed it is not easy to do an objective pet hospital review as you can only base it on testimonials from clients that have already used the service they provide. Since there are more than 500 hospitals all over the country you will also find that quality and service can very greatly as with any other large corporation.
Reviews Of Pet Hospitals And Pet Care
A client can have been unfortunate to run into a stressed doctor or nurse while others might have encountered hospital staff in their best possible moods. Should the Banfield pet hospital reviews be based on such subjective and incidental situations? I don’t think that would be fair to neither the hospital nor to you as a pet owner.
So how do you then do a review? I’ve searched all over the Internet for testimonials on how people find the services of the Banfield hospital and even though I found a lot of pet owners that had spoken their mind I weren’t able to come to a clear conclusion. Some of them were really happy with the treatment that their pets had gotten while others were not. So the only thing that I can say with certainty is that these Banfield Pet Hospital Reviews are really had to be objective about.
Thank you for all the reviews – I was considering taking my dog to Banfield at the local PetSmart but after reading these reviews, i am staying clear!!!
Stay far…far away!
I took my mini chihuahua too banfield numerous times because he just kept getting sick….We kept telling the vet it was sugar…The vet wouldnt listen….He got sick 4 days ago and i took him too another vet….He said my chihuahua was under weight…Banfield said he wasnt….And Cujo…passed away 4 days ago at 5 am from hypoglocemia…(low sugar) and should have had a feeding tube put in too help him..Unfortunently It was too late and i lost my baby…..I am soo angry at banfield my chihuahua should not have died…They were careless and I blame them for my loss…
i am not happy wiyh bafeild. AND try to cancel, If you are not on the ball as to when your contract is up—- they automacticly renew. i canceled on my renewal date but they went ahead and charged me for the month because — i had to givr them notice 30 days in advance’ These people are worse than high pressure salesmen and there tactics are unethical.If you don’t watch them they steal your money and blame you for letting them. I am telling everyone i can about how they operate.
Donna,
If at any point during the plan’s year you decide to cancel the Wellness Plan, you are able to do so by either paying for the services you’ve used from the Wellness Plan, or the remaining Wellness Plan payments, whichever is less. If you need further assistance with this issue, please contact our Wellness Plan Relations team by calling 888-649-2716. They’ll be happy to help!
The Wellness Plan agreement you sign states that it automatically renews..
I had received a coupon for $15.00 off my next visit for vaccines for my Lucy …in Schaumburg…As I made the appointment, I brought up the coupon for the shots and the girl informed me that would be good…Well between all the commotion of the day, I forgot to give her the coupon. I asked Lori on the phone today if I could come in and they could run the coupon and credit my credit card. She said NO/…..Now I spend 60.00 on grooming last week…190.00 in shots…70.00 in food and misc. items for my dog…
I explained to her that she had a three year shot so the coupon would be invalid…and she said sorry. I explained I wouldn’t be back then and she said that alright …sorry …bye…Unbelievable in these hard economic times that a place that boasts of their service is so rude and not willing to deduct a mere 15.00 on my 2 year old retriever …think of the money Banfield and Petsmart will lose in the years to come…???
Denise, would you mind calling our customer advocacy line to clarify the your situation to us? We can be reached at 1-877-500-2288. We’re sorry to hear that you had a negative experience at one of our locations.
I believe that the Banfield concept is great. Especially now that it’s all connected all over the US electronically. That way the consumer and the Hospital Admin can have a similar environment as Google Earth. It’s up to the consumer to educate themselves about this environment. Simply opt for a complete access to the electronic record of your dog at home. In the meantime, the consumer can look at the screen together with the staff. In fact, there should be this capability in the waiting area. While waiting, the consumer can view his own companion’s health with others. There’s no end to the egalitarianism of electronic records. No dark secrets can happen. Thus the doctors get the most honest responses to their questions. It’s a win-win. First off, I’d ask doesn’t the vet know when a person is lysing if the person says they don’t smoke?
I’m not happy with this hospital in San Lorenzo, the service is horrible, i had to wait over an hour just to get one vaccine for my dog, and when it was my turn i had to wait 30 min for the vet to come, then another 20 min to get the actual vaccine. I give this Banfield 1 out of 5, and i don’t recommend you taking your pets to this place.
Alex, would you also mind discussing your experience with us? You can call our customer advocacy line at 1-877-500-2288. Thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry to hear that your visit to one of our hospitals was unsatisfactory. We want to provide excellent customer service on every visit!
Wow. Some of these complaints are making me crack up as I read them. I work for Banfield but thankfully not at any of the aforementioned hospitals that have been handing out bad service. Our wellness plans are not insurance. Get it straight. Anything not printed on the wellness plan brochure that you’re handed is not covered so don’t expect stellar discounts for plans that are only to be used for well pets. Pet nurses are trained in-house but how funny is it that I’ve seen doctors that are worse at pulling blood than I am?
Medicine of any kind is a learning process for everyone involved so don’t go back to see a doctor who you think lacks the experience. Any type of doctor, whether it be animal or human, gets very little hands on work during their schooling except for the last year or two. Some schools don’t even start surgery until fourth year and considering that vets aren’t required to do residencies after they graduate, u can see how some of you may have landed in a situation where your pet is the first case of that kind that doctor has seen(they just won’t tell you that obviously).
Nobody’s truly at fault there, a new grad needs practice and a patient needs a doctor. Every doctor has a license number so if anything, do a little background research and decide if your pet’s situation should really be handled by a newbie. Our chief of staff once had a Cornell(a school most would hold in high regard) grad who didn’t know how to read a stool sample so there’s an excellent example for you – not every school teaches the same things, not every hospital has the same crappy service. I’ve also had my fair share of outrageous claims made by clients so sorry, I don’t believe everything all of you are writing; much of these complaints are one sided and nobody’s heard the hospital’s side of the story.
We’ve had clients try to sue before but because of the way we meticulously write down medical notes after every conversation held with an owner, we’ve yet to lose because it’s yet to be our fault. FYI, we can also record our phone conversations with you if need be so don’t try to pull a fast one on a hospital that has tried their best for you but you’re just a difficult individual in general. And the whole surgery/anesthesia thing…it’s also a lie that Banfield hospitals are marked off the list of internships for vet students because we’ve had 2 vet school interns in the past 2 months.
Both of them have agreed that what we do for the care of our surgery patients is far and beyond what they’ve witnessed at private clinics they’ve interned at before. We have ecg, pulse oximeter, blood pressure, fluid warmer, fluids in general!, heating pads for post op(the little guys lose heat quickly), electrocautery(so your pet doesn’t lose heaping amounts of blood), and so much more that I can’t list off right now. Banfield may be about the money at times, but that money has paid for a lot of excellent equipment that other private clinics can’t even afford. It’s actually a pain in the butt for me to sit there and monitor 4-5 different machines at the same time but the benefit to your animal’s health is priceless and that’s why we do it.
As far as the costs for procedures (since I saw someone mention how our client estimates are columnated into what they paid and what the full price is), a spay is a hysterectomy! Your female’s tubes aren’t just getting tied, her reproductive organs are being taken out at the measly cost to you of a wellness plan. Not to mention you get your pet back the same day! Do you know what a human undergoing a hysterectomy has to deal with?
If cost is such an issue, then don’t get an animal; because if you’re not going to treat that animal like family and pay prices that you would for family, then that animal is not worth it to you. I would take out a loan and declare myself bankrupt before I’d let my dog die from something that can be fixed with surgery. That’s just me though. Oooh and another thing! If we’re (this is us specifically though) constantly trying to sell you ear cleaner, it’s because you haven’t cleaned your animal’s ears!
If those ears are nasty every time you come in to see us then we’re going to mention it to you every time. So do yourself (and your pet!) A favor and clean those things out because I’m pretty darned sure that you wouldn’t allow yeast or cocci or, god forbid, pseudomonas to fester in your own ears. If you can’t handle it being on your own body then don’t let your pet have to go through it (this goes for fleas/ticks, matted coats, untrimmed toenails, tear stained faces, urine-stained tails, etc etc as well). For every well-kept, healthy animal that I see I probably see 5-10 unkept, sick ones so it definitely wouldn’t surprise me that some of those owners have commented on this site.
And always fix your pets. Boys can get testicular cancer and girls can get ovarian cancer or even worse pyometras. Don’t know what a pyometra is? Look it up, most of you think you know as much as doctors do anyhow…
You are a perfect example of why people are learning to stay away from Banfield. As a “professional”, you profusely lacking tact…
Word is spreading FAST and you have just helped it spread FASTER!
Wow is all i can say as a previouse Banfield employee ( I worked on the Cleint Retention Team at the Corp office i was responsible for cancelling wp ) I am very upset that you would come off attacking all these people who have had terrible experiances with there pet at this god forsaken hospital. i left banfield because they are liars and very untrained. I wouldnt trust them with my pets life. They taught us on the retention team to lie to clients and say they received services that they actually did not recieve. It is a scam for sure. I am very angry that you would come on here and talk down to everyone who has had a complaint it just shows what kind of person you are and i would not want my pet to be seen by you or anyone you were trained by or should i say brainwashed by. please people do not take your pets her this woman is a perfect example of why you shouldnt. And who are you to say people cant take care of there pets. I love my pets dearly but i also have children and they come first i would do whatever i possible could to save my pets life but not if it meant my children would go hungry or i would go bankrupt. That is not logical thinking. And there are many places that are willing to help your pets that are in need that wont take everthing you have in your wallet. I would trust the vets at your local humane society they give you the vaccinations and the neuter/spay and its way cheaper then the wp and you get to take your pet home knowing that someone who truly cares for your pet and is educated took care of them. Please stay far away from Banfield they are scam take it from and employee who worked there and honestly knows what the place is about from all angles.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Please know that the author “Analise” is not a representative of Banfield. All of your feedback is valuable to us, positive or negative, and you should feel welcome to express any concern you have for your Pet’s care. At Banfield, we do strive to provide our clients and their Pets with high quality medicine and exceptional experiences on every visit. We are sorry to hear when a visit does not meet these expectations, but we want you to know that we have a customer advocacy line available for you to discuss your experience. We want to improve our overall quality of care and service, and your feedback is helping us do that. To contact us, please call 1-877-500-2288. We want to help!
Acknowledged.
I’m sure as an employee she is feeling a sense of personal attack with all the complaints but it sure doesn’t make Banfield look any better.
I appreciate the referral to the advocacy line but after hearing how that works (or doesn’t), I believe I will save my breath.
If there were just one of “me” complaining or even a few “me”s , I would say it was an isolated incident but with so many complaints and from all parts of the U.S. and all about the same thing, Banfield really should read these and take note.
I hope Banfield is able to acknowledge all of these complaints and work to improve. It would be nice to hear a buzz around town about improvements on all levels.
Until then, I will not be back.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Cyn,
You’re absolutely right, and we are listening. We’re really hoping to give all customers a reason to get that buzz going, too!
We’re currently working to identify areas where we can improve, and the feedback we’re hearing here, and from our advocacy line, is really giving us valuable insight. As you said, it can be easy to feel personally attacked when reading negative reviews, but we also realize that you are all passionate Pet owners who have trusted Banfield with the health of your Pets. We really do hear a lot of positive feedback, but we’re also learning that forums like this can help us find areas where we need to improve.
The reason we encourage customers to call our advocacy line is because we can pinpoint the exact issue, location and customer, which helps us address the issue on a more direct level. It is meant to help customers, but we also realize that you are taking your time to help us as well, so we also appreciate the time that customers take to call us. And we’re listening to all of the feedback about our customer care lines as well!
We’re very sorry that your visit did not meet your expectations, which means it also didn’t meet ours! We hope you find another vet in your area that you and your Pet are happy with, but we’ll certainly be working to continually improve. Maybe we’ll even be lucky enough to see your dog again someday!
Good luck, and thank you for your feedback.
To Banfield’s Aug 18 reply…
Because you really do seem sincere in your reply about wanting opinions to turn around about “Banfield” in general and feel the advocacy line can help to make that happen, I will call them and give them my take on my own experience.
I do have a local vet I really like and have used for over 20 years. It was the “Free” coupon and the hours of operation that made me even think to try Banfield. So I will continue with him and wish Banfield luck in their changes to better their future – and I’ll keep my ears open for any town “buzz”
Just to shed a little light from the inside… I’ve worked as a receptionist, pet nurse, and an office manager in my career with Banfield. We do receive word from our corporate hospital in regards to any complaint from a client ASAP.
But, only if they have called in the complaint to our Home Office in Portland, Oregon. And, not only are we informed of the situation just once… but several times until we communicate with Home Office about our action(s) taken in regards to the complaint. And, if no response from us is made within a reasonable amount of time, believe me, there are actions taken from their side to ensure we evaluate, address, and resolve the situation quickly.
So, please believe me, customer service is held high within Banfield’s priorities, right along side with exceptional pet care. Every individual is different as well as every hospital. There have been times when the client flow is so incredibly overwhelming that I have been a little short with clients.
But, there isn’t a time I haven’t regretted it or have thought I could have handled the situation better. Just imagine the hospital is short staffed and with only one doctor. There is very little man power to get a lot done within a short and demanding time frame. Because, a lot of what we do is a either exactly how they do, or how they should do, for humans.
We must medically document the pet’s condition through Physical Exam screens and notes. We have to go through rule outs and protocols that are formulated for better and higher quality medicine towards pets that are ill and in need of medical treatment. We have to calculate drugs that are fitted towards the pet’s needs by their weight, and trust me, this can some take time if the pet is rather debilitated.
We have to fill out forms for out-of-hospital diagnostic labs for in-depth complicated cases that need specialists. We have to prep and perform surgery, see appointments in rooms, see pets that are dropped off, and completed all these tasks, screens, labs, and notes all within about a 10 hour time frame WITHOUT overtime. It can be very stressful at time, especially if an unexpected emergency arrives that really throws a wrench into the gears. I mean, a human can make an appointment with a doctor and the typical wait time is about 45 minutes before they are even seen by a nurse.
At least that’s been true for my case in the past. But, that’s only for a physical, lab tests are something entirely different. Depending on the case, you may have to go to another facility to get blood work done. Then it’s about a week before you hear anything from the staff about the results. You have to schedule a surgery appointment months in advance. But, with Banfield, we typically have results within an hour, if not shorter, and this takes a lot of man power, up-to-date technology, time frame to work on the case, etc…
Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of upset clients screaming at me for poor quality of medicine, horrible client service, and time consumption taken out of their day. But, all I can tell you is that about 95% of those times it’s because of financial issues, and I can understand that. I have personally put myself in a financial bind in credit cards to save a number of my pets’ lives and this was at a Banfield I was working for at the time. But, it was worth it to me. Money can always be made but companionship is never the same…
But, critisim and distress with clients, to me, is always addressed and always taken into account because I personally want to know if I am doing something wrong or making someone upset so that I can correct it. I want to ensure that I am here for the client in the way that I am here for the pet. But, we are only humans, doing what we were trained/taught, and we will miss things sometimes, run out of stock because of unexpected patient numbers for the week, our machines will break down, we’ll be overworked, highly stressed, and have a bad day in general, just like everyone else.
I know we cannot please everyone out there, but no one and no business can. So, perhaps in some form, this will bring a slight understanding that we are here for you and we are here for your pets. I ALWAYS strive to provide top quiality customer service and pet care because it’s something I have always believed in. Because, if it wasn’t for you clients, we wouldn’t be here preventing illnesses or treating them. But, we can’t unless you let us, and I’m sorry, it does cost money in order for us to provide medical care.
You paying us pays for our machines, medicines, vaccines, instruments, x-rays films, the rent on the building, staff pay, electricity, bio-hazard waste pick up, etc… But, If we do something wrong or upset you somehow, let our Home Hospital know, because they WILL inform us one way or another. I accept the complaints just as much as the praises and personally strive to better myself for the field I work in.
I want to know if I am doing a bad job or a great job doing what I love most. And that is being here for the pets who need medical attention and being there to educate the people on how to provide better TLC to their pets. Our field is a continuing education field and that doesn’t exclude client service.
I would like to kindly point out a couple of other things for some readers, if possible:
1. There are now currenlty more than 750 Banfield Hospitals nation wide,
http://www.banfield.net/about-us
which is a number that is always growing…
2. The typical number of Pets seen per hospital will range anywhere between 25-35 a day for only ONE doctor. If we schedule two doctors to work the same day… the number is near double
3. A large number of hospitals will typically have only one doctor working about 75% of the week. The company likes to reserve the later part of the week, Thurs-Sat, for an adequate number of staff members on hand for heavy client flow.
4. If you consider the numbers of pets seen per ONE doctor at each hospital… there are going to be quite a number of complaints and that’s rather inevitable. And, sometimes, I am sad to confess, it can be the client’s personal issue and not the clinic’s.
As an example, within the last two weeks, I went to see a client and patient in a room. As I entered, I ensured I showed great excitement about the client and pet being there to see us for the first time. Which, by the way, I do really feel that way. I love seeing new clients because it gives me such a large opportunity to educate the client about how we opporate, what we offer for preventative care and treatment, to meet our staff and doctor, to educate them on up to date medications/proceedures/viruses/packages we provide for care/etc…
Anyways, the client presented us with a coupon that would waive off the office visit and a heartworm test, which we honor willingly. As I proceeded to perform the nurse exam on the pet, I asked the client typical questions:
a. The pet’s condition within the last 30 days.
b. The pet’s current diet.
c. The pet’s current flea/heartworm preventative.
d. The last time the pet had seen a vet / proof of vaccines.
e. Any other questions about us or any concerns for the pet.
So, as I continued with my questioning, I had come to find that the client orders heartworm prevention online. Also, a heartworm preventative that we don’t carry within the clinic. So, working at a Charter Owned Banfield practice, I had to break it to the client that our doctor does not approve online prescriptions. One of the reason’s being is because we actually had seen a case within the last 2 months where a client had religously ordered heartworm prevention online and had given it to their pet each month. We checked with the online source about purchases and other vet clinics about heartworm testing and it all added up. There seeemed to be no gap in the client’s purchaes or heartworm tests and we ended up with only the assumption that the pet was recieving heartworm prevention every single month within the last year and a half. UNFORTUNATELY, the pet actually tested POSTIIVE for heartworms when we tested that day. They had recently signed up on our Wellness Program and the pet was due for testing, so we automatically did it. Not only that though, but because the client ordered online, there was no warrenty for the product’s efficancy. So, in the end, the client was financially responsible for the heartworm treatment, in which can end up being around $1,500 in total if they weren’t on the highest level of the Wellness Program.
So, I shared this information with the client and informed her that we do not approve online purchases because of so many issues we’ve witnessed with such products. But, I did offer two other options:
a. We price match the brand name if she were to go online and bring us the invoice including shipping. I emphasized that if she were do to that, she would not have to wait on the product to be shipped.
b. We now offer the injectable formula of heartworm prevention called ProHeart, which also prevents hookworms. Trying to pitch the point that she would not be responsible for giving a tablet or chewable every single month.
The client stressed to me that they have a strict schedule of giving the heartworm preventative on the 1st of each month. So, I congradualted the client on such a schedule and encouraged whatever method they used that worked, but still, our doctor would not approve online approvals. But, regardless, the client did become rather disgruntled and uncomfortable. So, I took the opportunity to just simply educate the client and even confessed that I’m unfamiliar with the heartworm prevention that they order online, so I’m unable to compare our products with what they are used to. The client took some time and eventually decided for us to continue with the heartworm test. Because, she would ultimately be saving about $76.00 with us all together and only have to pay about $40.00 TOPS if she elected to recieve heartworm prevention from us. So, I asked her if it was ok that I take her pet to our treatment room so that another tech. could properly restrain the pet in a manner in which I could collect blood the easiest. The client was ok with this after a second of hesitation. I did what I could to ensure the client was comfortable but it seemed that nothing I could say or do would calm down the client’s nerves. So, I proceeded to take the pet to our treatment room. I wasn’t back in the treatment room for even one minute before the client bombarded to the back stating that she wanted her pet and didn’t want any of our services. That we were simply just feeding her scripts and telling her what we were told to say. So, I gave her, her pet back without hesitation.
But, the sad part is, I wasn’t feeding her anything. Our clinic alone has diagnosed about 40 pets with heartworm disease since January of this year… and I’m used to diagnosing maybe 5-10 a year…. It’s a HORRIBLE year for heartworms and parasites, and all I wanted to do was ensure the pet’s saftey. I never knew that online prescriptions could be a risk until that one pet came in a few weeks ago. I was dumbfounded when I heard about.
I honestly still don’t know how to feel about the case with the client who was uncomfortable through everything and just exploded like that on me. I did everything I possibly could to ensure that we were here for her pet in every way possible but she seemed… so resistant to it.
So, it’s clients like that, that end up complaining online a lot. I’m not saying that every single person who complains about something isn’t a victim, but you honestly have to think about the math of everything.
With there being SO many hospitals in the U.S.A., seeing 25-35 pets per ONE doctor day within about a 10 hour time frame each day, including surgeries, emergencies, drop-offs, appointments, and walk-ins… how could there not be complaints? Someone will be unhappy enough to report the wait time, the prices, the over-stressed staff, the very new – fresh graduate doctor, having to compensate for seeing a Banfield doctor on a Sunday when their regular vet. is closed and somehow, it just didn’t measure up to the exact same care they have recieved from their vet for the last 10+ years. It’s seriously unavoidable to have people complain, and honestly, I think it’s needed. We need to know and we do become informed of the complaints. The resolution may not always come to be the complaint’s satisfaction, but we do address the situation, evaluate, and resolve one way or another.
I promise you though, if you look for reviews on any business, or heck, even movies, music, etc… you are ALWAYS going to get different opinoins. Because everyone’s thresholed is different. People have higher patience than others, some people have better understanding about things than others, some people are financially able to handle situations than others, etc…
But, believe me, I am NOT trying to glorify Banfield in any way. All I am trying to achieve here is letting people in on a deeper depth than they realize. Bring them in to the reality of the operations I’ve been involved with and let them know, we are not all the same. I do sympathize for any bad expierence anyone has gone through though, no matter where it was.
But, if one Wal-Mart doesn’t have a particular product or is short staffed on check-out lanes… will you not go to another one in the hopes of a better expierence? They are everywhere you know… And, I will admit, I have sworn off their automotive department because of HORRIBLE service at several different locations. But, only AFTER I had to endure horrid expierences a few times and it just seemed to be a trend.
So, all in all, take into consideration a few things about Banfield. They ARE one of the largest chains of veterinary clinics, so naturally, the number of complaints/praises will be higher than private veterinary clinics. We ensure quality medicine because we have to run by prodocols and rule-outs. Like, what if your 3 month old puppy was presented for vomiting/diarrhea and we simply supplied you with medications for the symptoms and no diagnostics? If you found out the puppy died of parvo, the mas majority would most certainly blame the veterinarian for the lack of diagnosis and not suggesting treatment. Or, if you’re geriatric kitty was ill the same way and you call in just for advise because you don’t want to spend the time to see the vet or spend the money. So, we present you with some at-home-treatment you could use to help your kitty and it still dies because of blockage or maybe renal failure? I wish we could do things easily, but I wish even more that the illnesses of pets were even easier to handle. Sometimes we can’t find a reason for certain illnesses and that personally just doesn’t sit well with me. But, I understand that, like people, pets are individuals and can develop illnesses that are special and it does cost time, money, emotion, and sanity in order to treat. Again, we are here for your pet as well as you. We are here to educate you on everything possible to make you better understand the risks of illnesses and what it takes in order to treat these illnesses. Viruses, bacteria, parasites, etc… are all evolving NOW. I’m seeing it this year alone. So, medicines will ALWAYS evolve too which will change prices and the way we approach things. But, no matter what, we are here for your pet and you. We want to see your pet healthy just as much as you do, but we can only do so much. It’s up to you as you are the voice for your babies. So, sure, we have bad reviews, but what company doesn’t? I am proud to work for Banfield and I cannot wait to achieve my D.V.M. and become a doctor within the practice. So, sorry for the long post, but I just think that there is something missing from this site… and I just hope I can bring some light to everything. If not, well, that’s up to you and I just hope that your pet is well now, no matter which vet you went to go see. Because that’s all I want. To see happy, healthy, well taken-care-of pets.
P.S. and brush those darn teeth too instead of whining about how outrageous our tooth extraction costs are because periodontal disease is PREVENTABLE and if anything, consider the cost as punishment for your negligence.
again….you lack professional tact….you need to find a career OUTSIDE of public contact….but then, you do seem to fit right in with the overall Banfield atmosphere.
Again everyone – stay away!
My dog was hit by a car and I rushed him to Bandfield Pet Hospital in Midtown Mall. Worst mistake Ive ever made.The vet was very arrigant, the receptionist was an idiot, and I was treated as if I was purchasing a product. The only thing that everyone was concerned with was the bill. They do not care about animals as they portray. They only care about money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amen!
I hope this gets to the right people – I have posted the same on various sites to get this out to the public…..not to mention word of mouth.
.BEWARE OF “FREE” COUPONS!!!
I wouldn’t even give them ONE star if it would let me! Oh how I wish I had read these reviews before I went! I went to Banfield because I received a “FREE” office visit AND EXAM coupon in the mail. I have a small dog that I suspected had a stroke- but wanted to be assured it wasn’t just an ear infection. My appointment was for 5:00 – and just like vets, I make appointments at specific times because I do have a life outside of a vet’s office. I was there at 4:55. The receptionist dallied around for a good 10-15 minutes before she asked me what I needed. She took all the information again that I gave them when I made the appt and took me to the exam room. She did the vitals and kept making sales pitches for their “pet wellness” plan but when I didn’t bite, she finally left. TWENTY minutes later I had thoughts of heading out the door, it has now been a 40 minute wait for the vet – I have never sat and waited on a vet in my life and I’m not young – and have always had at least 3 dogs and a cat so I visit vets often! I wish I had walked right out of there! But I didn’t…and I regret that decision.
The vet finally walked in and had me put my dog on the floor so she could watch her. I told her I was there to be sure she didn’t have an ear infection and after looking in her ears she assured me she was clear of that. She checked her reflexes and diagnosed possible tumor. Okay.
Then the bill came. My mistake? I told them I had a “FREE” coupon BEFORE the bill. They gave me only $34.95 off of the office visit when the coupon CLEARLY said it was a $47.95 value! Then they ADDED another $24.95 for a neurological exam! Are you serious!?!??? I argued both in a nice way but they didn’t budge – being on the verge of rude towards me. I told them I have never been to a vet that didn’t include a diagnosis with the office visit AND EXAM and all I wanted them to do was check for an ear infection! My billed totaled $90!! I should have refused to pay the bill and walked out but I did pay and once I signed the slip, the receptionist picked it up and with a smirk and a sarcastic voice said, “have a nice daaaay”. Rude.
I wish I knew how to get hold of someone who matters but after reading these reviews it may actually be how they train these people to run the business so it wouldn’t matter anyway.
The vet wanted to make an appointment for a follow up and I just gave them my best “are you crazy?!?” look and told them “absolutely not – I will NOT be back!” I can honestly say I have never told anyone that to their face before.
I think PetSmart should look closer at who they associate with because although I know they are separate, I now have a bad taste for PetSmart. I will still shop there but will cringe every time I enter the doors….which may eventually make me go elsewhere.
I hope others are smarter than myself about reading these reviews BEFORE they go – BE WARNED! I could have gone to my regular vet for a $35 exam and left with a $50 bill – meds and all! I learned my lesson with Banfield’s “FREE” coupon and will never make the mistake of using them again – for anything!
Cynthia, Take my sincere advice dont call the client advocate team it consistes of 3 people and half the time they dont even listen to you. The corp office treats you worse then the hosp does. Oh and they wont even help you at all. They are rude and highly untrained its worse then dealing with there horrible hospitals. ANd if they say that they will help resolve your issue and that they will call you back they wont, they will make you call back and then tell you sorry we got the hospitals side we feel they did everything they could your complaint case is closed. its terrible and hold times are outrageouse.
I don’t know if it is Banfield’s policy or if they are reading my complaints but I just received a phone call from them (Yukon, OK) asking how my dog is doing today.
I have to give them this – on a more positive note – they did make a follow-up call which caught me totally off guard.
If only my experience last night had been as pleasant…
OMGoodness!!!
I am soooooo mad at myself that I didn’t read these reviews before I used Banfield!!! I didn’t even read them before I posted my complaint – wow – unbelievable!
I’m going to look to see if there are any class action suits now active concerning false advertising and false charges. If anyone knows of any, please reply to this!
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Cynthia,
We read your post about your recent trip to Banfield, and we hope that you’ll reach out to our Customer Advocacy team at 1-877-500-2288 so we can discuss your experience. We truly value your feedback, and we certainly don’t want you to feel deceived or unwelcome in any of our hospitals!
I probably should point out the Banfield Vet I used – that I will NOT use again – is in Oklahoma.
Once again let me make it clear that personal attacks on other people commenting will not be tolerated! Your comments will be deleted instantly!
/Mikael
I called the toll free number that Banfield gives out and recounted my bad experience to a very bored and disinterested young man. I stopped midway and asked him if he were awake or not! Never got a follow up from that complaint, so don;t bother, just stay away from Banfield.
Yeah that is how they do business sadly. What they do is put you on mute and go about surfing the web or playing with there cell phones are carrying on the conversation they were having with the person sitting next to them before you called. They generally stop listining after you give them your first name and the first sentence of your complaint. It’s sad they are called the client advocate team. Where is the advocacy for the clients banfield. What about our pets when are you going to start giving our pets proper care that does not consists of lies to take our money and leave us feeling like horrible pet owners because we cant afford your service. When are the clients and our pets going to come first. You need to change your catch phrase because your not treating our pets like family. Your treating our pets like they are a cash mine all for your taking. I let everyone know how terrible you are and how incompetent your supervisers are they just sit at there desks texting and dont even take calls about upset clients how horrible.
Thanks again, EX. It looks like Cathy confirmed what you said about the customer advocacy line. I waited long enough at the reception area and again in the exam room – I don’t have the time to wait on the phone too especially if they are not truly concerned.
The advocacy line can’t change the company policy – Banfield is going to have to do that and all they need to do is read all of these complaints and do a mass overhaul.
I have never put up a negative post on anyone and I’m sorry I felt the need to do so this time but I was so overwhelmed by their intent that I felt a need to warn others.
I have the wellness plan for my 3 pets, 2 cats and 1 new puppy. Since I got her I’ve been to the Banfield vet many times..every time I wait at least 2 hours to see a doctor. Once I stayed for 4 hours..1 1/2 in a little room waiting for the vet to see us. I think that’s ridiculous.
If they care about their customer they should understand that our time is as valuable as theirs.
Last Sunday (August 17, 2010)I took my 4 months puppy to take her shots as scheduled and yesterday (August18, 2010) I had to rush back to the vet because she had a severe reaction to her vaccines. She was vomiting, diarrhea, staggering and swelling of her face…(her face was deformed!!!)…I almost lost her.
After a whole day there taking fluids, the doctor told me that they think it’s the brand of her vaccine that caused that …because they had a bunch of other cases…
Now I ask…if the vaccine was bad and they knew it…why keep using it?? Putting our dogs in risk?
By the way I am talking about the Bainfield in Lauderhill- Florida
To make my post fair..I need to mention that I don’t believe the staff is to blame…I just think they are under staff..The company is trying to keep their costs down..by making people wait 2-4 hours to see a doctor.
I took my 1 year old chiuaua puppy to Banfield. I have no clue about these people waiting 2 to 4 hours. If you read the sign above the clerks desk and even in the rooms it says “sick/injured animals will be treated first for the safety of the staff/public”. So if your animal is getting their teeth cleaned or a freaking parvo vaccine, then yeah you might have to wait for the dog thats bleeding….. I only waited literally prob 2 minutes, got escorted to a room, then 2 minutes later had a nurse check his temp, then 5 minutes Dr Watts came in and felt my dogs stomach for literally 10 minutes straight, but before that she greeted my dog and gave it a kiss and a hug. They did not even try to sell me a plan, or anything. In fact, Dr.Watts(in Arlington TX, gave me a worst case estimate about the x rays. My puppy might have a blockage, the x ray was not very conclusive, as x rays can only really give ideas about bones and show some gas. Dr Watts actually explained everything to me, I’m studying for my law degree, but i still don’t understand all of the doctor lingo. She was great, and about the price, at least Banfield allows you to get a card and get 6,9,12 months of 0% interest, i don’t know many clinics that will give you that option up front. I was not pressured to buy any extra services or pressured to make a decision. I really appreciated this place, and no i do NOT work for this company, nor do i get any kick back( if your reading this and want to give me a kick back just give me a number).
Any big company, your going to get bad and good reviews. However think about this, if you get good service at Bestbuy(just an example), are you going to actively go on websites and message boards and tell about it, or are you just going to mention by word of mouth. However if you have a bad experience, your going to go to EVERY website and EVERY message board and give the worst case scenario. Come on people, actually think about it, if people are pissed they will try defame any company and try and “bring it down”, when in all realty if you read this website and think you can make a blanket idea about a company, then you should really reconsider your life. Actually go to a clinic, speak to one of their vets, and make your own decision.
Your statement: “…if you have a bad experience, your going to go to EVERY website and EVERY message board and give the worst case scenario.” is ridiculous. We (the people with complaints) experienced the “worst case scenario” at our local Banfields and we’re relaying our bad experiences to hopefully save other pet lovers from having the same trouble.
Also – “if you get good service at Bestbuy(just an example), are you going to actively go on websites and message boards and tell about it, or are you just going to mention by word of mouth.” You are on this message board and writing a positive review – so you’re contradicting yourself. Several other people have written great reviews here, and I’m glad you had a good experience, but out of 4 PAGES of reviews, the negative ones far outweigh the positive.
Oh, and one more thing: “at least Banfield allows you to get a card and get 6,9,12 months of 0% interest, i don’t know many clinics that will give you that option up front.” Just about any vet you go to can offer Care Credit – it’s a credit card specifically for use at vets and certain (human) health care needs. If your credit is good enough, the vet’s office takes care of the application for you and you can use the credit for the same visit. So… now you know.
Oh and one more thing, about these wellness plans. If you can’t read a contract correctly, then DON’T SIGN IT. You don’t have to have a law degree to understand terms and conditions, and if you still don’t understand it, then pay a lawyer to explain it to you. Secondly, why would you go with their plan anyway? its wayyyy overpriced, you can find way better deals online. Just google pet health insurance, or talk to any private vet secretary, do not talk to a vet, as they have no clue about billing. You need to talk to the secretary/clerk, cause they will be able to give you a better insight. Most health insurance plans reinburse 80% and you can go to any vet
TS first off, I was looking at reviews after I took him to Banfield, and how did I contradict myself? I said if you had a bad experience of course your going to go to every website and message board and talk trash, if your satisfied then you don’t feel the need. I wrote that, because all of these negative reviews are scarying people away from a company. You see people who say ” I scheduled an appt and now I am reconsidering due to all of these negative responses”. I did not contradict myself, because I stated that if you had a bad experience then your more than willing to go on the internet and trash a company that you really don’t know. You didn’t even use full quotes, you took a peice and then spun it a different way, next time you want to take my quotes, at least take all of it before you try and spin it.
Also, go to http://www.carecredit.com that is the credit line, type in your zip code and see if ALL of your vets take it, cause guess what, not all of mine do. I pulled up 3 vets that took it in my area, when i googled my same area I had over 50 vets. So your claim that “Just about everybody takes it”, is completely false. DO some of your own research before you start tearing into my post.
http://www.carecredit.com go there and look up your zip code, I had only 3 vets that took that card. However when you google my zip code I had over 50 vets in my area. So not all vets take that line of credit. I understand some of you had negative experiences, and I’m not here saying all of you are wrong, however post the specific clinic(address) and the doctors who gave you poor service. That is the only way to weed out the bad clinics and vets, if this website is set up to help people then they need more information than “DONT GO THERE”. There is nothing illegal about listing this information, unless you’re giving blatant slander. I gave my own experience, which was a great one.
Secondly, this is the internet, ANYONE can post, and say they are ex vets, ex employees, current employees, or even that they are a customer of Banfield. The internet gives people anonymity. The only point I wanted to make was you can’t give a stereotype to a company, if you see one doctor one time at one location.
OK – you want specifics? The Banfield I went to is on Airport Blvd. in Mobile, AL and the vet is Dr. Weed.
There are several websites with similar complaints about Banfield. And when this many people have complaints about a company, I feel pretty comfortable telling others to avoid going there.
(I wrote my post yesterday about the waiting time and a bad brand of vaccine)
I just want to make it clear, I didn’t write my post to tell people not to go to Banfield, I am just sharing my experience. I believe the doctors are good, but the problem is that they are understaffed. I appreciate the replies from Bandfield, it shows that they care about their customer opnions.
My main issue is the waiting time and yes, I know emergencies go first, but there was no emergencies. I have no problem waiting 1 hour…but 2, 3, 4 I think is too much.
I’m writing a post about how thankful I am about the Bandfield I take my cat to. I have moved around a lot and as such, decided to stick with a vet who I knew. Because of this I feel I can say, with more experience, there are good Bandfields and there are bad. Just like there are good McDonald’s etc, etc.
Not that I have ever had a horrible experience as some of the people posting on here but you also have to compare the ratios. This is a NATIONAL vet chain being compared to local vets. Of course there is going to be more press involved with a company that services so many people. No one in Ohio cares if the local vet in Texas is great or smells funny…
Anyway, the Bandfield I currently take my cat to is in Asheville NC and the last time I was there the doctor sat down with me for twenty minutes, well past closing time, answering all of my questions and giving me information and books and websites to fact check her as well. I have had Furgeson on the Wellness Plan for a few years and am grateful for cutting the price of his teeth cleaning alone. And whenever I call, the nurses there make an effort to figure out the problem over the phone, knowing how Furg hates to travel.
I ran into a problem once with my records getting mixed up with an old roommate (we would come in together often) and when I explained that I didn’t have any contact with her, the nurses there did all the work, calling her, getting her to come in and fix the forms. (This was one in Savannah GA.) It wasn’t their problem (she had my credit card number in her files) since she no longer went there but they still fixed it because I couldn’t.
I hope this helps some people, I know we get up in arms about our pets, they have no one else to advocate for them but I just wanted to leave this comment about my GOOD experience. And that I continue to frequent their establishment.
I want to voice my concern with Banfield and how I feel that I was robbed. I took my Great Dane to the Knightdale, NC location. I enrolled her in the pet wellness program (i also had a free visit coupon) after pricing it came out to be the same $50.00. So i agreed. When my dog was returned to me she was covered in feces. I had to clean her before leaving. The vet then said that if she was to be seen again they would charge me $80/visit. And she looked frightened. I then decided 2 weeks later to cancel the service, and not put my dog through another ordeal. I was told I only had 4 days to cancel. Ok, bad on me. But when i called I was told i was to be charged $62.90 for the plan, which was never used, no claims submitted etc.
I explained at the time of visit i paid everything out of pocket. They said, we waived the fee and so since youre canceling you have to pay the fee. Can someone explain this logic to me. I can understand proration, prorate the 1st month and charge me for the 2 weeks, but $62.90!
I then went straight to Tractor Supply, bought her vaccinations for $7.00 and innoculated her myself.
My recommendation, innoculate your pet yourself. Its cheaper and less hardship for the animal.
Terrible customer service. We were going to the location in Missouri City/Sugar Land (Texas) but the wait times and general lack of consideration for their customers was unbelievably bad. We’ll be taking our pets back into Houston for their care.
I love the Banfield I go to in Casselberry, FL. The staff are always focused, helpful, and kind. When my cat started having coughing and wheezing fits the Dr. took a very sensible route in narrowing down potential causes. She was aware that I dont have a lot of money, so we first tried a few common problems with inexpensive treatments before resorting to x rays to look for asthma. It turns out that her and the radiologist are very suspicious of asthma, so my cat was prescribed steroids to treat the inflammation in the lungs; being that I had no idea how to treat a cat for asthma, the Dr. took time out of her busy schedule to bring her cat in the next day to show me how she administers the inhaler.
Ok… Why is my picture showing up in my posts?
Anyway, I should mention that signing up for the optimum wellness plan saved me about $150 so far, the x rays and everything else that they did was around $900 normally, while I paid $350 plus the rest of the payments of $32/month. So not only did I save money on what I had to get done anyway, now I have access to a bunch of free services for the next 12 months, and the best part? No financing fees.
Has the software for electronic records been improved so that I can now see my own Baruch’s record whenever I want. Just like I can with Kaiser Permanente now and Aetna last year for me?
I must say I am in complete disbelief with this company, my dog simba has been a banfield member for over five years and thousands of dollars. Simba is a 25lbs lhasa and yes is miserable any time he comes near the vet. I have repeatedly asked the vet if there was something I could give him so that he would be relaxed before his appointment or if needed please sedate him, he is a good dog until they try to work with him and then he thinks he’s a pit. We were never given anything to help him and once when speaking with the vet about his issue was told that she see’s him ” because all animals need to be seen”. So wasn’t it a great surprise when I came to pick up simba after his last wellness visit that I was told should not renew his plan… I asked why and was told that it is to stressful for the dog and with his issue that he would proably be cancelled anyway. I wasn’t told this by the vet she couldn’t be bothered and as I stood there crying my eyes out wondering why why could they not have tried to help him, I have heard that there are other vets whom have used meds for the comfort of animals but with my repeated questions about this I was never given an answer, and now my dog has no vet, but don’t forget your payment is still due for the next couple of months. So now I need to make a few phone calls and let the people that I reffered to banfield know of my treatment with them… Please if your looking for a vet that will listen to you about your animals needs this is Not the place to come and will let everyone I can know this .
I haven’t had any problems with the veterinarian who owns the practice herself (though another vet who worked there briefly was horrible), but customer service is completely unknown to Wellness Relations. I asked a customer representative several times to speak to a supervisor, and she refused to transfer me – she actually said, “I don’t care how many times you ask to speak to a supervisor, I am not going to transfer you.” I work with the public as a supervisor, and none of my co-workers would even consider refusing to allow a customer to speak to a supervisor. That is downright un-American.
I took my 8yr old chihuhua to Banfield recently when my regular Vet was closed for what appeared to be an ear infection. They confirmed the infection but claimed it was due to a tumor in his ear and wanted to set up an appt. for surgery a couple days later. Being he had a wellness exam a month prior at his regular vet with no concerns a month earlier I brought him there for a second opinion only to find there was no tumor and Banfield jumped the gun, the apparent tumor was inflammation from the infection. This was the first time I took him to Banfield and would assume they have a well trained staff but that was also my last. To further my point before we went there I called about an appointment on a saturday when they are open till 7. They had a 5 and 6 o’clock time available for which I took the 5. We were led into a room at 6:30, upon which my dog got the ear swap and the tech said there appeared to be an infection. They took him into the back to look further and I was told to hangout in the store and they would call me back when they looked further into it. This was followed up by myself and the vet discussing the assumed tumor and the options and trying to sell me the wellness plan while my dog was nowhere to be found until I paid the $205 for the visit and meds and trying to set up the next appt. but they had already shut down to computers for close. All in all if it doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t, be caustious and seek a second opinion.
Well I for one, agree with anyone who advives to “steer clear” of Banfield.
When I was employee in 2009, I thought it was the best time of my life. My pets were getting discounted wellness plans, their vaccines and all that good stuff taken care of. What amazed me first off, when I was moved to a different hospital to better further my employment, the doctors there tried to have me fired. SO naturally I quit.
Since then, I’ve had my dogs, moved to 2 different hospitals, (family moves due to military moves), and each move they screwed up our medical records saying things were available that were not, or services that should be available were not.
What finally kicked the bucket for me, was 2 visits (each unrealted to each other). 1st visit, the doctor told me that one of my dogs had conjunctivitis, (failed to mention it was contagious to our other pets, thankfully I knew that though) and during the visit prior to his diagonsis he started probing the eye very harshly, since then the poor dogs eye has failed to heal properly on his 3rd eyelid. The infection is gone though.
and the 2nd visit, I was told I was a horrible pet parent because I used the furminator on my 2 thick coated dogs. (which banfield endorssed the product when it first came out mind you) and I was also an unfit dog parent for allowing my dog to be bit by a fire ants, and I was coming in for the prevenatitive medication to prevent it from getting infected.
So they have lost my trust, they have no “compassion” as they advertise.
So take it from me “steer clear” of Banfield. or learn the hardway.
Banfield is not the place to take your pet. Why I say because for one they are very rude. When you call about your pet, they act like they don’t want to talk. Hello, that’s what they are there for. Sure, I do understand that they have other people in need of help, but I mean come on they say they will call you back after they ask the doctor but they never do. I have an 8-month-old Chihuahua, which I love to death, and every time I would take her to the vet, the wait would be crazy long.
And they are way to pricey. I mean come on $50.00 for just a shot that’s way too much just for one shot. Then I took my 8-week-old Schnauzer over to Banfield about a few weeks ago just to get a checkup. Mind you she only 8weeks old they gave her frontline for fleas and it made her really sick. So, I told her back over there to tell them what she has been doing since I got her home. All they was saying “well to this will have to be this and its going to cost this much money”.
I hate to say it but all they are worried about is money. Then they said well she might have provo so they had to run a test for that, which was 46 and some change, which I was happy she didn’t have provo. So, they ask me what I gave her today I told them nothing. So they ask me about worms and fleas mind you I was just in there earlier that day. I said ‘no”, then I said wait you all gave her frontline today. So the doctor went out the room and came back in and said well she will be fine just keep a eye on her.
So I bought some frontline out of PetSmart because everyone told me not to give her frontline yet. On the box it say “DON’T USE ON PETS UNDER 12 WEEKS OF AGE.I went back over there and gave them the box and said she is only 8 weeks so why the fu** did you give her frontline for and they didn’t have anything to say. So I told them if she dies, they will see me again and I made sure that I have the papers that they gave me when I took her to get the frontline. So please if you love your pet DON’T TAKE IT TO BANFIELD. She is fine having not been sick and is being seen by another vet.Banfield: monroe nc 28110 704-238-8223