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| - After over 12 years of being loyal to Dr. Serbin and his staff I experienced good service and not so good service. Because I was loyal, I stayed. I experienced being offered services that were led to be believed included in our visit, only to find out they weren't by the tally of the bill. I fully understand we are all very human and that is why I kept quiet and just rolled along.
Well, my last visit I took a 3 week old kitten in who had been played with too hard by a neighbor dog. The kitten was weak and in poor condition. The front staff were teeter tottering on whether or not to charge me for an emergency visit or a regular visit due to my same day appointment. I was desperate for the life of this kitten so I didn't complain. We had to be seen. I had good faith in this company and trusted them.
The Dr. was lovely, compassionate, educating and helpful. The testing was going through the roof and kept getting higher and higher. At the $350 mark, it was highly suggested we euthanize the sweet little dumpling. There were 3 other kittens in this litter at home that I had planned to bring in to get spayed and neutered and the expense was starting to make me nervous of all this testing they were doing when it was clear the kitten was 'going quickly.'
Because I am a regular, having numerous pets who see Ingleside Animal Hospital on a regular basis, I wasn't shy in asking for a small discount knowing I was going to be spending hundreds for the spay and neutering within a few months. The Dr. asked the office manager and the office manager agreed to 10% off the bill. When the bill came, before we euthanized "Beloved", only $3 had been removed from $350.00. I had asked to speak to the office manager and she came in ranting that I was only concerned about the money. She was over the top rude and seemingly snapped. This is odd as I was holding my sweet little kitten, visibly upset and crying, while she went on saying I was 'greedy' and all I cared about was my kitten. The office manager, whom I had never met in the 12 years I had been a loyal customer, was more than rude, insensitive and clearly not someone who I would have deal with parents of pets who are on the brink of transitioning to the 'Rainbow Bridge'.
I told her I did not agree with her and that is when she said if I didn't pay what she said, regardless of her offering a 10% reduced fee of my bill, she would report me to the Maricopa County Care and Animal Control. This sent me standing up, placing my limp kitten in my little basket and letting her know I was leaving and I would contact the owner when things calmed down to pay my bill.
I left with my brain damaged beautiful kitten and immediately went to the Arizona Spay and Neuter Clinic up the street on Thomas to have them safely, with love, euthanize the sweet little kitten I named "Beloved".
A few weeks later, I phoned Dr. Serbin and he notified me of his quick and lacksidaisy investigation on this subject. My intention was to pay my bill and to share with him the uncomfortable and discord I experienced with his office manager. He shared with me that he was very busy, his office manager had been with him since 'the beginning', and he would fax the records of all 13 of my pets to another Veterinarian of my choice.
So, I value his boundaries, disagree with his decision, and am fully surprised that he did not acknowledge or even believe his office manager would treat a customer like I was treated. So interesting. I am now going to Blue Cross Veterinarian Clinic.
Thank you Dr. Serbin for the 12 years of you serving my beloved pets and I am grateful you and your staff had the opportunity to do so. I am very sorry that you could not even give an "I'm sorry" for the inappropriate and lack of professionalism and compassion your office manager served me on September 9, 2015. I do hope that this individual NEVER treats another client like I was treated and that Dr. Serbin considers the experiences of his clients while investigating and taking into account the behaviour of his personnel.
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