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| - I called Alta Vista yesterday because one of our dogs needs some dental work and I am pretty unhappy with the service that we have received from our current vet (Banfield at Spectrum/Christown).
The receptionist, Sissy, was extremely nice on the phone. She gave me a general quote for a dental and fit us in for an appointment the very next day, for free! She told me that we would be meeting with Dr. Harbo, the vet at the practice who does dentals.
During the time from when we arrived, finished filling out the requisite paperwork, and were ushered into the room, we saw several employees, all of whom were pleasant.
At this point, our experience changed completely. Adam was our final veterinary technician. He was terse, almost rude. He spent about 1 minute with us and the dog, and looked in the dog's mouth for about 5 seconds. He barely spent enough time in the room to hear our concerns. He left as quickly as he came in and was gone for quite some time.
When he came back, estimate in hand, he asked if we expected to see the vet. When I told him that I understood that our appointment was with Dr. Harbo, he informed us that if we wanted to speak to a vet, a $45 office charge would apply. We declined.
My problem is that I was misinformed when making the appointment, then treated poorly at the appointment. From a business perspective, they should have treated this free exam like an audition to win our business - because it was.
Will I try Alta Vista again?? I don't know. The price was right, but that really isn't the only factor. If it was, I would still be happy with Banfield (ugh.)
I want a vet (and their staff) who will treat me and my dogs with respect, and not value me only for my money. I also want a vet who does not treat me poorly because I have financial concerns - I just can't blindly drop thousands (or even hundreds) of dollars. Believe me, if I could, I would. These dogs are my babies.
I am bummed that my first experience at Alta Vista was not as good as I would have liked. Maybe next time.
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