Monday, April 11, 2011

Out of state callers

I'm not sure why, but our clinic receives a fairly high volume of calls from out of our state, and even across the country.  Somehow, many of the people don't realize they're calling out of state until we try to give them directions to bring their pet in, and they don't recognize the streets, town, or highways.   They usually apologize and we direct them to find a clinic in their area.

This one was a little bit different, as I'm fairly sure this caller did it on purpose:

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Caller: "Hi, I have a question -- my dog is not eating for the last 3 days, and I need to know what to do."

Technician: "Well, the best recommendation would be to have him seen by a veterinarian.  Do you know where we're located?  We're open 24 hours a day and would be happy to evaluate your dog for you."

Caller: "Oh, no I can't come in there, I'm in <a state 1500 miles away> and there's no emergency vet clinics in the entire state.  You must tell me what medications I can give at home."

Technician "I'm fairly sure there's an ER somewhere in the state -- what town are you in?"

Caller  <Name of town>

My technician quickly googles the town, and finds 2 ER clinics within a short distance.  She notifies the caller, who was angry, and quickly ended the call.

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