Penn Veterinary Supply, Inc. - Since 1981

Discover how Silver Maple Veterinary Clinic earned (and saved!) five figures with PetDesk.

In partnership with PetDesk 

Say Hello to the Silver Maple Veterinary Clinic

From the outside, Silver Maple Veterinary Clinic may look like your average clinic in Berks County, Pennsylvania. But once you walk through those red doors, you can tell there’s something special about this team—other than their three beloved cats, Yeti, Sausage, and Tucker, of course.

Dr. Annemarie Yoder and Dr. Samuel Yoder opened their clinic doors more than 30 years ago, creating a thriving practice in the heart of Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Over the years, they’ve welcomed three more veterinarians to the practice: Dr. Sara Pomanti, Dr. Kerri Recipko, and Dr. Mary Coughlin (who later became a partner in the business). We can’t forget what’s important: their team of talented and empathetic technicians, assistants, and receptionists! In total, there are 25 caring animal lovers working tirelessly to offer topnotch care to both clients and patients.

A Happy Discovery

We can all agree that one of the keys to running a successful and efficient practice is to have systems in place that make life easier, right? For Jamie Vanek, SMVC’s practice manager, their previous management system was leaving much to be desired. When attending VMX one year and looking at the many online platforms in attendance, she ultimately chose PetDesk.

“I just liked PetDesk the best because it had the best and easiest functionality for everyone. If it’s not user-friendly, it doesn’t work!” she explains. “Back then, we were using a mix of everything, all different platforms, and it was getting a little bit confusing.”

IN 12 MONTHS

• $63,500 in Revenue from Appointments Booked through PetDesk
• 503 Staff Hours Saved by Automating Appointment Reminders via PetDesk
• $84,546 Saved in Staff Pay Through Automation of Appointment Reminders
   

Earning Big and Saving Big

You might be surprised at how busy this clinic can get in a town with a population of just around 4,200. In the past 12 months, SMVC has confirmed 6,035 appointments through PetDesk alone, adding an estimated $63,500 in revenue in the last 12 months.

Instead of the staff spending valuable time making more than 6,000 appointment-reminder phone calls, PetDesk’s texting system was able to free up 503 hours of the staff’s time, thus allowing them to focus on what matters most — being there for their clients and pets. Thanks to PetDesk, SMVC was able to save $84,546 in staff time that was able to be reutilized for value-add work for better patient health outcomes and care.

PetDesk has helped simplify communication between SMVC and their clients, allowing their staff to focus on providing quality care for patients and a positive experience for clients. And, as PetDesk app adoption among SMVC clients has grown, clients have become more engaged with their pet’s health and wellness — ultimately, increasing health compliance.

Clients love that they can use the app to book, confirm, and even review appointments. When things are easy and their concerns are addressed quickly and professionally, they’re more likely to continue to rely on your practice for their pet’s healthcare.

Receptionists can address a client’s concerns in a timely manner without needing to put them on hold like you would if the client called in. “I can quickly send an email to everyone about events or updates, and the ability to send different reminder messages for appointments is important,” Vanek adds.

“Another reason why we ultimately chose PetDesk was that we have the ability to manage our reviews better.”
- Jamie, Practice Manager

It’s All About the Reviews

Whether someone is a new pet owner, wants to change veterinarians, or is new to the area, they are going to look at a practice’s reviews before deciding which clinic to call. For SMVC, a tool that made getting (and handling) reviews more manageable was a must-have during their decision-making process.

“Another reason why we ultimately chose PetDesk was that we have the ability to manage our reviews better. And that was one of the things that we were struggling with with DemandForce. You weren’t getting reviews at every visit. It was sort of like you had to set things up. It was just kind of cumbersome. That was another reason why we went with PetDesk. The reviews are nice to be able to see and get at every visit,” she added.

With the help of the PetDesk app, SMVC received 822 post-appointment reviews within a 12-month period, whereas on Google, they have a total of 451 reviews. At SMVC, they rely heavily on reviews to see where they can improve.

“We discuss the reviews at our monthly staff meetings and address any issues raised. With COVID, we’ve had more mixed reviews than before, but we still use them to improve. We also post positive reviews on our website as they come in,” says Vanek. “If we receive negative reviews, I personally reach out to the customer to address the issue. If it’s something we can learn from, we discuss it and figure out how to improve. If it needs addressing, I will apologize and handle the situation. If the negative review is unreasonable, we will send a polite email in response.”

Troubleshooting with the Customer Success Team

PetDesk’s Customer Success Team is here to help customers troubleshoot nearly any problem. For example, SMVC has different reminder messages for surgeries. If they ever needed to change one of the reminders or even fix a typo in an already-sent email, you could start a chat session with someone on the Customer Success Team.

“I can just start a chat session with someone. They answer immediately. They always say, ‘Yeah, no problem at all.’ They fix it, and it’s done in ten minutes.”

Not only can the Customer Success Team help with emails and reminders, but they can also help with larger processes. One of which is transitioning from one platform to another, which can be a huge headache. Vanek shares her experience when trying to change platforms: “We were originally with ImproMed when we first launched with PetDesk. Then we moved to ImproMed’s cloud-based software, Pulse. The switch with PetDesk from ImproMed to Pulse was quick and seamless, and the PetDesk team kept me apprised of what was going on and had my back.”

The App Speaks for Itself

When you have a product that works, it speaks for itself. There’s no need to cold-call veterinarian practices throughout the nation and make promises of features that may (or may not) come in the future. The PetDesk app is your one-stop shop. It’s user-friendly and can do all the tasks you need it to.

“I get calls all day long from salespeople who want to sell me their reference lab, their veterinary software, or their reminder management system. You buy the product because you think it’s great, and then it’s crickets, and you never hear from them again. That is the absolute worst because you don’t have the time to sit around and figure things out for yourself.” Vanek laments.

“With PetDesk, I remember the day that I went to the booth. I stopped talking with whoever was there, and they didn’t push me; they didn’t sell me. They said, ‘This is the product; it’s a great product; get it or don’t. If you want to set up a call after this is over, we can happily do that.’ And we did. We moved forward, and I didn’t feel pressured at all.”

“The switch with PetDesk from ImproMed to Pulse was quick and seamless...”
- Jamie, Practice Manager

About PetDesk

Thousands of veterinary practices use PetDesk to assist their staff, expand their business, and guide clients to better care. With PetDesk’s 5-star rated mobile app, automated reminders, texting platform, and other engagement tools, clinics retain their best clients that put care first and find more “CareFirst” clients just like them. All for a less stressful, more successful clinic.

Silver Maple Veterinary Clinic is a longtime customer of PetDesk and Penn Veterinary Supply. PetDesk is proud to partner with Penn Vet since 2021. Through this partnership, Penn Vet and PetDesk customers have access to specific benefits and perks aimed at helping veterinary teams streamline front desk processes and patient check-in, so care comes first for pets.