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Smile to my Face, SC behind my back.
So, most of the "SC's" I get in the Animal ER are those who agree to the estimate, sign it, and then when the final bill comes (which is almost always between the low end and the high end) they have to debate every single line item.
But tonight I was just super irritated by this one woman.
She called in to say that her cat had been skunked. Apparently she was related to one of our doctors who told her to bring it in (which got me a bit annoyed and I'll explain later.)
Let me tell you guys, and then I'll say what I told her. Your animal getting skunked is NOT a medical emergency. Even if your animal gets sprayed in the face. Their eyes will look irritated and weepy, and they may drool a lot, but that's your pet's way of naturally getting the skunk spray out of its eyes and mouth. Your pet is NOT DYING.
If you bring your skunked pet to an animal ER, all the staff will be quite annoyed (they won't show it to you, they'll be polite and professional, but inside they will be annoyed.) Now anyone who is waiting with injured or ill animals, and the staff themselves, have to deal with the skunk smell. Which, by the way, will remain in the hospital for DAYS after you have left, even with scrubbing.
If your animal got bite/scratched by the skunk AND sprayed, please clean the pet up (there is a formula that is pretty much 100% effective of taking off all the skunk smell) and then bring it in to be patched up.
So anyway.
I told her that her cat will be perfectly fine, that weepy eyes is the cat's natural defense to getting the spray out of its eyes. I gave her the skunk formula and told her that if she's concerned her pet may have been injured by the skunk, use that formula to clean said cat up and then bring it on down and we can take a look.
She wrote down the formula, thanked me, and then hung up the phone.
A bit later the phone rang again, but I was already on a call and ALSO dealing with someone in the lobby so I couldn't answer it. One of the technicians did.
I went back there to tell them about a new arrival and the technician said to me,
"So, Ambrosia, I picked up the phone and some lady was like the receptionist was really rude and said her cat wasn't allowed in the hospital." He then shrugged and grinned. "I don't care, I know you wouldn't do that, just thought I'd let you know."
^ This is the same technician who is constantly complimenting me on how I handle our clients and how I am an amazing CSR (client service representative.)
I grit my teeth, smiled, and then immediately went to my computer to write an e-mail to my supervisor in case the lady tries to escalate the situation.
Really lady? You think I'm rude because I'm telling you your cat will be fine? That you don't have to spend over $100 just to have the doctor look at your cat and tell you it's fine.
I also let our supervisor know about the name drop she had done. That particular doctor is new... but I have no idea why she would tell her relative to bring her skunked animal to the ER. If she did at all.
But tonight I was just super irritated by this one woman.
She called in to say that her cat had been skunked. Apparently she was related to one of our doctors who told her to bring it in (which got me a bit annoyed and I'll explain later.)
Let me tell you guys, and then I'll say what I told her. Your animal getting skunked is NOT a medical emergency. Even if your animal gets sprayed in the face. Their eyes will look irritated and weepy, and they may drool a lot, but that's your pet's way of naturally getting the skunk spray out of its eyes and mouth. Your pet is NOT DYING.
If you bring your skunked pet to an animal ER, all the staff will be quite annoyed (they won't show it to you, they'll be polite and professional, but inside they will be annoyed.) Now anyone who is waiting with injured or ill animals, and the staff themselves, have to deal with the skunk smell. Which, by the way, will remain in the hospital for DAYS after you have left, even with scrubbing.
If your animal got bite/scratched by the skunk AND sprayed, please clean the pet up (there is a formula that is pretty much 100% effective of taking off all the skunk smell) and then bring it in to be patched up.
So anyway.
I told her that her cat will be perfectly fine, that weepy eyes is the cat's natural defense to getting the spray out of its eyes. I gave her the skunk formula and told her that if she's concerned her pet may have been injured by the skunk, use that formula to clean said cat up and then bring it on down and we can take a look.
She wrote down the formula, thanked me, and then hung up the phone.
A bit later the phone rang again, but I was already on a call and ALSO dealing with someone in the lobby so I couldn't answer it. One of the technicians did.
I went back there to tell them about a new arrival and the technician said to me,
"So, Ambrosia, I picked up the phone and some lady was like the receptionist was really rude and said her cat wasn't allowed in the hospital." He then shrugged and grinned. "I don't care, I know you wouldn't do that, just thought I'd let you know."
^ This is the same technician who is constantly complimenting me on how I handle our clients and how I am an amazing CSR (client service representative.)
I grit my teeth, smiled, and then immediately went to my computer to write an e-mail to my supervisor in case the lady tries to escalate the situation.
Really lady? You think I'm rude because I'm telling you your cat will be fine? That you don't have to spend over $100 just to have the doctor look at your cat and tell you it's fine.
I also let our supervisor know about the name drop she had done. That particular doctor is new... but I have no idea why she would tell her relative to bring her skunked animal to the ER. If she did at all.
) was grumpier than usual, very warm and very "woolly." I freaked out and called the vet. 
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