You can compare Banfield to a manufacturing plant/factory. Pets come in and out like clockwork. There will never be a personal connection with your pet and a loving vet. The vet turnover is high as well, so that relationship you crave for between your pet and a reputable vet is non-existant. Along with this, your are just a number. Your relationship with the company doesn't matter, they don't care if they lose you and will never attempt to share a high level of customer service with you.
They will reel you in with "wellness plans". If only the value was truly there! It seems like an excellent idea at first because WOW all shots are covered, a dental cleaning, and unlimited office visits. You are spending $300-$500 a year on this just to feel that safety net that you have those services for free. When the time comes to count on them though, the additional charges will start appearing. "This" is not covered, "that" is not covered. We will give you a discount on the overpriced medicines. Need complicated procedures? You'll have to go to a specialist not associated with Banfield — so add on those costs on top of the wellness plan.
What is more entertaining is their antiquated system for keeping your pets records. God forbid that you take this pet from someone else that has them on their current wellness plan and you move. You will NOT be able to start them in your name unless you renew the plan and move them to your own record (if the previous owner has other pets they kept on the same account) unless you start completely fresh. Their system and their employees refuse to move over their records to your name. They will only put a note in the system. Many times, these notes are not even read by the employees taking care of your pet. So if there's an important medical note on the previous account where the old records lie and they didn't read it, your pet's health is at stake.
If you call corporate offices, they will tell you that they do not have supervisors or managers you can speak with. When asked who they report to, they will tell you they report to no one and call an automated system if they are running late or need any HR related assistance. So there's no accountability, there's no one you can speak to if the regular reps you speak to on the phone are not assisting you. There's no one to escalate a call to if the rep on the phone is mocking you, laughing at your requests, and being outright rude. We have experienced this type of behavior more than a handful of times. And if you show any kind of attitude, they will cancel your wellness plan without telling you just because they feel you gave them a hard time with a reasonable request for help/support.
On top of all of this, Banfield will overvaccinate your pets. When they tell you your pet needs ALL the vaccinations, that is FALSE. Read up on core vaccines and the dangers of all the "extra" vaccines that Banfield will push onto your pet.
If you are looking for a lasting, loving vet to create a connection and history with your pet — Banfield is NOT the way to go. They are a factory. They have no customer service. They treat you like utter crap and are the most unprofessional medical facility you will ever encounter. My stories are not the only horror stories out there, you can find plenty doing a google search. Don't be suckered in with their wellness plan. Find a vet that will truly care about you and your pet. Find a vet you can tell someone "I've been with Dr. XXXXXXX for the past 10 years, they are great". You won't find that at Banfield, I promise you.
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