I read the other reviews bc I was surprised to see poor ratings…read more
Not only did I not find any fault with the staff at Banfield, I found them to be very sympathetic.
Fortunately, our beloved cat never required vet services, so I can't speak to that; she passed peacefully at home, next to me. In fact, I was worried they might think we were not good pet parents bc I found our cat weak/paralyzed on the bathroom floor at about 1 AM, lying in a puddle of her urine "asking" me for help when I walked in. I didn't wipe her down as I ordinarily would have bc it was clear that was not what she needed - she needed comforting more than anything else. Also, my spouse had tried to offer her some tuna (which we did not typically feed her, but of course it always tempted her); she tried to eat but was too weak, so our cat's remains went there smelling a bit pungent though I tried cleaning her after she had passed. And of course she had wasted away in her old age (twenty-one-and-a-half-years-old), so my only concern at that point was what they might think of us.
Again, they were very sympathetic and kind, and also respectful. The only time I sensed just a hint of frustration on their part was when I first called to inquire about their services when it became clear our cat was about to leave us, but that can be chalked up to a busy day. As soon as I mentioned the reason I was calling, I was met with nothing but sensitivity.
I saw it mentioned in another review that the attitude at Banfield seemed to change after covid; that's everywhere. That whole situation threw a lot of businesses and people in the gutter, and everyone was pressed, and many of us are STILL pressed.
For example, we were in WDW of all places around that time, and the cast members who are normally tasked with being consistently patient and chipper, to the point of being annoying, were nasty or just plain old unfriendly. One cast member even CURSED because we had a gift card and they "hate running gift cards". How dare we try and spend our money with them? All visitors were getting yelled at by staff everywhere. We were forced to wear thick masks in the September humidity. You want to talk about covid being dangerous? Us visitors almost all passed away due to suffocation. So, I mean, A LOT of people have lost their minds bc of that whole covid episode that's still being milked, and we're ALL still trying to recover. This is due to politics and the effect they have on people, their freedoms, and their livelihoods being messed with, and NOT necessarily businesses themselves.
Many businesses are STILL understaffed, and what little staff they have can be curt. I've dealt with several horrifically rude cashiers and staff members at many places since 2020. How would YOU feel if you had to do the work of 3 people now? Maybe think about who's pulling the strings and pushing all of us around like hockey pucks instead of how customer service has gone down hill? Maybe you actually DO know how that feels bc you're one of the people doing the work of many, but didn't think about how this also applies to everyone else as well.
But I digress. Where was I? Oh yes, our beloved cat who has sadly passed...
The job was well-done. We received a paw print (though I genuinely don't know what to do with it bc it's soft. I guess I can maybe shellac it? I thought I might hang it on the Christmas tree), a nice cherry-stained box with her cremains inside, a pretty burgundy dust bag with a gold-embroidered sentiment, a name plate, a vile of her fur, the cremains cert., and a sympathy card that was personalized with messages of condolences by the staff. Yes, I understand that the staff is most likely mandated to sign these but it's still a nice touch. They always made sure to mention they were very sorry for our loss, though they didn't need to be. Our cat lived a very long, happy and healthy life. She was going to walk this earth one way or the other, and then pass away from it, and she got to do that with us. There is a void, but as saddened as we are by her absence, we were prepared for it seeing as how she was about, oh, I don't know - 110 in "human years"? She received nothing but affection her entire life.
So my experience w/Banfield in Warminster was more than fair. I'm also disinterested in discussing anyone else's take on covid.
