Banfield Pet Hospital Reviews

Pros

Fun to work with pets

Cons

Hi staff turnover. Good people leave for better paying jobs.

Pros

Medicine and protocols are very safe for the pets compared to most other vets round

Cons

Pay is absolutly terrible, Have to use PTO to get full time hours to get benefits

Advice to Senior Management

Pay your paraprofessionals more and give them the hours that were promised!

Pros

Working with animals can easily become a passion as you see how a suffering animal gets treatment and gets well again, just like humans- can't beat that experience!

Cons

Poor communication from corporate to the field, some RVP's are very inexperienced and very poor leaders.
HR makes it impossible to weed out the bad apples (pet nurses, csc's office managers ) but comes down hard on doctors.
poor doctor training on the business side of the practice.
very political company

Advice to Senior Management

listen to Field Leadership and take their complaints more serious-
Give Field Leadership more decision making authority

Pros

Great Doctors, Great Staff, Great Clients!!!

Cons

Poor Leadership situation in the Midwest. Too much Turmoil for anyone to be successful. Frustrates the staff, clients, and doctors.

Advice to Senior Management

Better communication, more visits, be more open to what is going on because of previous leadership if you are coming in after another. Lack of communication is a big issue in the midwest. Too many secrets and no loyalty to those that are busting their backs for the company and the clients.

Pros

You learn a lot about pet healthcare. They give you 20% off of Royal Canin dog food and 15% off at Petsmart. Also they give free preventative healthcare to your pet. Records are computerized.

Cons

There are a lot of downsides. The management can basically do whatever they want because the field directors do not regulate them. You cannot complain about the "managers" because they will just cut your hours. You get written up for small insignificant things. The favored employees are the laziest since they do not get in trouble for their negative actions. The hard workers are not recognized. Most of the time most Banfields are understaffed, which means extra work for the few working that shift. There is an unprofessional atmosphere which is present in front of customers. You can be penalized for requesting time off, by having hours cut the week before or after. They give you false hope of becoming full time, but never do because they do not want to pay benefits.

Advice to Senior Management

There needs to be a drastic change in the work environment. Management only wants young people working there, so they can exploit them. Also it is ridiculous that the employees are not allowed to sit, when at most other similar positions you are able to sit all day.

Pros

The love of the Animals and the chance to work with great Doctors....

Cons

The corporate part of this company needs to get into the field more to remind them why they became Dr's of Animals (most of the main managent are Veteinarians went Corporate management)..... and they would see why they can't hold onto good Employees and customers..... They schedule 38 hrs a week and send people home everyday...Trying to keep labor rate at 18% There is know way to run efficiently and the employees end up with cut hours most of the time to 25-30 a week... for very low pay in the first place... I wish I would have never joined this team but because of Jobs here in Michigan I am stuck... I have lost my Home due to Hours and lack of...

Advice to Senior Management

The corporate part of this company needs to get into the field more to remind them why they became Dr's of Animals in the first place (most of the main managent are Veteinarians went Corporate management)..... and they would see why they cant hold onto good Employees and customers.....

Pros

Working with animals and having opportunities to learn new things. I also, for the most part, enjoy working with my coworkers.

Cons

1. Banfield turns veterinary medicine into a retail business, caring only about what money is made, not what care the pet needs.
2. Personal lives of employees don't matter.
3. The pay sucks, considering the type of work
4. Employees are not appreciated for the work they do, and it's hard work!

Advice to Senior Management

Don't forget that you wouldn't have functioning hospitals without all the people that work in them, so consider treating them better and with respect. Also, it's wrong to take advantage of clients by making them pay for unnecessary services.

Pros

get to work with animals.

Cons

lots of gossip, just began and already know everyone's issues. I am not the type of person who likes to gossip and have verbally made that clear to those who gossip and have been "shunned".

Advice to Senior Management

When I was offered the position, I observed as a Nurse and was hired as a Customer rep. BE ORGANIZED and be clear about what you are offering to prospective employees.

Pros

Jobs readily available.
Good starting salaries.

Cons

Inexperienced support staff primary issue.
Supervisors not always experienced in the industry most come from rental car agencies.
Forced to use medicines and equipment that management deams appropriate.
Computer record system is not easy to navigate.
Statistics taken from medical record system may not take into account those imputting the information and their competency.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire veterinarians to balance out company leadership and prevent cost savings from appearing to be the major decision maker.

Pros

Working with friends, working with animals, gaining management experience, gaining veterinary experience. Meeting new people and clients that may become great clients and even friends later.

Cons

Lots of turnover, very stressful hours, compensation was very low for the responsibilities expected, insurance plan is a high deductible and I'm still paying off $8,000 of medical debt, couldn't afford medical insurance for my family as it was around $450/month. Banfield is a retail environment. They expect you to up sell, cross sell and promote everything and expect high numbers from you and your staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Adjust pay range for para positions. High turnover only costs the company in the end. If you modeled your company more like Costco and paid your employees well maybe your turnover rate wouldn't be so high. High turnover means mistakes in taking care of pets and clients which should be the goal but it's not. High turnover also means more work for the other para staff which in turn creates overtime which could be used to pay para staff more and then turnover wouldn't be so bad.