Banfield Pet Hospital @ Pet Smart Veterinary Care Sold Like A Horrible Used Car Salesman Sells Cars Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

     We had scheduled an appointment at the Banfield Pet Hospital located in our local Pet Smart as soon as we saw a worm in our new eight week old puppies stool.  I reluctantly scheduled this appointment at the Hospital located in Pet Smart because I had heard for years how they were price gaugers and gave horrible service.  I decided to put all this past advice on using Pet Smart's veterinary clinic aside due to the fact that I wanted to treat the worms rapidly and these were new dogs and I am in a new town. 

     This was a poor decision on my part and I have to accept that since I should have listened to all the past information I had recieved on Pet Smart and it's veterinary services.  I printed out a coupon online which stated the Exam would be free and in the small print it said, 'for one pet only', but the receptionist gave us the free exam for both dogs I took in.  The receptionist then told us the full set of shots for the older dog would be $120.00 and the younger puppy could only recieve two shots at his age so his cost would be cheaper. 

Our appointment was at three o'clock so we arrived fifteen minutes early.  We were not seen until three twenty five as several women constantly cackled in the back room that we saw through a glass window in the door and others returned from a smoke break and then caught up on gossip as we waited.  The veterinary tech came in to the room and explained that for all the shots and the worms our bill would be two hundred and eighty dollars.  I explained how this was odd since the full set of shots for one dog was only one hundred and twenty dollars and the other dog was only getting two shots. 

She showed me a huge screen and said she could go over it and then proceeded to tell me that if I wanted to give the dogs two shots of Benadryl it would be forty two dollars more and that would prevent allergic reactions.  Having a background in healthcare I saw and recognized that she already had the Benadryl on the total bill and had it listed under it's pharmaceutical name of Dephinhydramine.  I pointed that out to her and she said, "Oh yeah".  I realized then that I was in a system of switch and bait and oversales techniques with a huge splash of upsell.

     I finally agreed to the price if it included the cutting of the larger dog's nails which is another reason that we set up the appointment while having told them the day before over the phone that we wanted the dog's nails trimmed.

     When the dogs were brought back out to us I noticed it's nails were not cut.  We now had a Doctor who I guess was there version of a hard line used car sales closer who told us that she would not and could not cut the dog's nails and she would be fired if she cut the dog's nails and didn't charge us.  I said, "What are you talking about?" I agreed to the price with the nails included.  She then informed me that my veterinary tech was a "student".  I told her that didn't matter, "In business you stand behind your representatives". 

She then dropped the bombshell that the younger puppy hadn't been treated for worms yet and that that would be an additional charge. That was the whole reason for the quick appointment and the main reason for the appointment and the main consultation with the tech for the cost of the appointment.  At that point I wanted the Vet tech to come back in and verify what she had told me and the supposed Doctor said she was not going to go get the vet tech because she didn't want me to 'yell' at her.  I said, "I'm not going to yell at her, I just want her to tell you what she told me."

This was classic car salesman behavior of having sold you some bull crap and in this case having already shot up both my dogs, thereby obligating me to the three hundred dollars and not having the main purpose of my visit attended to at all.  I complained that I wanted to see a manager and the doctor said okay and then immediately told me that the manager wasn't there.  Then the Pet Smart manager comes over and he says, "We have nothing to do with this hospital!"  I would deny any dealings with them myself as a businessman as well. 

     Then the doctor tries to insult me by telling me that she will cut the dogs nails for the agreed upon price if I agree to never come back.  Yeah, I guess it's hard for her to have someone REPEATEDLY ask for what they were promised.  I said, "I surely will never be back." So I guess her getting fired for cutting the dog's nails for "free" was a lie like all of the other verbage that came out of their mouths.

     The bottom line is.  I recommend a local Veterinary Doctor over this fast food car sales operation that Pet Smart has running out of their facilities.  This experience was a nightmare of unequaled proportions in regards to customer service.  If you take your pet to Pet Smart to obtain veterinary services then don't say I didn't warn you.