Customer Story
Why Hilltop Vets Chose Vetstoria: Unmatched Customisations and Flexibility
Customer Story
Why Hilltop Vets Chose Vetstoria: Unmatched Customisations and Flexibility
771
appointments booked online
635
appointments booked via the Vetstoria widget on the website
35.9%
out-of hours bookings
*data from Vetstoria analytics dashboard from 2023
“Thanks to Vetstoria, we no longer need to pull nurses to support reception to book, change, or cancel appointments.”
– Sian Dear, Practice Manager at Hilltop Vets
Practice Type
Independent
Key Features Used
✅ Real-time Online Booking
About Hilltop Vets
Hilltop Vets is a small independent practice, which provides a bespoke caring service with a focus on lifetime well-being, recognising that the needs of individual owner and pet are unique.
They are committed to maintaining their independent status in which the whole Hilltop team – their colleagues, their patients and their owners – can all flourish.
‘There is so much we can do with Vetstoria, and that’s what made us come back.’
Sian Dear joined Hilltop Vets as a Practice Manager in November 2022. The clinic was already using Vetstoria at this time. During this time, their PIMS released an online booking system that came with their package, which the clinic decided to trial.
However, they quickly realised that this new system was very basic compared to Vetstoria and lacked the customisations that made online booking work effortlessly for their clinic. Consequently, they swiftly made the switch back.
“When our PIMS started offering online booking services, we decided to give it a try. It seemed like a no-brainer to cancel Vetstoria and use that instead. However, we found it was very basic compared to Vetstoria. ”
– Sian Dear, Practice Manager at Hilltop Vets
“I realised there was so much more we could do with Vetstoria, which made me decide to switch back. It’s much nicer to have a more powerful system with better flexibility. The basic one did the job, but it wasn’t enough for our needs.”
‘Before Vetstoria, we used to have a lot of missed calls.’
Sian believes that Vetstoria’s online booking has significantly reduced the phone call volume in the clinic. The clinic also uses their phone’s hold message to inform clients about the option to book online instead of waiting in the queue.
‘Vetstoria has helped us streamline a lot of the incoming calls.’
“I think the online booking has made a massive difference. Because we have it, we can inform clients through our phone system that they can book online. This has certainly streamlined a lot of incoming calls.”
– Sian Dear, Practice Manager at Hilltop Vets
‘The receptionists have loved having online booking.’
The clinic receives emails when appointments are booked, so the receptionists can quickly review the bookings to ensure everything is running smoothly. Not only that, it syncs in real-time with their PMS, so appointments appear immediately and automatically. Vetstoria even allows clients to easily cancel and reschedule their own appointments as they need.
“Since returning to Vetstoria, the time saved by not having to take phone calls, book appointments, and register clients has been significant.”
– Sian Dear, Practice Manager at Hilltop Vets
‘We have come back to Vetstoria because of the many customisations it offers’
It is a great validation when a Practice Manager tells you they returned to a product because it delivers on its promises. For Hilltop Vets, maintaining flexibility in their schedule and retaining control was important, especially given the common misconception that online booking reduces control.
They appreciate not only the slot exclusions, which is the ability to block specific times or appointments to keep slots free, but also how the new client form helps bring in new clients within a couple of hours, with all their information already in the system.
“It offers us a lot of flexibility, which is why we came back to Vetstoria. It allows us to create more appointment types, whereas the other system didn’t. For example, if we have an offer, we can easily add it, which we’ve recently done. We can also get new clients to book and come in within a couple of hours, giving us time to gather their history and other necessary information. This really helps enormously.”
– Sian Dear, Practice Manager at Hilltop Vets
“I found it takes a bit of getting used to, but any system with such capabilities will require some learning. However, in terms of reception, we have absolutely no issues with anyone using it.”
Vetstoria also helps clinics enhance their marketing efforts by creating highly targeted campaigns that drive bookings and promote their practice. With customisable offers, clinics can extend their campaign reach by sharing unique booking links via email, SMS, social media, or webchat. This allows them to track the number of appointments and new clients generated from each campaign and identify the most effective channels.
‘We are very focused on work-life balance and Vetstoria plays a part in helping us with it’
Hilltop Vets manage their workload quite well as a practice. Occasionally, staff are pulled into manual administrative tasks at the reception, but the reduced phone calls and Vetstoria’s efficient handling of queries make things easier.
“Thanks to Vetstoria, we no longer need to pull nurses to support reception to book, change, or cancel appointments. Our reception team can manage without needing additional support from the back when they’re busy.”
‘People love to book online and that has helped us attract more clients’
Sian has noticed a trend with more people preferring to book online nowadays. The convenience of booking, cancelling, and changing appointments online has helped them attract more clients.
“People like to book or change their appointments online. This is especially true for the younger generation, who enjoy the convenience. I think it has attracted a few clients because it’s easy to use. Many clients who work in hospitals or busy environments appreciate being able to book appointments from their phones without needing to call.”
— Sian Dear, Practice Manager at Hilltop Vets
‘The flexibility of being able to book at anytime has contributed to an increase in revenue’
Sian has noticed that many of their clients book appointments outside of regular hours, especially when they come back from work and are more relaxed.
“When they get home from work, sometimes even in the middle of the night, they make appointments. Without online booking, these clients might have had to call in the morning or not bother booking at all. Realising their dog needs a vet visit and making that decision while relaxing in the evening is easier for them. For us, we can include waivers so clients learn more about the practice. This has certainly made quite an impact on us.”
— Sian Dear, Practice Manager at Hilltop Vets
‘Vetstoria is not one of those companies that leave you with a problem to deal with yourself’
“I had an issue the other day, and I was panicking, but it got resolved quickly. Vetstoria doesn’t leave you with a problem; they resolve it. Even when Sandesh wasn’t working, he connected me with someone who called me immediately. The support is very good, which is part of why we came back to Vetstoria.”
— Sian Dear, Practice Manager at Hilltop Vets
Sian loves how quickly her problems are solved with the help of Vetstoria’s chat option. She values the time Vetstoria’s customer support dedicates to identifying and resolving issues, which makes all the difference for the clinic.
Vetstoria’s real-time online booking drastically reduces phone calls and keeps you in control.
Book a free demo with us today and see how we can help you grow!
Her career began as a zookeeper, caring for rhinos, elephants, chimpanzees, and various birds. This passion led her to veterinary nursing, where she worked alongside renowned zoo vet David Taylor, treating animals from tiger cubs to dolphins. After 14 years in veterinary nursing and a stint in Australia working with native animals, she returned to England as a Practice Manager at a large veterinary hospital.
She then took on the role of Operations Manager at Fitzpatrick Referrals, gaining valuable experience. Now, she works with the friendly team at Hilltop Vets, proudly providing top-notch care to their clients and pets.
Outside of work, she keeps busy with her Springer Spaniel, Boxer cross, horse, house renovation, and garden.
“Thanks to Vetstoria, we no longer need to pull nurses to support reception to book, change, or cancel appointments.”
— Sian Dear, Practice Manager at Hilltop Vets
