Customer Story
More than 50% of clients book after 5 PM—here’s how Petmania captures them
2000+
Appointments booked
54.7%
OOH (Out of hours booking)
1468
appointments booked via the Vetstoria widget on the website
(This data is from January 01 to December 31 2024)
The challenge
Petmania Vet Clinic faced three key challenges: a limited online presence with inactive social media, a high volume of phone calls that placed strain on both reception and nursing teams, and missed opportunities to capture client bookings outside of business hours—putting them at risk of losing new clients to competitors who offered online scheduling.
The solution
Petmania implemented Vetstoria’s online booking platform, enabling:
✅ After hours online booking
✅ Fewer phone calls for reception and nursing staff
✅ Customised, real-time scheduling based on vet and service needs
✅ More time for staff to engage with clients in person
The results
📉 Phone call volume dropped by nearly two-thirds
📅 2,000+ appointments booked via Vetstoria
🌙 More than 50% of bookings happen outside regular business hours
🆕 Substantial increase in new client registrations
Background information
Before joining Petmania in July 2021, Amy Noonan, Compliance and Development Manager at Petmania Vet Clinic, observed that the practice had a limited online presence, consisting mainly of inactive social media accounts. Recognising the need for a stronger online presence, Amy prioritised the development of a new website.
Concurrently, both Amy and the clinic owner independently discovered Vetstoria through their Facebook feeds and industry forums. Recognising the potential of online booking, they decided to implement Vetstoria alongside the launch of the new website.
Prior to joining Petmania, Amy Noonan had experience with Vetstoria’s primary competitor in Australia during her tenure at another corporate group. While initially considering this familiar option, further evaluation led her team to select Vetstoria. They found Vetstoria to be a more suitable solution, offering simpler integration, better alignment with their specific service needs, and seamless integration with their existing practice management software, Neo.
'The primary motivation for choosing Vetstoria was to reduce phone calls and enable convenient after-hours booking.'
The motivation for choosing Vetstoria by Petmania Vets was primarily driven by the need for an easier booking process that could reduce phone calls and allow for self-service booking after hours. The clinic also sought to alleviate strain on the reception team by optimising staff workload and reducing phone traffic.
“We wanted to reduce phone calls by introducing online booking, and Vetstoria enabled us to shift calls away from reception in our busy clinic.”
“Before Vetstoria, phone call management was inconsistent. Depending on who answered, not all available appointment slots were offered, and staff might not have been aware of the specific preferences of pet parents or vets.”
"Our main goal was to minimise phone traffic, allowing for more face-to-face interactions while offering the convenience of after-hours booking."
“For instance, some vets prefer not to handle behavioural consults. And sometimes, it’s quite awkward for a client to say over the phone, ‘I don’t want to see Dr. So-and-so’. With Vetstoria’s impressive customisation options, clients can now select their preferences discreetly, without needing to verbalise them.”
'With Vetstoria, around 50% of our bookings are made outside of regular business hours. That is huge!'
Without Vetstoria, Amy is sure that the clinic would have lost clients to competitors offering online booking.
“I believe around 50% of our bookings are made outside of regular business hours. Without Vetstoria’s online booking capabilities, we might not have acquired these clients. If a competitor offered online booking and we didn’t, we could have potentially missed out on 50% of our new clientele.”
Amy continues to say that the return on investment has been excellent.
“Even during quieter periods, we continue to acquire new clients through online bookings. This demonstrates the significant value of Vetstoria, even exceeding the minimum cost of our website. It has consistently proven to be a valuable service with a strong return on investment. Essentially, it’s like having a 24/7 receptionist available to answer basic inquiries.”
To meet evolving client needs—especially younger, working pet parents—after-hours booking became essential. Vetstoria’s online booking made it easy for clients to schedule outside standard hours, improving accessibility and convenience.
“At the end of the day, we had to acknowledge our own behaviours. We were booking our physiotherapists and kids’ daycare after hours, so it made perfect sense to offer that same convenience to our clients.”
'We have seen a huge increase in new clients because of Vetstoria.'
Retention wasn’t a concern, but Vetstoria’s online booking helped Petmania attract new clients by offering convenience and making scheduling easy.
“With Vetstoria, attracting new clients has grown significantly. Our biggest competitor also had online booking, and we needed to level the playing field.”
"Vetstoria allowed potential clients to compare availability and book immediately. We've seen a huge increase in new clients through online booking."
'Since implementing Vetstoria, phone calls have decreased significantly, allowing more time for admin tasks.'
Since implementing Vetstoria, Petmania clinic has booked a number of appointments!
“I believe we have received around 2,900 bookings through Vetstoria, which would have otherwise been phone calls. Since we started using Vetstoria, the phones have quietened down significantly, creating more time for administrative tasks.”
“Previously, if a call wasn’t answered within three rings at reception, it would automatically transfer to the nursing team at the back. This added strain to their already busy schedules, as they were often occupied with patient care, anaesthetics, and laboratory work.”
"Vetstoria has significantly reduced this burden, with only about 5 to 10 calls now reaching the back office daily, and that is only when reception is fully occupied with face-to-face interactions."
'With fewer phone calls (almost decreased by two-thirds), staff now have more opportunities to engage with clients personally.'
For the clinic, Vetstoria has improved data accuracy by letting clients enter their own details, streamlining onboarding and helping the team better prepare for appointments.
“Nurse call volume has decreased by two-thirds, allowing staff to focus on patient care and client interactions. Reduced phone calls foster stronger client relationships. The digital system improves data accuracy, minimising errors. Client input streamlines onboarding, enables pre-filled forms, and enhances appointment preparation through access to pet history details in advance.”
'We were so surprised to see just how customisable Vetstoria is.'
Amy and the staff find Vetstoria’s customisability super helpful!
“I was most surprised by how customisable it is. It’s flexible, but I can’t accidentally break anything. For example, I can adjust a locum vet’s schedule to exclude exotics or limit a new graduate to vaccines. We can control which pets and cases they see. I can quickly update the schedule by saying, ‘Dr. Tanya has openings today.’ This daily customisation is very helpful, especially for unexpected situations.”
"I was surprised by how easy it is to make changes directly in the tool. I initially expected a more complicated process, but this immediate effect is very powerful."
'The veterinarians love that they receive the pet owners' own words describing the issue, and they particularly love Vetstoria. They see the owner's exact words, preventing misinterpretations and ensuring accurate information.'
Amy reported that the veterinarians are particularly enthusiastic about the tool. Furthermore, the tool allows owners to provide extensive notes, offering valuable background information that might otherwise be lost in translation.
'The receptionists have been thrilled since we started using Vetstoria.'
Amy assured that since Vetstoria’s implementation, the receptionists have seen an immediate impact at the front desk.
“It significantly reduces call volume, allowing them to dedicate more time to clients who prefer personal interaction. This enables them to provide better service and build stronger relationships with clients. They have been very happy with the tool since its implementation.”
"For our reception team, it’s been a great help. Every appointment that gets booked online is one less they have to schedule manually. That reduces stress and allows them to focus on clients who need additional support."
'The biggest impact we have seen with Vetstoria is the increase in new clients.'
When asked about the biggest impact of Vetstoria on her clinic, Amy Noonan immediately responded:
“The biggest impact we have seen is the increase in new clients. Vetstoria’s online booking is incredibly convenient. Even the option to add new client details at the end is helpful. If they’re short on time, they can skip that section and provide the information later. Essentially, it’s like having a 24/7 receptionist available to answer basic inquiries.”
'I advise keeping the booking process simple and streamlined…'
We asked Amy if she had any advice for other clinic owners on strategies on how to increase appointments through online booking platforms. She gave us three useful tips.
“To advise other clinics, I would emphasise the importance of making the booking process as user-friendly as possible. Firstly, a strong online presence, including a robust Google presence and active social media engagement, is crucial.”
“Secondly, seamless online booking options are essential. We’ve found that approximately half of our online bookings originate from the website widget, highlighting the effectiveness of readily accessible booking options.”
“Thirdly, keep the booking process simple and streamlined. Offering a limited number of appointment types and ensuring the system is always functioning correctly can enhance the user experience.”
'The support from Vetstoria team has been fantastic. They not only help resolve issues but also explain how to prevent it from happening again, effectively empowering me to resolve similar issues independently.'
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!
Amy Noonan, Compliance & Development Manager | Petmania Vet Surgery
Amy Noonan is a copywriter, marketer and registered, certified veterinary nurse from Brisbane, Australia. She initially studied and worked in marketing and events, including being the State Marketing Manager for Ferrari motor vehicles, before swapping prancing horses for limping dogs. Amy has worked in mixed practice, zoos, small animal GP clinics and also in the largest corporate-owned team in Australia. While her clinical specialties lie in ECC and repro/neonates, her client-facing passion is for each client to have a uniquely great experience, whatever that means for them. Streamlined, intuitive processes and relatable language guide her day-to-day decisions in the clinic.
Amy finds that solo-parenting two little boys whilst working three jobs (GP, ECC and consulting to vet start-ups) makes her keenly aware of process efficiency in both time and effort. Amy sourced and integrated Vetstoria for her current GP clinic in 2021, and has maintained it since, including being part of the Vetstoria Chat pilot program earlier this year.
