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VCA’s Data Rich Live Messaging Provides Pet Owners with Unprecedented Care

VCA-Featured

<30 seconds

TTFR

4.8

CSAT

750+

Locations Nationwide

24/7

live chat with a veterinarian
VCA-Overview

Overview

VCA Animal Hospitals, with its expansive network of over 750 locations nationwide, has long been a leader in providing top-tier veterinary services. In an effort to extend their reach beyond the physical confines of their hospitals and enhance the veterinary care experience, VCA introduced the VCA CareClub mobile app. This innovative app, aimed at delivering subscription-based pet wellness plans, also features an invaluable 24/7 live chat capability with veterinarians, powered by Helpshift’s advanced messaging and automation technology.

The Challenge

Pet owners often face anxiety and uncertainty when their pets encounter health issues outside of regular veterinary office hours. The traditional approach of rushing to emergency services, accompanied by high fees and stress, was neither efficient nor always necessary. VCA recognized the need to provide immediate, accessible veterinary advice to pet owners at any time, ensuring peace of mind and fostering better care for pets. The challenge was to implement a solution that could offer instant, personalized support without overwhelming the available veterinary staff.
VCA-Challenges

The Solution

To address this challenge, VCA chose Helpshift as their platform to facilitate a seamless exchange of information between pet owners, hospitals, and veterinarians. Helpshift’s messaging and automation capabilities allowed VCA to connect pet owners with veterinarians in real-time, creating a conversational chat experience that was both efficient and comforting. The platform also integrated with the hospital database, ensuring veterinarians had access to all necessary pet information and medical history for providing informed, quality care. Automated routing was implemented to manage the increased demand, ensuring the best available veterinarian was matched with pet owners based on various factors such as specialty and backlog

The Results

The introduction of Helpshift’s platform to the VCA CareClub app has been a resounding success. Since its nationwide launch in October 2017, the app has experienced a 15x increase in user engagement, with the team consistently exceeding their 40-second service level agreement (SLA), often responding to chats in under 30 seconds. This 24/7 messaging capability has significantly improved the level of service for pets and owners, contributing to a healthier pet population and highly satisfied customers, as evidenced by a consistent 4.85 rating in customer service satisfaction. The holistic approach to pet care, supported by Helpshift’s technology, has not only enhanced the veterinary care experience but has also set a new standard for accessible, personalized pet healthcare.