I’m new to Georgia and needed to find a veterinarian for my dog. Based on strong Google reviews, I chose Westside Animal Hospital and had my first visit about a month ago.
Since moving to the Savannah area, I’ve been adjusting to what feels like a general lack of customer service in the local service industry. Too often, it feels as though employees dislike their jobs and view customers as an inconvenience. Unfortunately, that was my first impression here as well.
During my initial visit, the front desk receptionist immediately stood out — and not in a good way. I don’t expect employees to be overly cheerful or “extra,” but when you walk into a business for the first time, the front desk person should at least appear approachable and not openly bothered by your presence. Her demeanor was cold, disengaged, and unwelcoming to the point that I considered asking if everything was okay.
That said, I was called back quickly, and the technician was excellent. Another tech who assisted during the appointment was also great, and Dr. Purcell was fantastic. Because of that, I decided to overlook the receptionist’s attitude and assumed she was simply having a bad day.
On 1/8/26, I returned for a follow-up appointment scheduled for 11:20 a.m. I arrived at 11:10 a.m., and unfortunately, it was the same receptionist with the same miserable demeanor. I greeted her with “hello” and received no response other than being asked my dog’s name. She told me she would “let the tech know,” but again in a tone that made it clear she hates her job, despises interacting with customers, and has no interest in providing even basic customer service.
There was only one other dog present, who had to wait outside due to being aggressive. At 11:20, another couple arrived stating they also had an 11:20 appointment. Around 11:25, the first dog was brought back. About 10 minutes later, the dog that checked in after me was taken back. Both appointments were completed and had left by 11:50, while I continued waiting with no explanation.
By 12:00, I was 40 minutes past my appointment time, and my dog had been the only dog in the lobby for the previous 20 minutes. At 12:05, I took my dog outside and waited until 12:10, a full hour past my appointment time, still with zero communication from anyone on staff.
During this time, it was especially frustrating to watch the front desk receptionist and veterinary technicians laughing and joking. Normally, that wouldn’t bother me at all — in fact, it’s nice to see employees enjoy their work environment. However, given that my appointment was completely ignored, it came across as unprofessional. Ironically, it also showed that the receptionist does have a personality, she simply chooses not to use it when interacting with customers.
It became clear that the receptionist views her role as limited to answering phones and checking people in, with no responsibility for communicating delays or acknowledging waiting clients. She would greatly benefit from being cross trained in basic customer service and communication, especially in situations like this.
At 12:10 p.m., I left. I wasn’t going to waste any more time sitting there without acknowledgment or explanation. As of writing this review, six hours later, I have still not received a phone call to apologize or even to ask whether I had left.
Delays happen. Completely skipping a scheduled appointment and failing to communicate at any point does not. I will never return to this clinic. That’s unfortunate, because the technicians and doctor were excellent, but I refuse to give my money to a business where the first person representing the clinic clearly does not care about customer service, professionalism, or the clinic’s reputation.