PMS sends reminders to deceased pets!

RE: PMS sends reminders to deceased pets!

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 09:03:17 GMT

I am with Michael and Clive. Our PMS batches and produces a list of reminders monthly. The system will automatically delete reminders for animals that have been noted as PTS or cremated in their clinical notes. It does not do this if it is not told.

Occasionally an animal will have died and the owner told us and someone has forgotten to mark it as deceased. The nurses sit down and sift through the monthly reminder list and will usually pick out ones they recognise - albeit this is more to prevent duplication of reminders if there are more than 2 pets at the same time or they're flagged up for more than one procedure. Occasionally they miss one.

I can't remember any occasion when anyone has got arsey or left the practice because of it, most don't even mention it and 99% understand it was a simple mistake. A simple apology is all that is needed, anyone who thinks more than that is required needs to get their life into perspective.

RE: PMS sends reminders to deceased pets!

Clive Ansell — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 08:21:38 GMT

[quote user="An On MRCVS"]they remotely sent out a batch of appointment reminders to all pets due to visit us on a day in 2015. These texts invited the.pets by name and some of them were dead.[/quote]

Just for 1 day? how many people were mailed/emailed that should not have been? how many dead animals were mailed?

I agree with Michael, it needs putting in to context. A few folk were inadvertently contacted by mistake because of a minor computer glitch, and some (not everyone) may be upset if that pet has died. It is not a sign of pending nuclear mutually assured destruction.

Get the PMS company to mail or email those involved to apologise and explain. Then move on.

RE: PMS sends reminders to deceased pets!

Braden Collins — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 18:49:11 GMT

I don't think heads need to roll, and for 99% of clients a quick phone call will be all that's needed. The 1% could cause some headaches with bad reviews or word of mouth.

The problem with just waiting until the complaints come in is you miss the people who complain to other people or just leave without saying anything.

RE: PMS sends reminders to deceased pets!

Michael Woodhouse — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 16:26:09 GMT

Come on. lets not over-react. Just ignore its happened and apologise if people ring up. You always get a few ring up with each batch of reminders that have died and not informed the practice. After my father died he was still getting junk mail 3+ years after he died.

Can we get over this modern day 'heads must roll' mentality, its a computer error, oops.

RE: PMS sends reminders to deceased pets!

Braden Collins — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 12:56:10 GMT

I would agree with a very rapid and heart felt apology. I would get on the phone rather than a letter as it shows you really care and gives the clients a chance to vent/express how it affected them, which can be very important.

RE: PMS sends reminders to deceased pets!

Eilidh Corr — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 11:51:23 GMT

I would think that a genuine and heartfelt apology would be the best approach. Presumably they're not so incompetent that they can't give you a list of recipients so you can write a personal letter to each of the clients with deceased pets.

As for the PMS provider I'd want the name of the individual responsible for their error and a personal explanation of what steps they're going to take to ensure it doesn't happen again. This is the sort of thing that could be the nail in the coffin of a provider who wasn't good in every other way.