Not A Vet Tech Anymore
My job ended abruptly. Banfield has their own product they sell, called Wellness Plans. It is the nurse’s job to present these plans to clients and potentially enroll them on one for their pets. I consistently had a healthy number of sales, when there were a few ‘long-time’ nurses who were not selling many for weeks at a time. I was doing well. One month our sales were falling behind, mine included. One of my clients one day was a cat room. An angry cat. I barely escaped tooth and claw and was really shaken up afterward. I went into the back of the hospital to settle my nerves down a bit. The vet went in, the client left, and I had forgotten to talk to her about the wellness plans. Shortly after, the CSC at the time left the busy front desk and came into the back of hospital where he confronted me in front of everyone as to why I didn’t get her on a WP. And it was not to be helpful. If he had meant to be helpful he might have talked to me in private. He did this to reaffirm his authority over me. Later my manager pulled me aside and said I was being written up for it. Even though the client DID get on a WP THAT SAME DAY I was still being punished. I didn’t lose the hospital any money. They got their WP. So that night on FB I stated that I felt criticized. I felt down on myself and was looking for something better.
The next day my manager said I was being written up because 3 people called her and said “I was bashing Banfield on a social networking site.” My comment was in no way eluding to work, Banfield, employees, etc. It might have been related to ANYTHING. She even ADMITTED that she did not read the post herself, but stated that it had to be pretty relevant if 3 people called her. I could see right there that this person was gullible. She was more interested in trusting her little friends rather than finding any evidence herself. It was a weak argument but it seemed I was in trouble again.
I had done nothing wrong. I had not roughly handled an animal the way I had seen management do routinely. I did not falsify lab results as a means to clearing them off the screens, as I had seen every nurse there do, including management. How was it that I was about to lose my job when were nurses at that same hospital that assisted a vet on probation in a surgery? How was it that this minute issue was blown up so quickly when there were problems persisting in the quality of medicinal care patients were receiving? I had observed the employees there who would kiss up to management. I had seen the ones that didn’t, and they were no longer employed.
I was told I’d have to write a letter to Banfield saying how I would improve. To promise that I would not bash them on social networking sites anymore. I was being treated unfairly. Management said “You’re not allowed to say ANYTHING about work on FB.” Meanwhile I’d seen dozens of comments by fellow employees about the nature of their work that day. I was being outed. I am 100% certain she would not have called out at least 5 of her little favorites for what she called me out on. Had, let’s call her, Linda missed a WP would she be written up? No because she curtails to you. She is your “little you.” Would you have cared if, let’s call her, Jenny posted some frustration on FB? No. There was no integrity in this situation. I quit. I did not return to work because I would not have felt centered in my job, knowing that 3 of my employees called me out on a ridiculous charge, and they know it. They were set on letting me know how much they were there for me if I needed anything. They did not bother to come to me first. They ran right to their ‘mommy’ and cried. There was NOTHING to complain about. They were reaffirming their status as favorite, kiss up, next in line for little Brittney.
And I have nothing to lose in posting this. I’ve lost my job. And now I CAN bash Banfield on a social networking site.
Don’t take your pets to Banfield. They might forget to run your dog’s heartworm test, but instead of postponing it for a later visit, they will still have you pay for it and tell you it was negative. They will wrap your puppy’s paw too tightly after surgery time and time again, while your puppy goes home with “mega paw.” They don’t improve on the things that need improvement. Instead, they weed out the people who have insight as to how things CAN be improved. They write up the ones who forget to say something. They don’t write up the ones who lie. They don’t write up the ones who have been told OVER AND OVER again to stop wrapping pressure wraps so tightly. I left because I had standards as to the way I was being treated. I would not work with people who were so catering to a manager and so unconcerned with a fellow employee.
Yes I know this post has a bitter tone. And I am bitter about this situation. I was a good vet tech. People told me on numerous occasions they could see the love I had for animals, the love I had for that job, that I was there purely for the pets. And my heart was telling me to get out of there. And now I can’t find another job. Now I’m applying at Circle K and McDonald’s, competing with accountants and people with degrees for a damn cashier job. I was hung out to dry. And I have to deal with it.
