07/12/2024
It is a bit long but...
Established clients of UPVS:
We sincerely appreciate your friends & family referrals.
As you send people our way, we would like to ask if you would remember to first share a few things with them about the nature of our practice:
• First and foremost, our practice is non-traditional, we are a husband-wife team. That means we are only ever 2 people and sometimes only 1. Please practice patience and understanding. When you call, you likely will end up in voicemail. Please listen closely to the greeting. We have a mixed animal practice - this means we may be out of the office on farm calls. If we are on the road, the voicemail will say so. Unless you have an emergency, calls will be returned the next business day we are scheduled in the office. During the spring, this may be 2-3 days later. When leaving a message ensure you leave your contact information and your requests. Also, should you not be available when we call back, please make sure your voicemail is set up and there is room to leave a message.
• Our practice scope includes but is not limited to, preventative care, surgery and dental care for livestock and companion animals. We have in house radiology and can perform select diagnostics in our lab. Our office specialty is bovine breeding soundness exams, which ensures they are fit to do their 'job'. Our office does provide urgent/emergency services to active clients in good financial standing. Animals on the account must have had a wellness exam or the herd/flock must have a current Veterinary Client Patient Relationship with Upper Peninsula Veterinary Service, within the last 12 months in order to be eligible for care.
• UPVS’ business hours are M-F, 8a-4p by appointment only. If you call after hours, the voicemail message will advise you, if you have an emergency to leave a message. If do not have an emergency, do not leave a message and call back during business hours.
• If you need assistance, please, DO NOT email or text, instead call: 906.399.2043. As we are only 2 people, we are unable to keep up with multiple forms of communication. If you send a text it will be returned with an auto-response. Because email is checked randomly it should not be relied on as a form of communication.
• Appointments are scheduled at times that you confirm will work with your life plans. Committing to that time, holds the slot for you alone and you are responsible for remembering it. We do not call the day prior to remind you of your appointment. Canceling or failing to show will result in a cancellation fee. Repeat incidents will result in your needing to establish and seek care elsewhere.
• If your pet needs to be seen, you need to pick up a prescription, etc., it is done by appointment. We do this to ensure you can have our full attention and provide as prompt of service as possible. Also, if by chance we are out of the office, you don’t waste the time and fuel driving over finding we are not here.
• We only take cash or check. Payment is required at the time of service. Although it may be inconvenient for some, it allows us to keep most of our costs lower than surrounding clinics who take credit/debit cards. If you request, we can give an approximate cost at the time of scheduling your appointment. We also are not set up to allow people to pay over time.
• Yes, we still do boarding, but no longer offer doggie daycare, grooming or training. ThunderPaws’ number is: 906.286.3284 and calls are returned M-F. Our drop off & pick ups are M-F 8-9:30a. There are no weekend, evening or holiday drop off or pick-ups. All pets must be current on Rabies, Dogs: DHPP/L, Bordetella and Cats: FVRCP (feline upper respiratory). Records must be emailed in advance to: [email protected]. The nightly rates, M-Th: single occupancy, $30/double occupancy, $45; F-Sun, single occupancy, $45/double, $60. We do require a non-refundable deposit to hold a slot. To prevent dog fights, we do NOT let dogs socialize.
I love what I do and truly enjoy helping my clients and their animals. I also have a farm and an active family life. Balancing the two is important. We live in an increasingly "on demand" society with everything from entertainment to groceries available instantly at the click of a button. With the shortage of veterinarians throughout the country, coupled with the unique nature of our practice, we could easily work almost 24 hours a day. Nothing good can come from this. Being able to "unplug" from work allows me to recharge my batteries and makes me a better, more compassionate Veterinarian.
There is no message machine at the office or after-hours answering service. My phone is on and with me all the time so that I'm available for emergencies. Hearing a text come in about a routine matter at 4am is disruptive to sleep. Leaving a non-emergency message after hours causes me to have to stop what I'm doing and listen to the message to make sure I'm not missing an emergency. This all takes time away from being able to recharge.
Therefore, I ask to please be mindful of business hours for routine matters and respectful of professional boundaries; texting my spouse or child, messaging me on my personal or our Farm page, etc. about business related matters, is grounds for dismissal from the practice. I do this not to be mean spirited, but being able to routinely separate my work from my personal life allows me to provide a better service for ALL of my clients.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Renee Coyer & family
