What do you want your vet to post on facebook/twitter?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

My veterinary practice have really embraced social media and I think it's great. The practice manger posts daily they put up the weekly rota, new staff details, interesting news from the day - clients and cases with permissions of course. They have also had interesting sk the vet sessions. I think it's great.

Sounds like they are definitely doing things right, good to hear! Thanks for the feedback x

Ummmmmmmmmmmm Right!

[BeckyVNBS]

My veterinary practice have really embraced social media and I think it's great. The practice manger posts daily they put up the weekly rota, new staff details, interesting news from the day - clients and cases with permissions of course. They have also had interesting sk the vet sessions. I think it's great.

Sounds like they are definitely doing things right, good to hear! Thanks for the feedback x

[Leanne]

My veterinary practice have really embraced social media and I think it's great. The practice manger posts daily they put up the weekly rota, new staff details, interesting news from the day - clients and cases with permissions of course. They have also had interesting sk the vet sessions. I think it's great.

[BeckyVNBS]

Thanks for your feedback guys! It will be taken into account when I write my report but the survey is the best way for me to get your opinions across so please complete.
Thanks to everyone that has so far! 

[Mymblesdaughter]

Yvonne £90 seems very expensive. Could you get a voucher from somewhere? It doesn't seem fair that you have to fork out so much when he's not even your cat.

[Dawn F]

I'm afraid I've never seen the attraction of facebook and twitter seems even more bizarre (how many followers?????) a decent up to date web page would be good but that would be enough for me

[Yvonne]

A really good idea to have the local Vet's practice on Facebook (I am not yet on Twitter)

I really need stray advice, I have just taken the day off to drop my stray puss at the Vet.
She did ask me for an extra £90 would I like to get him neutered?

So it would be useful for me to have stray advice, what to do if finding injured animals/wildlife and unfortunately road kill etc.

thanks

by the way     to the forum   

[LouiseJ]

Mmmmm yes doctors surgeries.....

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Gill, that receptionist is obviously in the wrong job, she should be working in a doctors surgery. I've never had a problem with receptionists at the vet apart from one who gave me dangerously incorrect information. Now doctor's surgeries that's a different matter!

Oh yes you are so right LOL

[Mymblesdaughter]

I actually have to update facebook as part of my job and it really only takes a couple of minutes. If I'm too busy nothing goes on there. I think vets should really keep their post to a minimum if they use it. As others have said giving details of offers and lost pets etc. Although as far as I know my vets doesn't have a facebook page or twitter account.

Gill, that receptionist is obviously in the wrong job, she should be working in a doctors surgery. I've never had a problem with receptionists at the vet apart from one who gave me dangerously incorrect information. Now doctor's surgeries that's a different matter!

[Liz]

Our vets practice is on facebook and its one of the partners and the receptionists who up date it with messages and important local stuff they also do a lost and found which is useful

I suppose in this day and age that more and more things are online and easily accessible by mobile phone, tablet as well as PC and laptops and it is a good way to see in to a vets surgery as ours offer a link to their website where you can see the facilities and meet all the staff and know who you are dealing with

Our receptionists and vets and vet nurses are wonderful and I have had receptionists comforting me at 7.00 at night when nsome of mione have been admitted and are under the care of the vets and vets nurses I think it depends on the vets and who they employ

Our vets call and speak to us at every step of our kids treatment and are always available to talk to in fact I have their personal mobile numbers in my phone and we get follow up calls to just to check on progress in fact I have been spoilt with the 2 vets practices the Clan have been under and one recommended the other to us when we moved

[BeckyVNBS]

I dont want my vet to waste his time on Facebook, if I want to talk to him I want to talk to him and in private and if he plays around on FB he will not have time to look after the animals and talk to their owners.

I agree, vets themselves should be concentration on their patients!
I'm looking at having an assigned member of staff who has time put aside to post updates on seasonal diseases to watch out for, advertise open days etc. General content and discussion on broad issues rather than 1-1 contact time, which is what visiting or telephoning the surgery is for.
If no one at the practice has time to do this then I agree that it should not be used. I am also not an advocate of staff social media use during work hours.
Thanks for your feedback!

[BeckyVNBS]

to Purrs Becky

By 'vet' do you mean the actual veterinary surgeon or more generally the vets practice? I've looked at my own vets FB page and it's mainly 'funny' animal pics with a few informative messages eg antifreeze warnings etc.

I think a mix of 'warnings' eg antifreeze, along with reminders eg 'have you wormed your pet recently' and special offers eg 'reduced microchipping in February' plus a few funny animal pics or pics that clients have posted would get the mix about right. Also 'lost' pets that have come in via the surgery would be good. I think for vets to ignore social media would be very foolish, they're companies after all.

Edit: Off to do the survey...

  I mean the veterinary surgery, ideally an assigned member of staff. Many practices are using social media but unsure what to post as little research has been done. I'm hoping my survey will find out what people want so it can be used more effectively. Thanks for your feedback!

[BeckyVNBS]

Have to say I dont agree with vets using social media at all unlike Helen, its just another way of bumping up costs.

The surgery I use is fully busy without doing this and have to say I would be furious if I found them doing this instead of their proper job.

I find it bad enough when one particular receptionist just ups and leaves when its time to go home despite what is happening, everyone else has to then rush around to cover the space. She also has a real attitude problem cos out of everyone its just a job to her and no affinity with the clients or the patients.

I think I just got angry!

Easily done, you're not the only person to have frustrations with members of staff and how time is spent on certain tasks in veterinary practice! Some practices get a professional in to do the job for them OR one member of staff is assigned this to prevent time wastage, it's very rarely the vet them-self as they are too busy.
Unfortunately when busy vets with not enough staff or time take on the challenge of running a social media site this is when things go wrong. I would have to agree in this case that it's probably best for them not to participate.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Have to say I dont agree with vets using social media at all unlike Helen, its just another way of bumping up costs.

The surgery I use is fully busy without doing this and have to say I would be furious if I found them doing this instead of their proper job.

I find it bad enough when one particular receptionist just ups and leaves when its time to go home despite what is happening, everyone else has to then rush around to cover the space. She also has a real attitude problem cos out of everyone its just a job to her and no affinity with the clients or the patients.

I think I just got angry!

[Tiggy's Mum]

  to Purrs Becky

By 'vet' do you mean the actual veterinary surgeon or more generally the vets practice? I've looked at my own vets FB page and it's mainly 'funny' animal pics with a few informative messages eg antifreeze warnings etc.

I think a mix of 'warnings' eg antifreeze, along with reminders eg 'have you wormed your pet recently' and special offers eg 'reduced microchipping in February' plus a few funny animal pics or pics that clients have posted would get the mix about right. Also 'lost' pets that have come in via the surgery would be good. I think for vets to ignore social media would be very foolish, they're companies after all.

Edit: Off to do the survey...

[LouiseJ]

I dont want my vet to waste his time on Facebook, if I want to talk to him I want to talk to him and in private and if he plays around on FB he will not have time to look after the animals and talk to their owners.

I agree with Gill. An informative up to date website is very useful with links to sources of advice but I'd rather be able to get an appointment or advice over the phone / email specific to my pets than see anything on Facebook or Twitter.
My GP surgery has a Twitter feed and I feel the same about that.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I dont want my vet to waste his time on Facebook, if I want to talk to him I want to talk to him and in private and if he plays around on FB he will not have time to look after the animals and talk to their owners.

[BeckyVNBS]

Hi, I'm a final year veterinary nursing student from the University of Bristol.
I'm currently undertaking a research project looking at what you as pet owners want from your vets on social media sites such as facebook.
Does your vet post too often? Not enough photo's? Want more discussion?

I've put together a 23 question survey that takes only a few minutes to complete- I'm hoping that your answers to these questions will allow me to help vets use sites such as Facebook better, they are there for you so lets makes sure you're getting the information you want!

The survey can be found here- http://kwiksurveys.com/s.asp?sid=hwsoh069jp0kls382344

Any and all replies are greatly appreciated. There is no obligation to answer all of the questions and the survey is completely anonymous. Feel free to also discuss the topic in this thread!

Thank you!