Vet visits on a video call

Research

I joined twenty calls as a silent observer, with permission, and timed every delay. Most minutes were lost before the call began: the owner was not ready, the pet was not in the room, or the vet had to collect basic facts first. Owners told us they felt rushed and a little guilty.

Vets had their own list of frustrations. They wanted the owner's notes before the call, not during it, and they wanted to know if the pet was already in the room. We tested every change with both groups, owners on their phones and vets at their desks.

Decisions

We moved the questions to a check-in that opens an hour before the visit, with large buttons that work with one thumb. The waiting room shows the vet's name, a photo and a clear countdown, plus a reminder to bring the pet into a quiet, bright room.

Nobody can find a link while holding a cat.

Reminders went out at 24 hours and 15 minutes, each with a one-tap join that opened straight into the waiting room.

Shipping

We shipped the check-in first, then the waiting room two weeks later. Calls starting on time went from 34% to 61%, no-shows fell by 22%, and the next survey moved NPS up by 18 points.

Support saw the change quickly: fewer people wrote in to ask for the link, and the vets' own notes got shorter because the check-in had already answered the basic questions. We kept a phone fallback for owners whose connection dropped.