Burke Animal Clinic: Four Paws, One Powerful Phone Connection

An Overdue Phone Upgrade Keeps Care Connected

Two years ago, Burke Animal Clinic split from both their long-term phone and internet providers and called Simple Solutions. Now, nearly 700 pet owners call this veterinary office in Morganton, North Carolina, to schedule routine appointments, to request prescription refills, and to triage medical emergencies — and neither vet nor patient worries about the consequences of missed calls or unreliable phone connections.

This is a before-and-after-and-ongoing story with far more victories for two small businesses that have experienced teams and share a passion for personalized attention.

Before: The Dog Days of Unsupported Phone Communications

Dropped calls, down internet, and long wait times for lacking customer support from a major carrier culminated at the clinic in August 2024. The problems were multifaceted; office phones didn’t have modern capabilities, internet couldn’t keep up with constant communication, and subcontracted support representatives (who were contacted often) struggled with timeliness and efficacy.

Yet Burke Animal Clinic is where the line between noncritical and emergency situations is smallest, where the difference between pet pain and relief needs only seconds, where agile communication between doctor and pet owner can save lives. Reliable phones and internet connections can create the best outcomes. Connectivity failures and poor call quality can create some of the worst. The veterinary team was more than ready for a new phone partner they could count on.

When they compiled a list of non-negotiables like direct access to local onsite support, immediate troubleshooting, and modern features and functionalities, Simple Solutions was the only Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) provider ready to deliver a smarter system and responsive service, exactly to the clinic’s requirements

One challenge needed immediate care right at the onset of the partnership

“Our old internet provider assured us that our office phone number would transfer to our new phones and new network as we transitioned to Simple Solutions and a different connection,” explains Tracey Thompson, office manager. “Then, they cancelled our number. They disconnected it.”

The clinic that receives 200 calls a day (and makes 150 more) lost its primary means of communication without any notice, and without a way forward.

“When I explained the situation to Simple Solutions, they handled everything for me even though they didn’t have to. The contract wasn’t signed, but they made things right. Without them, I probably wouldn’t have gotten our number back.”

After: Veterinary VoIP Extends and Amplifies Quality

“With them, the clinic’s number is protected, and communication has never been better,” explains Tracey.

Once the clinic decided which provider they’d go with, they had additional decisions to make: how many phones to install, what phone system works best for the veterinary clinic, and where should the phones sit?

Leaning on Simple Solutions’ expertise and recommendations, Burke Animal Clinic selected the following system and setup:

And realized these immediate benefits thereafter:

1. Responding to emergent calls as soon as they come in. “About 45% of the calls we receive in a week involve triage care. We can guide pet owners through urgent next steps, assess an emergency before arrival, and determine appointment priority,” Tracey lists.

2. 24/7 availability and mobility. “I’m on call after regular shifts end and now it’s easy to answer patients from home or while moving between locations,” says Tracey. The modern VoIP technology from Simple Solutions allows the team to stay connected from anywhere with features like call forwarding and flexible routing — because veterinary care often extends beyond regular office hours.

3. Ease in uploading pre-recorded prompts and hold music. “Instead of paying up to $1,000 per year for hold music and automated messages at the beginning of our calls, we can set it up ourselves at no additional cost,” explains Tracey.

4. Daily startup and shutdown routines disappear. “We no longer have to shut the phones down at night and open the lines in the morning. They just work without any extra fuss,” Tracey adds. While the clinic’s traditional phone system created extra work for the staff at the starts and ends of each day, Simple Solutions’ setup removes cumbersome delays.

5. Direct access to customer support. “I can call my Simple Solutions rep at 8pm if I’m having trouble with the phones. He always answers and his team always fixes the issue.” Tracey and the Burke Animal Clinic traded service tickets and long waits for timely resolutions.

The clinic needed modern communication tools in the right places at all times. Simple Solutions installed the hardware, trained the clinic’s staff on the new system, and made sure that anyone who needed to use the phones all day could do just that, confidently. The switch ensures that doctors are reachable in operating rooms, technicians are accessible during patient exams, and administration stays connected to any call that comes in.

Pet owners feel the benefits over the last two years too, in the form of faster doctor access, seamless after-hours support, and stronger communication from appointment follow-ups to test results.

And realized these immediate benefits thereafter:

Burke Animal Clinic’s mission of compassionate, comprehensive care is built upon individualized approaches and decades-long experience. Simple Solutions applies equal commitments to each local business they serve.

It’s like this: treating a puppy’s heartworms requires different planning, different medicines, and different considerations than caring for an older cat with a case of hyperthyroidism — but both therapies are administered quickly. In the same way, Simple Solutions understands how time-bound veterinary offices need unique phone features and functions and setups in comparison to other small businesses, such as law firms or autobody shops.

“Simple Solutions knows that our field is critical and our work is time sensitive. They get why reliable phones and on-demand support are important to us… when call centers never have,” Tracey notes. “They’re great with phones. They’re a great partner.”

Which means the clinic’s outcomes are great too, for staff and 700 patients alike.