*Edit 10/23:
The Customer Service Manager, Corey, reached out to me today, and we had a truly kind and thoughtful conversation. I appreciated her compassion, her willingness to listen, and her understanding of my experience. Because of that, I’m updating my review from 2 stars to 4 stars. Thank you, Corey, for taking the time to reach out.
I’ve been bringing my dogs to Carolina Ranch since moving here from Florida two years ago, and Dr. Bauer has been absolutely wonderful with my Siberian Huskies. She cared for my late dog before he passed last year and continues to help my senior Husky, Talan, as he navigates the challenges of aging.
The front-desk team have always been warm, friendly, and kind —with one exception. A woman with short purple hair who has consistently been curt and unwelcoming since my very first interaction with her. The first couple of times, I brushed it off as a bad day, but after multiple visits with the same cold, dismissive tone.. I’m clearly missing something. For transparency, I did miss an appointment yesterday —completely my fault, as I misplaced it on my work calendar. I felt awful about that, especially since I’m very rarely late and have never missed an appointment in the two years I’ve been coming here. Determined to make today’s visit right, I left early but ended up delayed while unloading Talan, who now relies on a wheelchair. I had pull over to clean up an accident Talan made during the car ride, then upon arrival adjust and attach his wheel chair, then gently coax him forward. It took about four minutes to get from the car to the lobby —three of those minutes were spent right in clear view of the front desk through glass doors as he hesitates and me trying to guide him along.
I was acknowledged when we were about three feet from the counter. The woman with short purple hair finally looked up and said, flatly, “Talan, right? Unfortunately, we’re going to have to reschedule your appointment. Your time was at 11:30, and it’s now 11:38.” Her tone was cold, almost smug, and I was taken aback. It genuinely felt like she took satisfaction in delivering the bad news, watching me struggle to process after everything it took to get Talan inside. I explained that I hadn’t received a call, only to later learn that someone from the back office had called me at 11:37 (I was literally struggling at the lobby door when I felt my phone vibrate in my purse). I looked down at my poor pup, exhausted, shifting in his chair, and just felt defeated.
A few minutes later, I spoke with another front-desk staff member -I’ll admit, I am a little embarrassed by how emotional I became. My voice was shaking, on the verge of tears as I explained that the earlier interaction felt unnecessarily rude. The purple-haired woman was only a foot away, listening but not making eye contact — she just raised her eyebrows and smirked. The second person was kind and understanding as she explained that Dr. Bauer was handling an emergency case for a police dog — combined with my being (realistically, about four minutes) late while visibly struggling to get to the door. Even so, I completely understand. Emergencies happen! If the first receptionist had simply explained that, I would’ve been entirely understanding and happy to reschedule. Instead, the cold delivery and lack of compassion turned an already emotional morning into something unnecessarily upsetting.
Sadly, every interaction I’ve had with this particular employee has been the opposite of welcoming. At this point, it feels personal. I don’t know, maybe she just doesn’t like my face or something?
After today’s experience — and considering how often we visit, the tension, lack of empathy, and the fact that she’s always there —I will no longer be bringing Talan to Carolina Ranch. 5 stars for Dr. Bauer and team; -3 because the front desk represents your practice, and empathy makes all the difference.
