Checkout Shouldn't Be the Most Stressful Part of the Vet Visit

Fifty-eight percent of cat owners say their cat hates going to the vet, and more than a third say just thinking about the trip is stressful enough to put off scheduling it.¹ Dogs aren't spared either: in one clinical study, two-thirds of dogs showed at least one visible stress sign for more than 20% of their time in the waiting room, and an observing veterinary behaviorist rated nearly 3 in 10 as highly stressed.²

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Waiting rooms can be noisy, scary places where multiple pets and personalities have to coexist. Species-specific waiting rooms are ideal, but most clinics just don't have the space or staff to handle them. As a result stress, noise, and tense nose-to-nose interactions are the norm.

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It's a problem practices feel, too. Front desk staff are left managing a line, a phone, and a payment terminal, all while trying to act as both crowd manager and lobby peacekeeper

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Taking checkout out of the lobby

Scratch Checkout™ runs on a wireless terminal, which means payment doesn't have to happen at a fixed station up front. Staff can bring the terminal into the exam room and check clients out right where they already are — no second trip to the lobby, no waiting in line with a stressed pet. That's less lobby traffic and less stress for everyone.

Village Animal Clinic in Farmington, Michigan made that switch, and the team credits it with something specific: fewer stressful run-ins in the lobby.

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"We have also been able to improve our protocols by doing in-room credit card checkouts with our Scratch terminal. No more in-lobby dog meetings with in-room checkout thanks to Scratch!"³

— Raven B.,

Village Animal Clinic, Farmington, MI

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What it looks like day-to-day

In reality, this is a small workflow change with an outsized effect on the visit: the doctor finishes the exam, a tech or CSR steps in with the terminal, the client pays and leaves — all from the same room. No second waiting period, no re-exposure to a lobby full of unfamiliar animals, no holding a nervous pet in a crowded space any longer than necessary. For clinics managing a lot of reactive or anxious patients, that's one more stressful transition removed from the visit.

It also means the front desk isn't trying to run a payment line and a waiting room at the same time — which is as much a relief for staff as it is for clients.

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"We have had a great experience with Scratch Checkout! It is easy to use, and connectivity is great! We use the terminals in all of our rooms for convenience with our owners and it helps us run more efficient days."

— T Petrovic,

Waukesha Walk-in Vet

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The simple workflow shift behind calmer vet visits

Reducing stress at the vet isn't only about the exam room. The checkout moment matters too, and it's one of the easier parts of the visit to fix. Practices that move payment off the front desk and into the exam room are seeing calmer visits, cleaner books, and improved protocols.

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**The testimonials provided are individual experiences reflecting the use of Scratch products and services. Individual results may vary, and the experiences described are not a guarantee of typical results. Testimonials may be edited for grammar, clarity, brevity, or misstatement of the Scratch product name. Individuals providing testimonials may have received free products, services or other incentives in exchange for sharing their experiences. All opinions and views expressed in the testimonials are solely those of the individuals who provided them. Scratch is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the testimonials.

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