Our Community

“Humans are just as important as the patients. People are often so grateful for what we’re doing for their animals and that makes it all worthwhile.” – Izzy Bradley

Our dedicated Customer Care Team (CCT) are at the forefront of everything we do at The Ralph. They are the friendly voice at the end of the telephone, the warm welcome as you visit the hospital, and the conduit between our communities and our clinical team.

Izzy fell in love with the veterinary world at her previous role, and joined The Ralph at the start of March (when we were just two weeks old!). Let’s step in to Izzy’s shoes as we explore her day at The Ralph…

“If I’m lucky, I start my day with a cup of tea and a cuddle with the dogs in the waiting room. Each day is different; some days I meet lots of dogs and cats, and some days I barely see any animals because I’m answering lots of calls in the phone room.

Cuddles with a litter of puppies who visited for an eye test.

Working in the Customer Care Team means there is a variety of tasks for us to complete.  We have a dedicated phone room to answer calls to the hospital. When I am working here I deal with enquiries from our patients’ carers and referring vets, along with connecting callers with members of Team Ralph. When I am working on reception (which could be our Dog Reception or Cat Reception) I greet and check our patients in for their appointments, and help the patients’ carers with anything they may need (from recommendations on where to go for a coffee to help with their insurance documents). I also use this time to keep on top of emails, booking appointments, and adding documents to patient files. Throughout the day I ensure our waiting rooms are well stocked with refreshments for both our patients and their carers – including our treat jar!

I have a great relationship with my fellow Customer Care Team members. We all share the weekly tasks between us, and help each other out where needed. Everything we do as a team is underpinned by The Ralph’s values, and I do genuinely feel that we do things differently here. Aside from being able to cuddle my favourite breeds of dog, it’s one of the things I enjoy most about working here.

I also love the impact we have on the humans here, both inside and outside of the hospital. Humans are just as important as the animals we see. People are often so grateful for what we’re doing for their companion animals and this makes it all worthwhile.

Izzy with Team Ralph members and the lovely Moon.

I’m pretty motivated by self-improvement, so it’s nice to learn so much from all the people I encounter. Some of the feedback we receive both individually and as a team is really nice to hear; I never realised how much of a difference keeping in touch can make before working here.

The hardest part of my role is when I get to know an animal, and then learn of their passing. It is sadly inevitable, and comes with the nature of working in a veterinary hospital. However, this doesn’t stop you from getting attached and some patients do steal your heart. It is a sad time, but our end of life care is provided with compassion and I know the patients and their families are well-supported by the clinical team.

Combining a cuddle with computer work!

My advice to someone looking to work in the animal world is simply, “just do it, don’t wait, and prepare to be busy all day long.” I’m considering training to be a veterinary nurse in the future, and I’m glad I’ve had exposure to what a veterinary referral centre has to offer before pursuing this. Even if you’re simply thinking about venturing down the animal route, there are so many different ways you can be involved, so do it!”­

Thank you for reading our latest blog. If you can’t wait for the next instalment of our “A day in the shoes of…” series, you can meet the rest of our team here.

Take care,

Team Ralph

Update: Izzy has left The Ralph to pursue her interest in hospitality. We wish her all the best!