After hours is the clearest gap
Calls go to voicemail, the auto-attendant can't book, and nobody leaves voicemails. Voicemail kicks in after 6:30 PM and before 8 AM, and people call minutes either side. Saturday closes at 5:30, after a 12–5 rush.
Sai (Fossa Vets) with his cousin Dr. Nagaraju Kotagiri ("Dr. K") and the team at Aldine Mail Route Animal Hospital. The recordings are listed in the order they happened.
Times are CDT. Recording numbers are file numbers: files 1–7 are not in time order; 8–11 are.
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Sai (founder of Fossa Vets) spent Sunday evening and Monday with his cousin Dr. Nagaraju Kotagiri ("Dr. K"), then with Aldine's practice manager Ryan, receptionist Rafaela and technician Odalis. Everyone pointed to the same gap: calls that go to voicemail after hours, and overflow calls during the day. The afternoon added refill rules, a clear escalation chain, and the news that the phone system can't record calls.
ⓘTranscribed with ElevenLabs Scribe v2, with Telugu translated to English. Speaker names are inferred. Legibility is about 85–99%; the lowest are Recording 3 (a garbled stretch) and Recording 9 (a noisy back room). About transcript quality.
After hours, calls hit an auto-attendant set up three days earlier that can't book anything; as Sai put it, "Nobody leaves voicemails." During the day Rafaela juggles two or three lines, and about 80% of calls are scheduling. Sai pitched three AI features: a receptionist that books into Vetspire and warm-transfers emergencies to Q Vet, once-a-year review requests, and proactive vaccine calls. The team added Spanish, recheck calls, and keeping online booking. Sai now has super-user Vetspire access; the API key waits until he has learned the flow. In the afternoon, Ryan and a doctor laid out which refills need a doctor, Odalis explained that calls go receptionist, then technician, then doctor, and the phone provider confirmed it can't record calls, so Sai asked it for a SIP address.
Sells vet clinics one growth package. Demoed his Just Holler AI receptionist and pitched a no-contract trial.
Owns three Houston-area clinics and is restarting an urgent care.
Point of contact at Aldine. Walked Sai through Vetspire, set up his login, and explained the refill rules, walk-ins and Saturday rush.
Runs the front desk phones and walk-ins. Sai shadowed her during live calls.
Works in the back. Explained who answers the phone, the escalation chain, and what she'd want the AI to handle.
Every figure is as spoken in the recordings, with its source.
All times are CDT, from file metadata, plus two planned visits. Tap a recording pin to open it.
Refills, after-hours and scheduling, then the drive (19 mi, navigation ETA 10:57).
Rec 2Nagaraju introduces Sai to Ryan and the staff (end of Rec 2).
Who to learn from, how calls are handled, and how protocols follow each doctor's preferences.
Rec 3Per Rec 5.
Refill rules with Ryan and a doctor; the phone provider says it can't record; walk-ins, the Saturday rush and voicemail times; Ryan reviews the new site.
Rec 8Forms, financing, who answers the phone, the escalation chain, and a Spanish demo lost to noise.
Rec 9An idea for prescription instructions, then Sai asks the phone provider for a SIP address (~3:01 PM).
Rec 10How specialist procedures get scheduled: pay upfront, then the visiting technician's dates.
Rec 11Twilio forward and recording, from the Just Holler handoff (about 5:03–5:07). Not a field recording.
The urgent care, restarting "at ground zero".
Rec 2 · Rec 6"Day after tomorrow Porter."
Rec 2Listed in time order. Topic-time breakdowns exist only for Recordings 1 and 2.
The owner, the practice manager, the receptionist and a technician each asked for something different.
Today it's an auto-attendant with voicemail. He wants the AI to ask "Is it an emergency?" If it is, warm-transfer to Q Vet with the location and a brief summary; if not, book the appointment.
"Veterinary medicine is on demand. It's not like a human medicine."
Fresh photos, frequent posts, and topics he named: heartworm, vaccines, emergencies, hit-by-car.
"Look how rubbish it is."
The AI should ask "Spanish or English?" at the start.
"English to Spanish is very important."
Keep Vetspire online booking, with the AI syncing to the portal.
"We have to open all dimensions… some people don't want to call."
Ask at most once a year per client, not after every visit.
"Once a year is better, 'cause they will come for every booster appointment."
He wants Sai to absorb the flow and use a test account before the API key. On pricing: come in reasonable, no contract, then raise it later.
"Initially you have to — you are a starter."
Today it's email or text, and the calls get missed. Callbacks in general "fall through the cracks."
"Typically, we like to give them a call two days after. Uh, it doesn't always happen."
An AI pre-filter for busy times, when she has two or three phones going.
"That'll help her immensely."
The doctor-production report is the weak spot: untagged invoice items mean going invoice by invoice.
"The two biggest reports… doctor production and then probably our controlled drug usage."
He told a caller the AI will catch "all those ones that kind of fall through the cracks."
"We're gonna fix that with AI."
Alerts to the front desk and Dr. K, with AI-booked appointments marked in the notes.
Refills the doctor entered are easy; preventives and most chronic meds are fine if the exam is current. Anything else goes to a doctor, and the client should know the doctor was asked.
"Your pet is current on their exam, they can get a refill or they're not."
He prefers Sai's new Aldine site and asked whether Dr. K's photo can be added.
"It looks a lot nicer."
So people "don't have to call and talk to me," except urgent cases. Today, online requests still need a call-back to confirm a time.
"Um, I would say about a good eighty percent are [scheduling]."
At least four urgent calls a day, and cost is what stops people.
"Money is their barrier, honestly."
The clinic's price sheet gives rough estimates only; Sai photographed it as a possible AI answer source.
She declined to try the demo but was positive about the AI assistant.
"I like it."
What she'd want the AI to handle, with "talk to a technician" as its own option, separate from the receptionist.
"I think it's just refills, making appointments… or speaking to a technician."
Receptionist first, then a technician; the doctor only if they "absolutely can't."
"We really don't pass the phone straight to the doctor."
Intake-form links often fail or don't arrive. Collecting the details while booking would have them ready on arrival: "Yeah, definitely."
"Sometimes the links don't work… a lot of people don't get signals."
Two phones up front; the back picks up from ring 2–3. When it's busy, "we just put them on hold… they get backed up."
Today's path comes from Recordings 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The proposed decision tree was agreed in Recordings 2 and 7; the rules under it come from Recordings 8, 9 and 11.
Auto-attendant, set up "just three days ago" for all three clinics. Emergencies are told to call Q Veterinary Hospital.
"If not an emergency, press one to leave a voicemail." The voicemail can't book.
"Nobody leaves voicemails, right?" Scheduling calls still arrive up to 7:30–8 because people don't see the closing hours. Per Ryan, the phones roll to voicemail after 6:30 and before 8.
Rafaela answers, often with two or three lines going and others on hold, while also handling walk-ins.
The front desk answers on ring 1–2; from about ring 2–3 the back picks up too. When it's busy, callers "get backed up" on hold.
Callbacks get missed: "a lot of the times I was too busy" (Ryan).
Calls aren't passed straight to a doctor: receptionist, then technician, then doctor (Odalis).
The phone provider can't record calls or allow listen-in: "No, we can't enable it." Calls are now forwarded through Twilio for recording, and Sai asked for a SIP address.
As described by Ryan, Rafaela and Odalis. The charts show the shape they described, not measured volume.
"Heavy in the morning up until noon… a lull from noon to three, and then after three or four, it'll start picking up." (Ryan, Rec 6)
Busiest on Monday, Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday, so Monday starts with a rush (Rec 5).
Nagaraju: "We have thirty percent no-show rates… every clinic has twenty to thirty percent." Walk-ins fill the gap, so the AI shouldn't over-offer walk-ins (Rec 2, Rec 7).
Voicemail times and the Saturday close are as Ryan described them; the full weekday opening hours weren't stated. People call "five minutes before eight and… five minutes after six thirty" (Rec 8).
Sai's three main features from Recording 7, the extras the team added through the day, and the marketing work.
"Especially for after-hours when most of the calls… go to voicemail right now." It checks the Vetspire schedule and books, answers refill questions through the Vetspire API, and forwards urgent calls. Bilingual English/Spanish.
Rec 7A text after the visit, triggered by the receptionist, linking to Google Maps or the website. It tracks who already reviewed, and asks at most once a year per client.
Rec 7The AI calls about upcoming vaccinations and books during the call.
Rec 7Follow-up calls for sick patients, which today "don't always happen."
Rec 6For heartworm prevention: check the file, ask which product and "one month or six months?", order it and print the label. Whether the API can print still needs checking.
Rec 2A production-tag audit for reports, help entering line items (the techs' most time-consuming task), and maybe a chat helper for prescription instructions, since Vetspire sometimes shows "give blank."
Rec 6 · Rec 10Clear-cut refills (preventives, chronic meds with a current exam) become requests; the rest go to a doctor, and the caller is told. Point suitable refills to the clinic's My Vet Store.
Rec 8A path separate from the receptionist, so calls never go straight to a doctor.
Rec 9Collect the visit reason and intake details during the call or online booking, and push them to Vetspire, instead of links that often fail.
Rec 9Today the web form sends an email and staff call back to settle a time. Real booking would connect straight to Vetspire.
Rec 9The phone provider can't record, so calls are forwarded through Twilio for recording. A SIP address would cut the outbound-leg cost and avoid forwarding loops.
Rec 8 · Rec 10The Spanish demo lost track in the loud back room. Harden the AI against background noise and retest.
Rec 9Sai has Manager access. Fresh photos (100+ beats fewer than 10) and frequent posts, since a post lasts about a week.
Rec 1The Q Vet landing page is temporary. "If you can make it a full website, do it."
Rec 1Ryan: "It looks a lot nicer." Next: fix the new-client link, add the financing link, and consider Dr. K's photo.
Rec 6 · 8 · 9Calls go to voicemail, the auto-attendant can't book, and nobody leaves voicemails. Voicemail kicks in after 6:30 PM and before 8 AM, and people call minutes either side. Saturday closes at 5:30, after a 12–5 rush.
Two or three lines with callers on hold, about 80% of calls are scheduling, and callbacks get missed. The front desk answers on ring 1–2, the back on ring 2–3, and callers pile up on hold.
The sick/wellness mix, walk-ins as cover for 20–30% no-shows, and clients loyal to a doctor and location. Most bookings are same-day, Fridays and Saturdays fill ahead, and 0–6 walk-ins arrive a day. Specialist procedures follow a visiting technician's dates.
Many of the front desk's clients speak Spanish. The Spanish demo broke down in back-room noise, so noise robustness matters too.
Cloud-based, printing over a network printer. Sai has super-user access; the API key comes after he learns the flow. Gaps: production reporting, line items, assessment and plan recorded twice, instructions that show "give blank," and intake links that often fail.
The GBP is neglected (last post "eight years ago"), there's vendor frustration, and the urgent-care page is temporary. Ryan likes the new Aldine site; it needs a working new-client link and the financing link.
It reopened last week after 3–4 months closed, "starting out kind of at ground zero." It's also the emergency transfer target. Its website lists Monday through Saturday, so no Sunday.
Sai is a starter; PostcardMania has been around "twenty, thirty years" and mainly sends postcard mailers. The plan is to pitch about 50% of what clinics pay on average.
Preventives and chronic meds with a current exam are clear-cut. Antibiotics, unlisted meds and overdue blood work go to a doctor, case by case, and the client must hear that the doctor was asked. The clinic's My Vet Store is an alternative.
Receptionist, then technician, then doctor; never straight to a doctor. Odalis's list for the AI: refills, appointments, and speaking to a technician.
The phone provider has no call recording or listen-in, so calls are now forwarded through Twilio for recording. Sai asked the provider for a SIP address that rings the clinic phones without forwarding; support will call back.
Solid tags were spoken in English; dashed tags are translated from Telugu.
Number one was… a AI receptionist… especially for after-hours when most of the calls… go to voicemail right now.
He is taking money but not doing anything.
Nobody leaves voicemails, right?
Money is their barrier, honestly.
We're gonna fix that with AI.
Veterinary medicine is on demand. It's not like a human medicine.
Look how rubbish it is.
It said 'Nagaraju' properly. Even I was shocked.
Typically, we like to give them a call two days after. Uh, it doesn't always happen.
English to Spanish is very important.
Um, I would say about a good eighty percent are [scheduling].
Give us a chance of two, three, four months… if there is no difference we can part in a friendly way.
They're starting out kind of at ground zero, almost like a new clinic.
Once a year is better, 'cause they will come for every booster appointment.
He wants to create an AI Rafaela.
That'll help her immensely.
Initially you have to — you are a starter.
The two biggest reports… doctor production and then probably our controlled drug usage.
Can you do this landing page too? If you can make it a full website, do it.
I like it.
We really don't pass the phone straight to the doctor.
The doctor's not just gonna refill the antibiotics.
No, we can't enable it.
I think it's just refills, making appointments… or speaking to a technician.
Your pet is current on their exam, they can get a refill or they're not.
I need a SIP address that… calls the line directly without call forwarding.
A lot of them are same-day appointments.
Sometimes the links don't work… a lot of people don't get signals.
It looks a lot nicer… this one's not terrible, but it's kind of just basic.
It just says blank.
So it's mostly like you pay upfront, and then we call the people, and we take their available dates.
Where the recordings don't name an owner, the item sits in a shared backlog. Tick items off as they're done; ticks are saved in this browser only.
Owner not named in the recordings
Owner not named in the recordings
Things the recordings didn't settle.
This is the share of spoken content rendered with confidence. ElevenLabs Scribe v2's mean word confidence ranged from 0.93 (Recordings 1–3) to 0.99 (Recording 7).