[01] Context
PetSmart spans two associate responsibilities: pets for sale on the retail floor, and pets in active care. When health issues show up in either group, staff need licensed veterinary guidance on the spot, without leaving the floor or arranging risky off-site transport. In-store telehealth connects store teams to Vetster veterinarians where those pets already are.
WHERE_PETS_ARE_IN_CARE
Four in-store settings where associates watch pets day to day.
[02] Problem
PetSmart associates needed faster, safer access to veterinary support for animals in their care, without pulling teams off the floor for long off-site trips.
RISKY_TRANSPORT
Associates used personal vehicles to move sick or injured pets to clinics, creating liability exposure and animal risk during transit.
SLOW_TIME_TO_CARE
Getting to an in-person visit could take hours, a critical delay when an animal shows distress on the floor or in PetsHotel.
OPERATIONAL_COST
Each off-site trip meant downtime, mileage, and disruption, multiplied across 1,600+ locations.
INCONSISTENT_VET_ACCESS
Only ~50 to 64% of stores have in-store Banfield clinics. Stores without on-site vets lacked a fast path to professional guidance.
[03] Solutions
The full associate path: Get Care, then guided intake that educates store staff on which cases fit telehealth. An RVT concierge starts the consult, gathers symptoms and context for the veterinarian, and hands off to a video visit. Everything rolls up into a care plan and prescription flow at the end.
SCOPE_OF_CARE
Designed for non-emergency cases associates see on the floor, aligned with how PetSmart and Vetster described the public launch:
- Vomiting, diarrhea, infections, minor injuries
- Anxiety, allergies, skin concerns
- Weight management, flea and tick prevention
- Dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, amphibians, small animals
SOLUTION_PATH
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01
Get Care
Start visit
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02
Select pet
Profile / add
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03
Education & intake
Triage & telehealth eligibility
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04
White-glove concierge
RVT gathers context
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05
Video with vet
Live consult
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06
Care plan
Summary & Rx if needed
PRODUCT_DEMO
[04] Process
Phased discovery through multi-state rollout, learning each market before expanding, with analytics and field support as levers.
01
Discovery & scoping
Mapped associate workflows, regulatory (VCPR), and success criteria with PetSmart leadership.
02
Platform design
Tailored the experience for store associates: guided intake, white-glove RVT concierge, video consult, and care plan delivery on store devices.
03
Technical integration
Security and data monitoring set up, PetSmart compliance requirements, and deployment to store hardware.
04
Pilot
Piloted in select stores to test associate engagement rate, with in-person field support to see what drove adoption on the floor.
05
Measure & iterate
Reviewed engagement data and store feedback, then refined UX and triage for the next rollout wave.
06
Measure & optimize
Metabase dashboards: activation, conversion, NPS, and revenue; store associate interviews; weekly launch reviews per market.
[05] Outcomes
Program metrics from the internal pilot through VCPR expansion, with conversion and satisfaction holding up under real store load.
EXPERIENCE_PROOF
Under real store load, associates kept moving step to step. Conversion and satisfaction held up across the funnel:
Intake conversion
85.9%
Concierge conversion
99.6%
Appt completion
95.3%
Associate NPS
4.92
A few things that held up on the floor:
- Intake and triage made sense on the floor. Structured questions and plain language got associates through the first screen without abandoning the flow.
- Concierge bridged the wait. RVT chat kept momentum between intake and video consult instead of losing people to ambiguity or hold-time frustration.
- The path stayed coherent through consult. Associates who reached video follow-through to care plan delivery, the heaviest part of the journey did not break down.
- Associates wanted to use it again. Satisfaction stayed high once rollout pressure was real, a signal the in-store experience felt worth repeating, not just workable once.