Every year, we ask our veterinary clients to tell us what they really think about working with Kernow Vets Messaging.

What are we getting right? Where could we improve? And, perhaps most importantly, what difference does having an answering service actually make to the people using it?

The results of our 2026 client survey are in, and we’re incredibly proud of them.

Our clients gave us an average satisfaction score of 4.81 out of 5, while our average score for likelihood to recommend Kernow Vets Messaging to another veterinary practice was 4.90 out of 5.

Every respondent rated their overall satisfaction either 4 or 5 out of 5.

Those numbers are lovely to see, of course. But some of the most valuable insights came from what veterinary teams told us in their own words.

It’s about much more than answering the phone

When we asked practices about the biggest benefits of using Kernow Vets Messaging, one theme appeared again and again: peace of mind.

For some, that’s knowing their clients can reach somebody 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For others, it’s knowing that if an on-call vet is somewhere with poor signal, we’ll continue working through their agreed protocol to make sure an important call isn’t simply missed.

Practices also told us that having Kernow there helps protect their team’s work/life balance. Rather than vets having to answer every initial out-of-hours call themselves, we can gather the relevant information and pass it on according to the practice’s protocols.

StreetVet explained the difference this makes to its team:

“Kernow Vets Messaging play a vital role in supporting StreetVet clients OOHs. For the StreetVet team, it’s really important to know that our clients are in safe hands and will be looked after when we’re not available. Our clients know that they can call anytime and there will be someone to reassure and support them regardless of whether it’s a quick question or an emergency. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a friendly and professional team to handle their calls.”

Supporting the vet on the road

For our farm, equine and large-animal practices, out-of-hours working brings its own challenges.

Vets can be on the road, working alone, dealing with an emergency or standing somewhere that mobile phone signal apparently forgot existed.

Our survey highlighted just how important it is for vets to receive useful information about a call before speaking to the client.

One equine practice told us that having quality information about emergency calls has made a significant difference to its vets because they have a better understanding of what they’re heading into and can rely on the information being passed to them.

Another highlighted the reassurance of knowing that if the on-call vet can’t be reached, Kernow will follow the practice’s agreed escalation process rather than leaving the call unanswered.

It’s a reminder that good veterinary call handling isn’t simply about answering quickly. It’s about asking the right questions, recording the right information and getting it to the right person.

As Equus Vets told us:

“I have always found the Kernow team excellent. They are always helpful and friendly with our veterinary team (even if it is in the middle of the night!). They do an excellent job of handling clients and pass information on to our team quickly.”

Looking after lone workers

Our Lone Worker Monitoring service was another area clients highlighted.

Veterinary teams told us it gives both the person working alone and the wider practice reassurance that somebody is keeping track of them.

For practices with vets working alone at night, that’s an important additional layer of support. It means there is a process in place for checking in, logging activity and responding when somebody doesn’t check back in as expected.

Several respondents specifically talked about their teams feeling safer, reassured and cared for as a result.

For us, that’s one of the most important things our service can do.

Veterinary professionals spend an enormous amount of their working lives looking after other people and their animals. Someone should be looking out for them too.

Daytime support matters too

Although Kernow is perhaps best known for out-of-hours veterinary call handling, our survey also showed how practices are using us during the working day.

Our Daytime Overflow service can step in when reception teams are busy, during staff shortages, while teams are holding meetings or when something unexpected happens.

And sometimes, unexpected really does mean unexpected.

One practice told us that our overflow service became particularly valuable when they unexpectedly lost both their landline and internet for nine days.

Another said daytime answering allows them to hold team meetings without constant interruptions from the telephone.

Another highlighted the reassurance of knowing there is a backup available if their internal phone system has problems.

It’s why we increasingly see overflow answering as more than simply a solution for a busy reception desk.

It can become part of a practice’s business continuity plan too.

A team at the end of the phone

Technology has changed enormously since Kernow started answering veterinary calls more than 30 years ago.

But one thing hasn’t changed: when somebody is worried about an animal, having a calm and helpful human being at the end of the phone matters.

One of our favourite pieces of feedback came from Avonvale Veterinary Practice:

“Extremely helpful team who are always very pleasant at the end of the phone. Very conscientious when taking messages from clients and relaying them to our vets.”

That means a lot to us because we don’t want Kernow to feel like an anonymous call centre.

We work to each practice’s individual protocols and aim to become an extension of their team, whether we’re answering a daytime overflow call or speaking to a worried client in the middle of the night.

Finally, thank you to every practice and every member of the veterinary profession who took the time to complete our 2026 survey.

We’re delighted with an average 4.81/5 satisfaction score and 4.90/5 likelihood-to-recommend score.

But we’re even more pleased to hear that our service is helping practices protect their teams, support lone workers, improve work/life balance, keep clients connected and provide backup when things don’t quite go to plan.

We’re proud to be part of your team.

And we’ll keep listening to make sure we’re an even better part of it.