Google is constantly rolling out new features to try to make web searches as user-friendly as possible. In order to ensure that your veterinary hospital is making the most of these new features, it is important that you understand what they are and how they work. This guide will take you through the basics of Google’s new AI pricing feature so you can make it work for you.

What Is AI Pricing?

When searching for local businesses, some internet users are now seeing a button below their search results that says “Have AI Get Pricing.” When clicked, users can ask for a quote on a particular service, like the cost for a cat exam, and AI will call 5-10 local businesses to get a price quote comparison.

What Business Owners Experience

This new feature is different from price comparisons of the past, and it’s important that you understand what to look for so you don’t miss out on an opportunity for new clients. Once someone requests a price check, the AI will call your practice. In a robotic voice, you will hear “Hi, I’m calling from Google to check pricing for a client,” which can sound like spam or telemarketing if you’ve never heard it before. Rest assured, this is a very real call, and it could get you new clients with minimal effort on your part.

It’s very important to answer to the best of your ability. If you hang up, or say “we can’t give prices over the phone,” your hospital will be marked with “Pricing Unavailable,” and the client will most likely book with someone else who provided the information.

How Does AI Get the Pricing Right?

Before making the call, Google’s AI pricing tool will ask the pet owner a series of questions to understand their needs. Pet owners can choose between services like “Animal Health” or “Animal Dental,” and then provide more specifics like the animal’s breed, age, and weight. It will also ask for a timeline of when the service is needed, and the desired location to get the most accurate results. Google will then decide which practices to call by:

• Proximity
• Responsiveness
• Completeness

The AI Pricing Cheat Sheet for Your Front Desk

If you receive a call that says “This is an automated call from Google,” this is how you should proceed:

 The Golden Rule: Don’t Hang Up

Google tracks if you answer. If you consistently miss these calls or hang up, Google assumes you are “closed” or “unresponsive” and will stop showing you in these results. Not only does this mean missing out on a potential new client who is ready to schedule an appointment, but it might eventually also affect normal SEO.

The “Starting At” Strategy

We know it is hard to quote prices without seeing the pet. But saying “it depends” to the AI results means you will not show up favorably in this comparison. The AI needs a number to fill in its box.

The Solution: Provide a “Starting At” price.

If the AI asks “How much is a dental cleaning?” you can respond with the following:

• “Our dental procedures start at $[Price]. This includes the exam and basic scaling, but may go up depending on the pet’s condition.” This satisfies the bot (it gets a number), but protects the medical team (you gave a baseline, not a promise).

Availability is Key

Dos and Don’ts of Working with AI Pricing

If you get a call like this from Google, it’s important to remember a few dos and don’ts. These include:

Don’t

• Hang up
• Say check the website
• Say you don’t have any openings
• Refuse to quote a price

Do

• Listen for the specific service 
• Give the most accurate information you can
• Use the “starting at” tactic for quoting prices
• Confirm your availability

Your Marketing Partner for 2026 and Beyond

Beyond Indigo Pets is here to help you make the best decisions for your veterinary marketing. From advising you on Google’s newest features to helping you set new goals for your business, we make it easy to get new tails through your door. Contact us today to make us your marketing partner for 2026 and beyond.