Customers-you never know

[HappyFarmer]

Customers are so hard to read sometimes.

Many times I'm sure they won't be buying then they call me wanting to pick up immediately.

Once I even received a deposit, then they call back with an allergy to goats!

I take a deposit on unborn kids (they wanted first pick of the season) then I send photos exactly as requested, goats, barns, feeders etc., and don't hear from them since they were here 2 weeks ago & several e-mails later. I was kinda expecting an acknowledgement of receipt?

Some try to talk me down on price & leave seemingly uninterested, then call back & want not only 1 but 2 goats!

Some just don't like the price & buy cheaper, at I suspect sales barns.

Then of course those that can't comprehend why I practice biosecurity & they get insulted at those practices.

Of course some are very happy about the biosecurity & tell me they can't thank me enough.

Most could care less about disease tested stock, and look at me like I have 3 eyes.

Those that do care about disease testing ask about our status, but never ask for the proof (which I have handy).

Then a recent one, lady e-mailed wanting a good solid buck, had a 2 year old I raised I would sell for the right price, exactly what she was looking for. Tells me she's shopping around. 4-5 e-mails later, with several WEEKS between each of her responses, she wants to come look. A week later she can't come. No response for 3 weeks, THEN wants to purchase the buck, and wanted to know if he was the same price. He is one nice boy, but quite frankly after all that I didn't want to sell him to her so he was no longer available. She, all the while apolozing for "disappearing".

I'm not even going to get started on the follow-up questions, all answered right in the hand-out I give with each sale.

Still I'm thankful I've sold all of those for sale, but geesh these people I can never tell their intentions.

Anyone else have experiences with customers that keep you guessing the outcome?
HF

[madness]

Oh yes, and this is only our first year selling kids. The worst was a friend who wanted a buckling and a wether. Well....4 months later, we STILL have those boys! They are eating a lot too. I finally had to tell her this week that I was listing them for sale and we couldn't hold them any longer. I emailed her...haven't heard a response back. But that's a long time to wait on faith alone that she would eventually want them. I will be so glad to be rid of them too!

[Bearfootfarm]

But that's a long time to wait on faith alone that she would eventually want them

Faith alone works for God
All others have to put down a deposit

I've found that weeds out those who arent serious faster than anything

[madness]

^ Yup. But when it's a friend, you think you can bend the rules. Well, lesson learned!

[HappyFarmer]

Well, about 9 out of 10 people who actually visit buy, so that's the good part. They either walk away with a goat, or they wait for it to become of age. If I can get them to visit, that's 90% of the sale here.

The part that irritates me the most is the $100 wethers. Geesh, I spend anywhere from 5 - 10 hours or so for a wether sale. Time spent could be e-mails, phone calls, visiting & talking goats, bringing them out for viewing, taking pictures (course I have to send a good one, not one where they look cock-eyed), then follow up calls. All part of the sale I know, ensuring a happy & repeat customer I bend over backwards. I wouldn't mind so much if they appreciated it & actually followed instructions. It's when they call me a year later when the goat died from UC that gets me. I have a hard time biting my tongue so as not to say "didn't we spend about 45 minutes discussing feeding & UC?". One customer was certain it was some horrible genetic problem disease, but the necropsy showed UC!

I'm considering just selling the bucklings as bottle babies, but then worry the support phone calls would be even worse, or the kid would die because they didn't follow instructions & would want a replacement. If I give one they may kill that one, if I don't I'd get trashed to other potential customers. How do breeders deal with the day-old sale of kids in these situations?

I know I know, welcome to sales.
HF

[Painted Pony]

Part of my sales contract includes an information page with websites I recommend to my buyers. My contract also discusses basic goat health and I send along a care guide I typed up myself. It covers bottling, doe & buck feeding the first year, worming, cocci, BoSe, bolusing, hoof care, milking tips, and it's tailored to the type of sale. I think most people get information overload when they first purchase so trying to remember it all is to much to expect.Even with all I send home people will still usually call after the sale but I accept that as part of selling live animals. I try to look at it as a positive thing that they care enough to call and want to care for their animals the right way.

I get the calls or e-mails that fail to reply for several weeks too. I figure they make the initial contact out of impluse or just "window shopping" and contact again when they are serious about buying. I have tried to put as much information on my website as possible so people who are curious can go there for information. I think it does cut down on the number of curious contacts and limits me to more serious buyers, but who knows.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

I started my forum because of customers. Contracts and having a forum is the only way to keep sane during kidding seasons and sales. Vicki