Breeders not responding?

[Brunoheart]

Hi all, I have emailed three different breeders over the last month or so. I understand that it is a busy time of year, but I emailed the first breeder a month or so ago, the second 2-3 weeks ago and the last, just a few days ago. I'm wondering if this is normal or am I asking the wrong questions? I have asked breeders in states surrounding mine if they were planning to attend the shows in their states (there are none in my state) and I have asked if they would be willing to send pics of a few (3-4) specific adult morphs so that I would have a better idea of what they'll look like when all grown up. Am I asking the wrong questions or are they just too busy with breeding to respond? How long should I wait before sending another email to avoid being a pest? Are there other places that I can find info on which breeders might be attending which shows? I am facing a drive of at least 2 hours to get to any reptile show and don't want to waste my time going to a show where there are no decent Balls/breeders. By the way, I am in Delaware and willing to travel into PA, MD and NJ (possibly to northern VA) to visit a show. I'm still not planning to buy until spring, but want to go talk to people and interact with some snakes before deciding if I'm definately getting one. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[DarkComeSoon]

Some breeders just don't respond I once emailed a breeder and they got back to me a month lated talking about a lost tortoises even though I emailed them about colombian BCI's.

[BPelizabeth]

If I were you....(this is what I do) go online and start googling to look up pics. This way you will get an idea of what you want and what it will look like when it is an adult. Then once you get an idea you can choose a few breeders and ask them if they have it and to send you some pics.

I personally have only bought from one breeder and he is the greatest guy in the world. He gets back to me quickly and answers all of my stupid questions...lol

Unfortunatley...he lives in Tucson. So if you are interested in buying a snake that you have only viewed pics of then feel free to shoot me an email and I will give you his info. I am sure he doesn't travel to the east coast. But then again who knows I just found out tonight he does shows in Germany!

Hope that helps!!

[Freakie_frog]

I can't speak for everyone. But it seems that this is a growing problem among breeders. There are many out there that have the time to answer questions and work to build a future customer relationship with you. You shouldn't have to chase someone down to give them hundreds of dollars of your hard earned money.

Customer service is just that a "Service" you offer your customers, whether it be overnight shipping, feeding records, swag or even a returned email. This is all customer service. Now many Consumers misunderstand this meaning too. It doesn't mean that I should get up from family dinner and answer the phone, or that I should be answering emails via blackberry during my grandmothers funeral. It does mean however that at the next available convince time I return your communication with you getting my undivided attention.

Many breeders forget a #1 rule in business. Everyone is a potential customer. Every successful business know this its why Ford advertises in Woman's Day, and jewelery stores advertise in GQ. If breeders treated every contact they make like this person intends to buy something then you wouldn't have unanswered emails, phones, ect.

How long should you wait? That's going to depend on whether you feel your time is as valuable as there's if you try again you've already expended twice as much energy as they had to get the information.

More business is lost every year through neglect than through any other cause. ~ Rose F Kennedy

[Brunoheart]

Thanks all for your responses. The third breeder (the one I just emailed a few days ago) got back to me this morning with an apology for taking so long and answers to my questions!!! This breeder was mentioned on here a few days ago as being wonderful and he is close enough to me that I would feel comfortable dealing with him. He even offered to anwer any questions about animals at the show even if they are not his if possible. As much as I like instant gratification in most circumstances, aquiring animals is not one of those circumstances and I am most definately willing to wait for the BP that I want. I have it narrowed down to a few different morphs after looking at lots of pics, but want to see them in person before deciding. Thanks again, I really do appreciate your help.

[Wh00h0069]

If I e-mail a breeder and they do not respond within a few days, I just e-mail another breeder. If they do not have enough time for my inquiries, then they do not deserve my money either. I have had breeders e-mail me back weeks later. If they are going to e-mail this late, they should not bother at all. There are tons of breeders out there who have good customer service. I do not see any reason to deal with ones that don’t.

[SnakeGirl3]

I can't speak for everyone. But it seems that this is a growing problem among breeders. There are many out there that have the time to answer questions and work to build a future customer relationship with you. You shouldn't have to chase someone down to give them hundreds of dollars of your hard earned money.

Customer service is just that a "Service" you offer your customers, whether it be overnight shipping, feeding records, swag or even a returned email. This is all customer service. Now many Consumers misunderstand this meaning too. It doesn't mean that I should get up from family dinner and answer the phone, or that I should be answering emails via blackberry during my grandmothers funeral. It does mean however that at the next available convince time I return your communication with you getting my undivided attention.

Many breeders forget a #1 rule in business. Everyone is a potential customer. Every successful business know this its why Ford advertises in Woman's Day, and jewelery stores advertise in GQ. If breeders treated every contact they make like this person intends to buy something then you wouldn't have unanswered emails, phones, ect.

How long should you wait? That's going to depend on whether you feel your time is as valuable as there's if you try again you've already expended twice as much energy as they had to get the information.

You have hit the nail on the head. I once had a guy email me asking the cost of one of my snakes with the shipping added. He had given me his ZIP code, so I checked it out for him. I emailed him back with the amount, and I got a really rude email back from him saying that it was way too much money and that he thought he could get snakes a lot cheaper online. I kept my cool though. He might find a "cheap" snake out there, but it's probably going to have issues. So I emailed him back thanking him for considering me, and offering any assistance I could once he had found a snake, even if it wasn't one of mine. I told him I'd be happy to answer any questions he might have, and not to hesitate to ask if he needed my help. He replied much less rudely, thanking me for my offer. I since haven't heard back from him, but you never know--he might become a customer one day. He might not, either, but he could tell a friend "this one girl I spoke with was really helpful, here's her website address." You never know.

[Lolo76]

I can't speak for everyone. But it seems that this is a growing problem among breeders. There are many out there that have the time to answer questions and work to build a future customer relationship with you. You shouldn't have to chase someone down to give them hundreds of dollars of your hard earned money.

I agree! Most of my experiences have been good thus far, but I did have a lack of responses from one BIG-time breeder - despite three emails over a period of a few months, one implying that I was ready to buy asap. Maybe it was just a case of my email going to spam, but it did seem a bit odd... especially since he has a great reputation, and everyone else said he's quick with responses. Anyway, I think this issue is highly important for a business owner, no matter what you're selling.