Disappointed in lack of email response...

I have emailed numerous online breeders requesting pictures of some ball pythons and asking some questions. I have gotten NO response from BHB and a few other places. The only response I have gotten is LLLreptile (they have been great by the way). I'm really not sure why I have been getting little to no response from anyone...

I also sent another email to BHB to their info email address and my message got denied saying their mailbox was full...

Is this a busy time for them? Maybe I should just give them a call?...Anyone else experienced this problem?

I would call them. Your email may have went to a SPAM folder or their box may be full.

But I do agree in this day and age, that getting back to emails is important.

BHB has such a large number of animals I don't think there is ever a time when they aren't busy. This is also the time when a lot of breeders are either pairing up animals or waiting for clutches.

As for the non answered emails, it could be something as simple as a sickness in the front office staff. It's amazing how having just one person out for a few days can really slow down even the most well oiled machine.

Have you tried calling BHB? If nothing else, you can probably leave them a message.

Be careful with LLL Reptile. If you don't get quick responses from a breeder that you would like to buy from, I would steer clear. Yes they are big and busy, but remember, you will get the same treatment when you have a problem you need rendered.

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Originally Posted by twistedtails

Be careful with LLL Reptile. If you don't get quick responses from a breeder that you would like to buy from, I would steer clear. Yes they are big and busy, but remember, you will get the same treatment when you have a problem you need rendered.

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Yeah LLL didn't have any normal balls that were captive bred. They just had imports...so I wont be doing business with them unfortunately.

That's exactly what I was thinking...I will give BHB a phone call this weekend and see how that goes.

Does anyone else know some reputable breeders that ship their animals? I'm looking for a small normal ball python..

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Originally Posted by nickxshort

Yeah LLL didn't have any normal balls that were captive bred. They just had imports...so I wont be doing business with them unfortunately.

That's exactly what I was thinking...I will give BHB a phone call this weekend and see how that goes.

Does anyone else know some reputable breeders that ship their animals? I'm looking for a small normal ball python..

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Call Ralph Davis. His customer service is top notch! Even if LLL had captive reptiles I wouldn't buy them. I was 2 for 2 with mites from them. The only reason I bought a second one was because it was a nice dinker(Special).

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Originally Posted by nickxshort

Does anyone else know some reputable breeders that ship their animals? I'm looking for a small normal ball python..

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Lots of them on this Forum including our own Super Moderator Deborah. Look for the website links in their signatures.

If you E-mail BHB you almost always have to email Brian directly. You wouldn't believe the numbers of E-mails that they receive. Between Request for animals, and comments on Snakebytes they just have a difficult time keeping up. Usually the best bet is to call them, and leave a message....

Kobylka is pretty good with answering emails in a reasonable time same as jimmy ma at justmorphs. Theres quite a few good breeders that are great with customer service. I actually have a male axanthic female lesser and female super pastel coming in tomorrow from jimmy ma. He is also very flexible with payment plans and responds quickly. I definatly reccomend him

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Originally Posted by Slim

Lots of them on this Forum including our own Super Moderator Deborah. Look for the website links in their signatures.

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I contacted Deborah and she got right back to me. She has one normal male left in my price range so I'll be doing business with her. She even sent me some pictures and details. Hope everything works out and I can have him sent out soon! :-)

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Originally Posted by nickxshort

I contacted Deborah and she got right back to me. She has one normal male left in my price range so I'll be doing business with her. She even sent me some pictures and details. Hope everything works out and I can have him sent out soon! :-)

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That's awesome! Glad it worked out for you! I'm sure you will get a really nice BP from her.

Email Kevin at NERD too in the future. I've emailed him just to talk genetics and he's always answered right away.

I've never purchased from BHB, but I've found Brian to be rather accessible...as mentioned, contact him directly through his e-mail, not the general BHB business e-mail.

Jon Courtney of Cold Blooded Addiction is top notch when it comes to correspondence as well. I've purchased from him a few times and every so often bounce questions off of him, and he always answers in a timely manner, and in my experience, offers advice/input beyond what is asked.

Anyhow, glad you found your snake!

Getting a BP from Deborah is great decision. Purchased a Black Pastel male and he is healthy and eats like a champ.

I got a response within a couple of hours from both BHB and Royal Constrictor designs. They both answered all my questions

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Originally Posted by nickxshort

I have emailed numerous online breeders requesting pictures of some ball pythons and asking some questions. I have gotten NO response from BHB and a few other places. The only response I have gotten is LLLreptile (they have been great by the way). I'm really not sure why I have been getting little to no response from anyone...

I also sent another email to BHB to their info email address and my message got denied saying their mailbox was full...

Is this a busy time for them? Maybe I should just give them a call?...Anyone else experienced this problem?

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Time is money, they have probably had issues with going the extra mile, sending pictures, and answering questions, only to have the people not be serious about a purchase, so they probably dont even bother unless you inquire about a specific animal they have for sale, plus they are probably really busy or as the op said it may have went to spam folder. Most breeders have a website with pictures and information on the specific animals for sale. Maybe if you were more specific about which animal you would like to inquire about they might get back to you sooner. Also as already mentioned, I've emailed Ralph Davis about inquiries several times an he has gotten back to me the next day. And as you pointed out, just call them it will be much faster and you may be able to get more answers on what you want.

You can't go wrong dealing with Deborah - I bought my female pied bp from her and it was an awesome experience and gorgeous bp

I've also purchased from Brian with BHB and had a great experience also

Deborah has been awesome! She has a normal on hold for me. As soon as receive all my supplies I'll have her ship him out for me! Super stoked...first snake too. :-)

I know you found one for now from Deborah, but for the next one, *snicker snicker* (as they are addicting) you might want to consider Garrick DeMeyer. He has a great website with good pictures, and prices of all available. Lots of beautiful snakes. And he will get right back to you, and has been great to work with. Enjoy your new bp, they are great!

It's 2012 and we are in the e-commerce age so there is really no excuse for lack of communication. Technology fails every once and awhile and I leave some room for these types of errors. But since the beginning of my browsing on KS around 1997, I've had more stories than I can count of dealers/breeders/sellers not getting back to me after I inquired about an animal. I don't buy the excuse that time is money and that large breeders are too busy to communicate in a timely fashion. Customers and potential customers deserve their time and effort. To me, that's what this is all about. Building relationships and getting people excited about the animal that they want to purchase - NOT to post a description of the animal and have a "take it or leave it" attitude. But that's just me!

Gook luck and just keep in mind that are MANY breeders and hobbyists that are reputable, have great snakes, and are willing to communicate in a timely manner. Congrats on your find! :)

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Originally Posted by jonf

It's 2012 and we are in the e-commerce age so there is really no excuse for lack of communication. Technology fails every once and awhile and I leave some room for these types of errors. But since the beginning of my browsing on KS around 1997, I've had more stories than I can count of dealers/breeders/sellers not getting back to me after I inquired about an animal. I don't buy the excuse that time is money and that large breeders are too busy to communicate in a timely fashion. Customers and potential customers deserve their time and effort. To me, that's what this is all about. Building relationships and getting people excited about the animal that they want to purchase - NOT to post a description of the animal and have a "take it or leave it" attitude. But that's just me!

Gook luck and just keep in mind that are MANY breeders and hobbyists that are reputable, have great snakes, and are willing to communicate in a timely manner. Congrats on your find! :)

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I 100% agree with you. Good communication and customer support is very important to me.
Thanks! I'll be sure to post pictures of my setup and ball later this week.

Looking forward to this new "addiction" as you all call it. ;)

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Originally Posted by jonf

It's 2012 and we are in the e-commerce age so there is really no excuse for lack of communication. Technology fails every once and awhile and I leave some room for these types of errors. But since the beginning of my browsing on KS around 1997, I've had more stories than I can count of dealers/breeders/sellers not getting back to me after I inquired about an animal. I don't buy the excuse that time is money and that large breeders are too busy to communicate in a timely fashion. Customers and potential customers deserve their time and effort. To me, that's what this is all about. Building relationships and getting people excited about the animal that they want to purchase - NOT to post a description of the animal and have a "take it or leave it" attitude. But that's just me!

Gook luck and just keep in mind that are MANY breeders and hobbyists that are reputable, have great snakes, and are willing to communicate in a timely manner. Congrats on your find! :)

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You missed my point. Obviously good communication and customer satisfaction are the cornerstone of any business model. What I was getting at was they probably get alot of trolling with no serious intent or means to purchase. Will an email to a large breeder with an ambiguous question "hey will you send me some pictures of your snakes", some have thousands of snakes, which ones do they send you a picture of? What I was saying is that it is probably a good idea to pic a specific snake off of their website then inquire about that snake. Then from there you can ask questions and find your answers. Like I said, its more likely they just had some technical difficulties or something broke down in the communication process. And yes, time is money, but so is making a sale and good communication will do so. IF the emails are sent correctly with the right questions I dont see why someone would not want to make a sale and therefore get back to you. And besides getting ahold of a big breeder with thousands of high end morphs for a normal is like going to a 5 star restaurant and ordering a salad. I love normals as much as the next person but hey.

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Originally Posted by Domepiece

You missed my point. Obviously good communication and customer satisfaction are the cornerstone of any business model. What I was getting at was they probably get alot of trolling with no serious intent or means to purchase. Will an email to a large breeder with an ambiguous question "hey will you send me some pictures of your snakes", some have thousands of snakes, which ones do they send you a picture of? What I was saying is that it is probably a good idea to pic a specific snake off of their website then inquire about that snake. Then from there you can ask questions and find your answers. Like I said, its more likely they just had some technical difficulties or something broke down in the communication process. And yes, time is money, but so is making a sale and good communication will do so. IF the emails are sent correctly with the right questions I dont see why someone would not want to make a sale and therefore get back to you. And besides getting ahold of a big breeder with thousands of high end morphs for a normal is like going to a 5 star restaurant and ordering a salad. I love normals as much as the next person but hey.

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I actually specifically stated what snake I was interested in and explained how I was very interested in purchasing a ball python from them, still no response. However I do see exactly where you are coming from.

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Originally Posted by Domepiece

You missed my point. Obviously good communication and customer satisfaction are the cornerstone of any business model. What I was getting at was they probably get alot of trolling with no serious intent or means to purchase. Will an email to a large breeder with an ambiguous question "hey will you send me some pictures of your snakes", some have thousands of snakes, which ones do they send you a picture of? What I was saying is that it is probably a good idea to pic a specific snake off of their website then inquire about that snake. Then from there you can ask questions and find your answers. Like I said, its more likely they just had some technical difficulties or something broke down in the communication process. And yes, time is money, but so is making a sale and good communication will do so. IF the emails are sent correctly with the right questions I dont see why someone would not want to make a sale and therefore get back to you. And besides getting ahold of a big breeder with thousands of high end morphs for a normal is like going to a 5 star restaurant and ordering a salad. I love normals as much as the next person but hey.

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Okay, what's to say a newbies questions come off as a troll (what kind of snake? can you send pics?) and is ignored and that newbie has some cash to spend? I've seen it happen many times. Emails can be sent with the proper questions,etiquette,etc. and there are still MANY breeders who ignore the inquiries OR get back weeks later - unacceptable. And yes, I agree.........I doubt any big time breeders even have normals on hand for sale as most get whole-saled out. But they still aren't above responding to a customer about it.

In any event, the OP was hooked up with a good seller and snake and that's the important thing!

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Originally Posted by jonf

Okay, what's to say a newbies questions come off as a troll (what kind of snake? can you send pics?) and is ignored and that newbie has some cash to spend? I've seen it happen many times. Emails can be sent with the proper questions,etiquette,etc. and there are still MANY breeders who ignore the inquiries OR get back weeks later - unacceptable. And yes, I agree.........I doubt any big time breeders even have normals on hand for sale as most get whole-saled out. But they still aren't above responding to a customer about it.

In any event, the OP was hooked up with a good seller and snake and that's the important thing!

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Exactly, I agree, I'm glad he was taken care of. It just common courtesy at least to respond back in a timely fashion whether they can help or not.

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Originally Posted by nickxshort

I actually specifically stated what snake I was interested in and explained how I was very interested in purchasing a ball python from them, still no response. However I do see exactly where you are coming from.

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Ok, you just never know. I'm glad that you found what you were looking for, and good luck with your new BP your gonna love owning one:D:gj:

I've had the same experience despite my being very specific; I had to send about 3 e-mails and only got a response after somebody who knew them gave me an alternate e-mail that was not listed on the breeder's website.

Finally got one response from that e-mail address, but when sent follow-up questions to make arrangements, then nothing. It's looking like that particular breeder has lost a sale.

And earlier; sent e-mail through a website which said please inquire about available snakes, as it was under construction and wasn't updated, and to date have never received any response. That one lost my business for sure.

Thanks for some of the suggestions about those who do respond in a timely manner and provide good customer service. I'm getting a clearer idea now of which ones I'll probably go with.

Strange to see people having such a hard time getting emails back, just this past week when shopping around for my lesser I emailed three of the top breeders and all three responded the same day, heck one was even on a Sunday!

With so many breeders out there no need to waste time trying to get someone to respond to you. Believe me there are plenty of people out there with young males to sell you that will give you the level of customer service your looking for. There is no excuse for bad communication in this day and age where you can get your emails sent to your cell which if you run a business should be on you at all times. All too often people want to tell a customer they were "busy". Sorry folks but that's not the customers problem and honestly its not very professional for you to let them know that.

Looks like you found a breeder from the fourms who helped you out and I'm sure your gonna be very happy with your new addition. Congrats and don't forget to post pictures when he gets there :)

I know it has been kinda touched on already, but just want to bring it up again to reiterate it: Always call. If it is a business, always call and you will be taken a lot more seriously. A call is respected more with most, whether with a large business, small business individual, or just enthusiast selling their snakes. Further, on a phone there is alot less spam to compete with in terms of getting their attention.

Some businesses carry normal business hours, so you may have to wait for a response to a phone call until the weekdays, so if you call on friday after 6pm and leave a message, it could be monday at 5pm before you could get a response.

WTgreg phone calls are great for quick answers but to actually do business over the phone with no record of what was said by both parties is a little risky. I have done business with people over the phone but always follow up with an email to then reiterate what we talked about for purposes of record keeping. With the level of scammers out there its important to be safe.

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Originally Posted by HerpIsAhobby

WTgreg phone calls are great for quick answers but to actually do business over the phone with no record of what was said by both parties is a little risky. I have done business with people over the phone but always follow up with an email to then reiterate what we talked about for purposes of record keeping. With the level of scammers out there its important to be safe.

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To do business I absolutely agree with records and for email when talking business. I usually ask that a person emails me for the actual business talk when I sell/buy snakes, so I agree with how valuable writing and email is... But to get the initial attention of someone to start things off is where a call is best.

Should business talk occur on that initial call, just ask the person to send a quote or confirmation of what you talked about before proceeding. Check over the quote and don't proceed until you have in writing a proper representation of what is going on.

Does anyone have brian at bhb personal email? Id like to email him about a few snakes

I know im gonna get eaten alive for this one but I got to say this.... BHB is the WORST !!! Period! Honestly if you cant do business right and I mean in every aspect of it, really, you shouldnt be doing business period. It says something about you and your business. As far as sick or being tooooo busy and blah blah blah, thats all trash! Mickey D's is Always busy but they still manage to get you your favorite burger right!? And answer your questions right!? but anyways... Some people on here named great folk to buy from, I'd say :cens0r: it and leave BHB alone. My $0.02.

Haha idk about mickey ds getting my favorite burger right. They barely get it right. I dont think itd be too bad if bhb mixed up my orders if i ordered a mojave bp and got a mystic potion.

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

I know im gonna get eaten alive for this one but I got to say this.... BHB is the WORST !!! Period! Honestly if you cant do business right and I mean in every aspect of it, really, you shouldnt be doing business period. It says something about you and your business. As far as sick or being tooooo busy and blah blah blah, thats all trash! Mickey D's is Always busy but they still manage to get you your favorite burger right!? And answer your questions right!? but anyways... Some people on here named great folk to buy from, I'd say :cens0r: it and leave BHB alone. My $0.02.

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I have had a great experience with BHB, they have always gotten back to me the same day. And most important I'm happy with the product. I haven't really had a bad experience yet with anyone be it BHB, NERD, Royal constrictor designs.

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

I know im gonna get eaten alive for this one but I got to say this.... BHB is the WORST !!! Period! Honestly if you cant do business right and I mean in every aspect of it, really, you shouldnt be doing business period. It says something about you and your business. As far as sick or being tooooo busy and blah blah blah, thats all trash! Mickey D's is Always busy but they still manage to get you your favorite burger right!? And answer your questions right!? but anyways... Some people on here named great folk to buy from, I'd say :cens0r: it and leave BHB alone. My $0.02.

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I'd have to think long and hard to come up with a worse example of doing business right than McDonald's....doing business with a cut throat efficiency does not always indicate business done right.

Gerick Demeyer has always answered my e mails and calls in a very timel fashion. I have bought a few ball pythons from him and every time i have gotten amazing customer support and amazing snakes ent to my home. I personally will go thru him whenever i can.

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Originally Posted by RobNJ

I'd have to think long and hard to come up with a worse example of doing business right than McDonald's....doing business with a cut throat efficiency does not always indicate business done right.

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But they still are up and running right?? I think you guys catch my drift.

So anyone with that email address? I looked on the website and it had 3 different emails

I recently bought a snake from Exotics By Nature, my first email was responded to within the hour even though it was later in the evening. They have been fantastic at responding to my questions and promptly completing my order. Over all they made my first experience buying online a great one. As for BHB they are a great breeder but seem to have a lot on their plate. I would def. try calling if you haven't received an email yet.