How to talk to your customers

It doesn't matter how long you breed cats (or other animals), you will eventually get a complaint or have some kind of problem with a customer. The most common seems to be someone purchasing a kitten that subsequently becomes ill. The best way for us to prevent this is to keep kittens until at least 2 weeks after their vaccination (and I do say vaccination rather than vaccinationS for a reason) to make sure they are not going to have a reaction to their shots, or come down with something that is incubating in their system. Stress, particularly among purebred cats, can easily lead to illness. Young kittens, under 12 weeks of age, don't have enough body fat or a mature immune system. Enough of that subject for today though, as the topic today is how to talk to your customers when you get a complaint.

The first thing to do is get your ego out of the way. Producing a kitten that gets sick 3 or 4 days after going to its' new home, or even months later, is not a reflection of who you are as a person, or even how "good" of a breeder you are. No one, regardless of their tone, really blames you for a kitten getting ill after it leaves your care. So park the ego.

Probably the most common illness is a sneeze or runny eye. While quite scary to a new owner, we know that it is extremely common and with supportive therapy and possibly medication, it will go away and the kitten will be fine. Your customer is going to be in a panic, so we want to re-assure them. First, offer empathy for their concern. "Things were going really well, but today Fluffy is sneezing and won't eat". Me, "I'm so sorry to hear that. Tell me some more details and we'll see what we can do to get it cleared up". It is "our" problem, not just theirs, so your tone and attitude should reflect this. Another common complaint is a kitten with diarrhea, and it is usually due to the kitten eating something unusual, but *your* concern should be with the health of the kitten, not blaming the owner. Again, reflect your concern, "I'm so sorry to hear that. Is the kitten still eating and drinking well and playing?" They will answer, hopefully that it is just the diarrhea. "The most common cause of kitten diarrhea is eating something they are not used to, just like a baby having some new food for the first time. Has there been anything he may have gotten into, like the dogs' bowl, or new treats?" Handling the situation with a win/win attitude helps to alleviate the owners concern and helps them realize that *you* want what *they* want, for their pet to feel better.

If the customer is angry that they have already taken the kitten to the vets and were dispensed medication or given some terrible outcome (for some reason a runny eye is always herpes "that will never be gone" and diarrhea is always a sign of "FIP" or worms), try to calm them, not returning their attitude in kind. "I can understand you are upset and I'm sorry for the scare and the inconvenience, but you are welcome to call me first with any concerns. As a breeder for over 15 years, I can likely help you to treat the problem as I've likely heard of it before, without the expense of a vet visit." If the owner has taken the kitten to the vets and the problem resulted in a vet bill, then the best thing to do is offer to pay for the medication. If the kitten was not taken to the vets for a well kitten check within 72 hours after going home, the examination should be at the owners expense and a well kitten check within 72 hours should be suggested, if not mandatory, in your contract. If the kitten was not taken in within the 72 hours, or if the problem is weeks or months down the line, then you don't need to offer to pay for the medication. I offer 6 weeks of Pet Health Insurance with kittens and encourage owners to continue this coverage after the initial trail period. Remind the customer the kitten was cared for by a reputable veterinary clinic which would have done vaccinations, overseen your deworming schedule, and provided a health certificate. Offer to provide your vets' phone number for their vet, so he can call and speak to your vet to rule out the incidence of things like FIP or herpes in the cattery. Even in cases where you have missed something and unknowingly sent out a kitten with a problem such as fleas, ear mites, worms, fungas infections, etc. just stating you are sorry for the inconvenience rather than being defensive, works wonders. In these cases, an immediate offer to pay for the treatment will usually alleviate the stress of the situation and very rarely will you ever actually get the bill. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea. I will speak to my vet about it immediately. Please send me the bill." Even if it is something you feel is impossible, never say *never* is a lesson you learn if you breed for long enough. You will get *everything* at one point or another, regardless of your sanitary conditions and stringent care, and chances are someone is going to get a kitten that has whatever it is, before you realize it is a problem. I have had many repeat customers that had a problem with their kitten for one reason or another. They came back because they knew they could count on me as a resource, as someone who knew their feelings and fears for their pet.

It is not providing a "perfect" kitten that will bring a customer back, it is how you handle the problems that makes you a "good" breeder in your customers eyes.

There are, of course, cases where the owner is messing with different foods, allowing the kitten access to a room full of plants, or didn't isolate the kitten for the first few days away from other cats in the household. There are cases where you *know* they have messed up just from what they are telling you. It still does you NO good to blame them, or to state "what did you expect" or the like. Regardless of the circumstances, you want to express that the priority is on how to cure the kitten, not on who pays for what or whose fault it is. Try practicing different scenarios so you can get used to this attitude regardless of the news you hear. If you are a new breeder, or haven't yet experienced the "call", use situations you have heard from other breeders, or perhaps something you went through with a kitten purchase yourself and how it may have been handled in a more professional manner.

Another post I'll go into what you should be doing to prepare both the kitten and the new owner for the new arrival to avoid such problems. An instruction sheet stating not to give the kitten any unusual food for a few weeks, or not to give tap water the owner wouldn't drink, can avoid an unpleasant situation.

Tracey