Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I would like to open a discussion on what is expected from breeders as a potentiel buyer as far as customer service before, during and after sales.

It just burns my arse when I send an e-mail and do not get a reply within a reasonnable time frame! What do you guys think is reasonnable? I'd say 2 to 3 days!

If I am going to spend my hard earned money, I expect ALL my questions/inquiries answered, not picking and choosing which questions should be answered.

If I choose to be served via e-mail, do not tell me to call as you don't have time to answer e-mail questions/inquiries, do not give me the lame excuse that you are very busy, we are all very busy.

To the BIG breeders, do not ask me how much I am looking to spend before giving me quality A + service, I will then decide how much I want to spend with you based on how you treat me!

Am I over reacting, I've communicated with several of the supposedly Top Notch breeders and very few passed the mark. Is customer service not important anymore, I spent $12K in 2007 with the only breeder that met my criterias. To all the others that could not bother, I will never purchase with you

Customer service goes a long way in my book, how does everyone feel about this and what do you guys expect from breeders?

I agree with you.
I have only recently started purchasing animals- which is a whole new paragim for me to begin with....
I didn't want to go with a HUGE breeder- they get enough $ as it is....
I have watched these forums for YEARS and recently there have been a few people that caught my attention as being polite, caring, knowledgable, etc...
I watch how the people here treat others- If you're jumping down every newbies throat about every little thing and can't provide good info without being a "know it all"- i dont want to buy from you....
I have found someone that I like, he gives good info short and to the point, and still very polite- i sent him an email- and i clearly stated that i dont buy animals regularly and would need a bit more "guideance" through the purchasing process and he was very helpful, I've had 100% awsome customer service, and I haven't even bought from him yet because its too cold- but when it warms up- guess who i'm buying from!!

I suspect that seeing as how he had wonderful service before the sale- i will continue to have good service afterwards as well...

I also chose a smaller breeder b/c they would have less inquiries and therefore- more time to answer all my questions. The smaller breeders have fewer animals and a smaller market- so they pretty much have to have good customer service- Think about those HUGE breeders- everyone knows thier name so they have more customers...

I personally chose a smaller breeder of a few select things that i'm interested in- and thus far have been extremely happy.....

anyway- thats just my $ 0.02

Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

I agree customer service is important.

As far as breeders asking you to call, a phone call can answer a lot of questions in a short amount of time as compared to typing. It also eliminates a lot of the people who aren't really interested and only want to type and collect pictures. It is a fine line, being able to tell if someone is serious. I don't advertisee often, but when I did you wouldn't believe how many e-mails I got asking questions that were answered in the ad, and offers for trades when "no trades" was in the ad.

Please remember an ad might get 50 e-mails with prolonged back and forth e-mails that go nowhere. A phone call is almost always needed to finish a sale anyway, go ahead and call if that is best for them.

Just imagine 50 Manny Rottie individuals asking the same basic questions over and over. You'd never get off the computer.
Thanks Mike Bell

I have found that if I get a phone call, the sale goes through 99% of the time. With emails, they go on for days, weeks and on occasion months, without a sale. I make 1 sale for every 50 emails I reply to and I agree, most of these people ask the same damn questions that are in the ad.

That being said, customer service is very important. If you don't feel like you are being served, move on. There are plenty of others that will happily help you.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

but I'll take it one step further, I'l play devils advocate here...
I feel that I provide superior customer service when dealing with customers, but it does absolutely burns my a$$ when I go ahead and "donate" (because that's what it is, MY time for free, e-mailing back and forth, sending additional pics, information and such) for half of the potential buyers to back out at the last minute.
For me, quite frankly, dealing with customers is the least enjoyable part of the hobby. No offense to all of my customers out there, but I didn't get into this hobby because I like to chat with people; I love my animals and would much sooner clean their crap and water them then sit in front of the computer and e-mail back and forth ten times getting insulted by being nickel and dimed for a sale. With all good there comes bad I guess as well..
I'll do my best to answer most questions as best I can but will not "donate" more of my time than is necessary. That time could be spent doing something much more important.
Keep in mind people that I'm also a customer, as most if not all breeders, and as a customer I also try to keep the questions to a minimum, I WON'T ask for 15 different pictures of the same animal in every conceivable angle, I WON'T ask for every weight of every food item the snake has ever consumed, and I WON'T send 30 e-mails if I can ask all my questions in one.
It all comes down to common courtesy.
This post may sound a bit harsh but potential customers out there, for the most part, are a VERY fickle bunch. Most of us (that do not do this as a full-time job) simply do not have the time to answer the same question 15 times a day. We have REAL jobs, families and a life.
Customers need to realize this as well.
It's a give and take.
All that said, most of my sales are either from word of mouth or return customers who either love my service or have heard about the quality of my animals, so you can have it both ways.
Attack!
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www.strictlyballs.ca

I loved this post! Very to the point and honest. You get my respect for that. You're right most if not all of our business comes from repeat or referals. So if you're doing well you have to be doing something right? great post! Brian (BHB)

I have been to Taco Bell when Brian is working the drive through and if you think his customer service skills are lacking at snakes... wow, trying getting your order right when you don't want sour cream on your taco or if you should make the horrible mistake of pointing out to him that he gave you the wrong amount of change. It gets ugly. I stopped eating there. It was just too stressful. And I felt really guilty thinking about short jokes watching him stand on that stack of phone books to hand me my fire sauce. Oh well, BHB you are a good guy, you just need to get a haircut or wear a hairnet though. I really got sick when I found your pony tail sheddings in my nachos. Evan, out.

But be careful...he's tough...took on everybody at Daytona and still came out of there with that pony tail. I heard the bounty had gotten pretty high too.
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Dale....dgoins222@yahoo.com
www.LibertyReptiles.com

The trick is to send in ninjas...
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

answering emails that lead nowhere is part of the business. If you like making good money for the more expensive morphs then you should answer all your emails no matter what. What about the carsalesman that asks if you are ready to buy before deciding whether he wants to give you his time. Some people need more info before they buy. I give it to them.

IT'S PART OF THE BUSINESS

If you choose to sell something, not just snakes, there is no guarantee that every person you will be dealing with is going to buy something or even be close to buying something. HOWEVER, every person you are dealing with is a potential customer which should be treated equally. If breeders cannot provide decent customer service to everyone, due to workload,flooded in-box, or whatever their excuse, then perhaps this can only be attributed to them working twice as hard to make up for lost sales due to their poor customer service.
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Jon F

I said service was important, and I answer e-mails. But, when it is obvious someone hasn't hardly read the ad because they are asking the same questions the ad stated, you have to wonder if they are even a little serious.

I have never made a sale that I can remember that didn't have a phone call at the end to confirm.

I agree with someone's post, that a written e-mail is a good confirmation of the terms of the sale.

I like to use e-mail, when buying or selling. After a couple of e-mails to narrow things down, a phone call is what it takes to finish things up. A lot more ground can be covered when speaking on the phone instead of typing. Then an e-mail to have a written confirmation of the details is also a good idea.

Thanks Mike

Yeah but some people may be shopping around and that is cool too. Not everyone you speak to will buy an animal even if they call you.

I don't think you're over reacting at all. Personally I check my e-mail 3-4 times a day, and keep my cell turned on until midnight usually to cover west coast calls. I realize that might be a little extreme for some breeders, but I'm a night person anyway and, like you said, if you take the time to put something up for sale, don't say you don't have time to answer questions regardless of whether it's e-mail or phone. I do things the way I do partly because of the way I've been treated by some other sellers, so I know exactly what you're saying. I think sometimes whether you do it for the money or whether you do it because you love what you're doing can make a difference in the outgoing attitude.
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Dale....dgoins222@yahoo.com
www.LibertyReptiles.com

I agree with you 100%. That's not to say that I'm perfect, I have a lot of room to improve. I also check my e-mails several times a day and always return them. It is hard running a big collection and trying to give the service that you know your clients deserve. We try our very best and I'm always trying to get better. That being said, it is a good point about smaller breeders, they normally do have more time and if you find the right one it can be a great relationship. I'm not saying to not deal with me or any other big breeder, but if any breeder, big or small, doesn't make you feel like you're doing them a favor by spending money with them, I would move on. Without dedicated clients we can't stay in business! There are a ton of choices when it comes to aquiring animals, so do your homework and deal with whoever it is you feel will give you not only the animal that you want but the appreciation thru and beyond the sale. Have holidays everyone! Brian (BHB)

www.myspace.com/bhbreptiles
www.snakebytes.tumblr.com

Brian, I would have to say you are very thorough and helpful considering the number of animals you work with...great work!! We haven't done business yet, but you are on my list.
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Dale....dgoins222@yahoo.com
www.LibertyReptiles.com

I would answer 100 questions if that is what the buyer needs to feel comfortable with buying from me. If I looked at any of this as a waste of time then I wouldn't do it. I have made many friends that after many questions still didn't buy from me. I enjoy the whole aspect of this hobby. Don't get me wrong if I honestly think a person is stringing me along just to mess with me I'll put a stop to it. But I rarely run across people like that. Some people save for a long time to buy an animal and want to be really sure before taking that final step, with all the scammers out there I don't blame them. Some potential buyers answer many ads and may not remember your specific ad when emailing so they may ask about something that was posted in the ad. If it takes me an additional 2 seconds to answer then so be it. But thats just me Merry Christmas Ron
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The Crawl Space

Ron,
That was very well said and I agree 100%.
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Dino W.

I am going to be getting a BP soon. And I've now decided I will most likely wait for next spring, but only maybe. This is a big investment for me. I want to make sure I get the right snake that I will be proud of calling mine. I am doing as much research as I can, and when I email breeders I don't remember half the details because I just went through so many. I haven't had had a problem yet with customer service and I hope I don't. All my answers were answered and in a reasonable time. Also, I try to get in all my questions in one email but sometimes I simply forget something and try to get in a second before a reply. I feel that I do what I can to ensure I'm being courteous, and I expect no less from the people I deal with.

Emily

When I am ready to buy an animal, I call the seller instead of emailing.

Two reasons for this are:
1. If I am writing an email and it takes a couple of hours for the seller to get it then it opens the door for the person who calls and does paypal or makes their payment arrangements to get the snake I want.

2. As stated before, a lot of emailers are nickel and diming. When I call to buy an animal, I let the seller know I am interested and make payment arrangements. If you read the ad, the price is stated and that is the price. I do not feel it is right to call and "negotiate" a different price. If you want a cheaper animal, wait until one is posted. There is always someone with a lesser quality animal that will sell it cheaper. You will get what you pay for.

I know sellers have other things to do than spend hours on my sale, and I have other things to do besides spending hours buying. I like to do the research, buy the snake, and be done with it.
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Happy Herping,
Jody Barnes
Royal Kreationz

My snakes aren't fat, they're big boned.

Jody brought up a great point in that what makes customers think that they can barter when it comes to the price of an animal. I personally get very offended when someone tries to nickel and dime me because:
1. I price my animals very competitively (as you have to to make any sales in this market).
2. I feel that my animals are worth every penny I ask, and you offering 60 cents on the dollar is an insult. (I simply delete these e-mails).
3. Discounts on single animals are a no go by me. If you purchase more than one, we'll definitely wheel and deal. I generally rebate multiple animal purchases by up to 25%.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

I really think the phone works well. I hate breeders that try to make a sale on a forum in the middle of a thread... But thats just Me!
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

Curious as to who is trying to make a sale in the middle of this thread? Ron
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The Crawl Space

Oh I dont know..

Discounts on single animals are a no go by me. If you purchase more than one, we'll definitely wheel and deal. I generally rebate multiple animal purchases by up to 25%.

I would have said, I generally rebate multible animal purchases...
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

Jas, but if you took a break from being a sarcastic little snotrag and read my post in the context of the thread, you might have second thought your rude post and been civil.
Anyways, all sold out for this season.....
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www.strictlyballs.ca

Refrain from the name calling, Kind sir! Just seeing how well you can take it. Nice to show your true colors.. I'd have to think twice from buying anyting from you now.
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

Jas; After reading your threads and hearing your opinions and practices on breeding, you Sir would be one of the customers that I would flatly deny a sale to on the grounds that the animals that I produced would be unsafe in your care.
Good luck on your upcoming season and Happy Holidays...
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www.strictlyballs.ca

My Practices on breeding? What now I'm Bad for Knowing what the heck I'm doing? Sorry Mykee.. My snakes are very healthy and PRODUCING!
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

Ok.....
You do it your way, I'll do it mine.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

You really get offended when someone makes an offer on one of your animals? I can understand getting upset if someone makes you a ridiculous offer, but do you also get offended if someone makes a reasonable offer? Say $1000 for a snake you have listed at $1200? IMO making offers is part of the business and I think most breeders expect it.
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John Vandegrift

I think most buyers make a lower offers. I know I get lower offers on nearly every post I make and I make lower offers myself. That is part of sales when you're dealing with such a competitive market. Ron
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The Crawl Space

John, serious offers are always welcome, like I said, in this market you really have no choice but to "play the game" but as an example, I received an an e-mail six or so weeks ago regarding one of the female bumblebees I had up for sale for $1800 offering me $1000. That's just rude.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

That is Very Rude!!

$1800 Is kinda lowballing already Jeeeez..
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

$1800 is a lowball? Maybe I'm not paying proper attention to the prices of female bees in the States, it's not a market I choose to deal with. Enlighten me...
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www.strictlyballs.ca

So, If you dont care to deal with the market Here in the States. Why post here at all? Please Enlighten Me and Everyone else you just Offended..
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

Jas, I'll humour you. I feel that it is not in my best interest not to have to deal with the cross-boarder shipping, CITES fees and additional paperwork and time required to ship animals to the States. More importantly, why hop in your car and drive into town to sell your wares if customers will knock on your door and buy everything you've got?
My post (though obviously blown out of proportion and grossly miscontrued by Jassybear, was not meant to offend anyone).
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www.strictlyballs.ca

You didnt answer the question. But I'll let it slide Happy 5 clutches Mykee..
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

Jas, your question was this:
"So, If you dont care to deal with the market Here in the States. Why post here at all?"
My question back to you is this: after reading your question, it becomes painfully obvious that the only reason you are here is to sell your animals. Every post you make, every word you type is for a sale like you said, "if you're not going to deal with the market, why post at all".
The answer is simple; unlike you, not a single post I make here is somehow inadvertently a "marketing technique" like you. I don't sell to Americans so there is no ulterior motives to my posts. Can't breeders just come here to socialize, share info and opinions? Is the ulterior motive with you always a sale and money?
I post here to help, learn and for like-minded conversation.
Seems you just outed yourself as someone who is ONLY here to sell animals. Next time, brain THEN fingers, not the other way 'round.
Also, to clear up one of your misconceptions, 19 clutches this year for me, sold out. Probably close to 30 this coming season.
If I bred my male babies at 200g, maybe I'd have as many clutches as you....All-star.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

Allstar. Has been takin By a Very well respected breeder here in the STATES! His name is Larry Walker.. 200g males breed like crazy, Is that My fault?
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

You had drag my name into it!!!!
Hey... Wait a minute...when did KS go "Ralphie Style"!!!!
Seriously, I want to thank you for that wonderful Christmas present!! I'm LMAO... with tears streaming down my face... stomach hurts from laughing. Meanwhile Ron is sitting on the side lines (with a beer in one hand and bowel of popcorn in the other, I'm sure) stirring the pot.

Now that there's funny... I don't care how you are!

Now, as for customer service... customer service is everything... in any business.

Merry Christmas Everyone,

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Larry Walker

WebSite

Hey, Mykee said ALLSTAR. You are them.. You have Great animals and a Great rep. Why should I not bring up your name? I dont free ride off of anyone.. You produce way better morphs then I do anyway..
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

"Hey, Mykee said ALLSTAR. You are them.. You have Great animals and a Great rep. Why should I not bring up your name?"

Yes and I appreciate you calling out those that use my name in such a negitive manner!

"I dont free ride off of anyone."

No you don't... and I respect your calling things as you see them!
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Larry Walker

WebSite

How did I stir the pot? Bottom line is that everyone has different customer service skills that they prefer. Now.... Can't we all just get along? lol Ron
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The Crawl Space

Hey Larry, I hope you meant to say 'bowl' below....otherwise,
that's kinda gross (and I won't be shaking Ron's hand anytime soon)! lol!

Hope you are off to a good season,
Chris

> hurts from laughing. Meanwhile Ron is sitting on the side lines
> (with a beer in one hand and bowel of popcorn in the other, I'm
> sure) stirring the pot.

Hey Chris... bloody typo's!
Great hear from ya! Hope everythings going great at your house!

Merry Christmas and a great new year to you and your family!

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Larry Walker

WebSite

So I'm just curious, if I do not deal with american breeders do I not have a place here? I would love to have some of the snakes I've seen advertised, then I have to check to see if they're american. I never knew about cites before, but now that I do, it's unfortunate. But I must say, that even if I could go to american breeders, you would not be one jas, I see your customer service skills (and people skills in general), are really not that great.

Emily

Your lose Babe!
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

Im nothing but an outsider looking in, but it seems like theres a lot of cry babies on this forum. Jas ur straight, theres nothing wrong with trying to maximize profits... thats BUSINESS... yea its true that this is also a hobby, but theres a fine line between voicing your opinon and cry lol...

Just my .02 cents... i dont know anyone in here so this is just an outsiders point of view

*CRYING excuse me

Jas is straight up, wait till you get a load of JHOYE. I think thats how he spells it. I love a good laugh every now and then. And there is nothing wrong with maximizing profits, as long as its not a the expense of the animals. And I am not saying that is what Jas is doing. I myself am breeding a couple of 07 males and as long as its done responsibly its cool. I think more then cry babies there are a lot of "hollier then thou" folks that post on here. It so happens that a lot of those are "know it alls" too. But what are ya gonna do? Its a public forum.

Jeff

Thats the beauty of the net. You can say whatever in any nice or mean way you want to, and not care about other peoples opinions. Oh well, guess its a good and bad thing.
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1.0 Pastel, soon to be more. *fingers crossed*

I hate when their respose is to call them back. I choose email over the phone anyday. You are 100% accurate with your comments. It should not matter if you are purchasing a quadruple combo or a normal, you are spending your hard earn money, PERIOD.

Some people just aren't good on the computer, and prefer to talk over the phone. This is something you have to accept. Just because they can't email as well as you can does not mean they don't have excellent customer service!

I personally prefer email to phone, and will try to deal with people who use email more regularly than the phone, but if I meet someone at a show who is great at answering my questions even when I make no purchase...if they say call, I'll call!

It takes some consideration on your end too, whether or not you're spending your hard earned money. Don't forget, they're trying to earn some money too, and do more things than just cater to your whims.

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

Now, this is a smart person.. Nice post J3nny..
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

I feel every transaction is unique as to what the Potential buyer may find to be important. Some just want to see a pic while other may ask more indepth questions to help make there decision. this is what I feel seperates each and every seller,by being able to be flexable with your potential customer. We need to stop thinking that people are just picture collectors and think of every email or phone call as a potential multi purchase customer.Sometimes you have to go that extra mile. Just my 2 cents.
Kevin Stoltz
www.kmsreptiles.com

First off I agree with several comments from both sides of this topic. As a business looking to build a customer base I treat my customers like I would like to be treated. If a customer asks for an additional picture I have no problem getting the shot they are looking for. On the other hand I have had people request 4 or 5 additional pictures of the same animal. I find those people to be few and far between and think most people are not that anal about seeing a different angle. I agree making a phone call to discuss a potential sale is defenitly a good idea, saving alot of back and forth time with e-mails. With that said, if my customer prefers to comunicate by e-mail, that is there peragotive and I have no problem with that. I had a big Boa breeder, after 2 e-mail questions regarding a potential purchase tell me it was obvious I was shopping around. His reply was, "when your ready to make a purchase let me know". I found that a little cocky. I choose to never treat a potential customer with that type of answer. If people have a problem answering a few questions about there animals maybe they should just state "no questions" in there add. I wonder how many sales they would make. The bottom line for me is, I treat my customers the same way I would like to be treated.
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Dino W.

Recently I emailed a breeder that I bought a pair of Het Pieds from. And I mean a big breeder that everybody knows. My questions where about the male showing no interest in breeding the second year in a row( he's an 05). I wasn't asking for compensation or money back. I was asking if he could give me any tips or tricks to stimulate this guy to breed. His first reply was what is your contact info and when is a good time to contact. I replied with my phone number and the time that was best to call. Basically the time I get home from work till the time I go to bed. After several days of no reply and no phone call, I emailed back with a couple of specific questions. The first was how long do you give a male to breed. The second was do you have any het or visual males that may be breedable by this next season. He answered the first question "We put our males in for 24 hrs and remove them for 48 hrs. And the second was "No". Now maybe I am the dumba$$ here but I was expecting something a little better. So now my opinion of this breeder is very tarnished. And I can tell you that I see him at several FL. shows every year but I will not be spending any more money with him. There are far to many people involved in this trade to waste your time on someone that doesn't have time for you. Wether it's before, during , or after the sale. PERIOD.

Jeff

As someone who has been involved on both the retail and "breeder" side most of my adult life, let me say that this guy's attitude will come back to bite him!Rest assured, you won't be the only customer of his to decide not to make the mistake of giving him their money.

When a customer gives me a vote of confidence by buying a reptile from me, he or she has also purchased my help with that animal for its entire life. I consider it a pleasure to answer my email and phone enquiries. Talking herps is not only an essential part of the business, but it's usually a lot of fun as well.
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Brad Chambers

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

everyone should get the same treatment and I also got involved in herps because I love herps. I never gave a second thought because one day I may have to be polite to people. If people wanna talk snakes with me , thats fine...I do not see a problem in giving someone my time when they are handing over their hard earned money. Many people do not have $500 to spend on a snake, so when they do spend even $20, I am honored...

I think your questions were VERY reasonable and easy to answer. This is not the kind of within reason emails we sometimes see!!! I agree that you deserve some feedback from the "expert" since you bought the animals from him!

I like to answer people's question about specific problems they may be having with an animal; most if not ALL of these questions are about animals that they did not buy from me. I think I like the more complicated issues than the basic:
How do I heat my snake with an oven or can my microwave double as an incubator.

SATAN

>>Recently I emailed a breeder that I bought a pair of Het Pieds from. And I mean a big breeder that everybody knows. My questions where about the male showing no interest in breeding the second year in a row( he's an 05). I wasn't asking for compensation or money back. I was asking if he could give me any tips or tricks to stimulate this guy to breed. His first reply was what is your contact info and when is a good time to contact. I replied with my phone number and the time that was best to call. Basically the time I get home from work till the time I go to bed. After several days of no reply and no phone call, I emailed back with a couple of specific questions. The first was how long do you give a male to breed. The second was do you have any het or visual males that may be breedable by this next season. He answered the first question "We put our males in for 24 hrs and remove them for 48 hrs. And the second was "No". Now maybe I am the dumba$$ here but I was expecting something a little better. So now my opinion of this breeder is very tarnished. And I can tell you that I see him at several FL. shows every year but I will not be spending any more money with him. There are far to many people involved in this trade to waste your time on someone that doesn't have time for you. Wether it's before, during , or after the sale. PERIOD.
>>
>>Jeff
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.

The best ones are people that want the pictures and facts about the snake...what is the best price and all then VANISH..or even better yet tell me that they were just looking and won't really be in the market until the following year or something...and they tell this to you after the fact!!!

Do you go in line at McCruds without an intent to buy? Do you go there with a line of people behind you romance the menu giving an order, taking it back, changing it, getting your total meal price and then bartering the price down?

If I did this I would expect some very pissy people wanting to have a bit of "alone" time with my food prior to me getting my "value" meal.

SATAN

>>I think your questions were VERY reasonable and easy to answer. This is not the kind of within reason emails we sometimes see!!! I agree that you deserve some feedback from the "expert" since you bought the animals from him!
>>
>>I like to answer people's question about specific problems they may be having with an animal; most if not ALL of these questions are about animals that they did not buy from me. I think I like the more complicated issues than the basic:
>> How do I heat my snake with an oven or can my microwave double as an incubator.
>>
>>SATAN
>>
>>>>Recently I emailed a breeder that I bought a pair of Het Pieds from. And I mean a big breeder that everybody knows. My questions where about the male showing no interest in breeding the second year in a row( he's an 05). I wasn't asking for compensation or money back. I was asking if he could give me any tips or tricks to stimulate this guy to breed. His first reply was what is your contact info and when is a good time to contact. I replied with my phone number and the time that was best to call. Basically the time I get home from work till the time I go to bed. After several days of no reply and no phone call, I emailed back with a couple of specific questions. The first was how long do you give a male to breed. The second was do you have any het or visual males that may be breedable by this next season. He answered the first question "We put our males in for 24 hrs and remove them for 48 hrs. And the second was "No". Now maybe I am the dumba$$ here but I was expecting something a little better. So now my opinion of this breeder is very tarnished. And I can tell you that I see him at several FL. shows every year but I will not be spending any more money with him. There are far to many people involved in this trade to waste your time on someone that doesn't have time for you. Wether it's before, during , or after the sale. PERIOD.
>>>>
>>>>Jeff
>>-----
>>"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.

This past fall I had a person offer to buy a python I had for sale on the classifieds, if I would wait a week until he was paid (when he would send a money order). Claimed he desperately need the animal as a breeder and begged me to wait. So I agreed. He told me the money order was in the mail at the appointed time. I waited a week and it never arrived. When I contacted him, he said he had been delayed a few days sending it, but that NOW it was in the mail!

Needless to say, I never got the money order. You really have to wonder what's going on in cases like this-just some kind of joke??
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Brad Chambers

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

Oh yes, the check is in the mail....

I have lost my mind over that kind of stuff....

I know the feeling!!

Kevin

>>This past fall I had a person offer to buy a python I had for sale on the classifieds, if I would wait a week until he was paid (when he would send a money order). Claimed he desperately need the animal as a breeder and begged me to wait. So I agreed. He told me the money order was in the mail at the appointed time. I waited a week and it never arrived. When I contacted him, he said he had been delayed a few days sending it, but that NOW it was in the mail!
>>
>>Needless to say, I never got the money order. You really have to wonder what's going on in cases like this-just some kind of joke??
>>-----
>>Brad Chambers
>>
>>The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.

Kevin, I can never tell exactly where you stand between all the retoric. But I understand that you big dawgs probably get more Email then you can handle, but thats a good thing isn't it. Sure beats the alternative.

Jeff

It seems some people treat the "big" boys with an attitude, like they are expecting them to be Jerks.... "Yeah, we have lots of awesome snakes and we think we are great."(type thing) I personally don't think I am that way but people sometimes seem to expect me to be like that. The original post had a demanding attitude which seemed strange, I expect this and that and it has to be on my terms....Talk to me like that and you will get my other side. Just weird to say the least@!

SATAN

>>Kevin, I can never tell exactly where you stand between all the retoric. But I understand that you big dawgs probably get more Email then you can handle, but thats a good thing isn't it. Sure beats the alternative.
>>
>>Jeff
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.

Kevin, I will say that pretty much everyone I have met at shows or delt with via the internet/phone has been great. Regardless of status. And why shouldn't they. We all share the same passion. We are all on the same team. I shared my experience not to bash anyone, but to offer perhaps a wake-up call to those who might be feeling a little to big for their britches. But my feelings are that actions truly speak louder then words. I have not met you nor have I delt with you yet. My impression of you is only from what I read here. So for you as well as everyone else on here I reserve my opinions until I have something more tangable to base them on. And I can't deny that you and alot of other people have made this trade and hobby what it is today. So for that my hats off. (insert smooching sound here as someone elses lips make contact with Kevins buttocks)

I give my customers top notch service after all they are the ones that make me what and who I am. I get all my email on my blackjack so even if I am not at home emails are answered within 30 minutes of getting them, I provide only the best before, during and after the sale. As I said they are who makes me. I don't sell any special morphs or colors so the one thing that sets me apart from all the other breeders in the world is that I choose to go up and above for any potential customers regardless if they spend $20, $200 or none at all. I understand not everyone is as well off and cant respond to emails while on the road or while browsing walmart but in my opinion 2-3 days is more than enough time so long as they are not in the middle of the snow storms or a hurricane or any other excuse that would constitute more than a few days away from the office.
Foot Hill Reptiles

WOW!!

You expect all and every question to be answered.....

I don't know if you have ever thought about what the "big" breeder has to deal with. I get OVERWHELMED by all of my emails and infinite questions...LITERALLY! I get sooo many emails that I feel like I just can't answer all of the questions they may ask.... Realize, I get MANY emails concerning husbandry issues or what morph is this? If I am running around like a mental case trying to make sure I am getting all of my chores done and then I see lots of these emails I sometimes wilt. Many people, and I do mean MANY will ask all sorts of questions and want all sorts of pictures and you do your best to answer them and give them pictures...then try to low ball you or tell you they found it cheaper blah, blah..... Then they may ask for a package price getting you down on the animals and then say they only want one. The ending result is it can take great effort and patience to keep everyone a bit content but you will realize that more than 50% of these situations lead to NOTHING! You run around in circles and you start to realize the ending result before it fades... Some people are very straight forward and tell you what they are interested in and you email back and forth with progression.... before you know it the deal is done and you almost knew that customer was serious from the start. The reality, you may have every intent to buy an animal and you ask sound and logical questions..... you represent a FRACTION of what we are dealing with..... we are constantly quizzed and prodded with no results.

Great example..... I remember jumping though some hoops on a group of animals...pictures, weights, package discount with a few frills to sweeten it.... When I was expecting a credit card number after the deal was "done" all went quiet..... So I waited to see what happened....I get the email, I found them for a better deal and can get them for way less....the deal they tell me is BRUTALLY cheap for what the animals were worth. I just bowed out and said I could not sell them for that and "Wow, that price is remarkable"... I felt a bit frustrated but took it in stride.... a while later I found out that the person had been ripped off and basically got nothing.... No matter what I did I could not have closed that deal. There are sooo many strange things you are subjective to at the other end of an email it can be frustrating and difficult to manage. I will often lose emails as the pile up on my screen and get pushed down.... I find it difficult to keep up with the volume of emails considering my large workload.

What I don't like are rude and inconsiderate emails from people demanding things and not trying to establish a bit of dialogue first.... I work very hard to do what I do and for people to think I am just sitting around ignoring emails because I am a big breeder and think I am something special they are on CRACK!

SATAN
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.

I e-mailed you once just for your opinion on something and you e-mailed me back with a prompt and detailed answer. I appreciated that response.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I do see your point considering the size of your collection. I should have added to my response that I keep a relatively small collection. I have NO plans on keeping more than what would allow me to offer my current services. Ron
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The Crawl Space

Its my personal belief that if you can not provide CS for "ALL" your products then you should not offer so much, You are working above your means witch is why I don't carry so many different species that I get over whelmed. This is just my personal opinion.
Foot Hill Reptiles

Kev owns a multimillion dollar company, yet people still expect him to answer questions about what morph is this or can you send pics of this or that. In reality as a responsible person in this hobby, put in some work of your own. Search here on kingsnake, the question has probably been answered many times already. The only times anyone should contact a breeder is if they are friends, if they are ready to buy or if they have searched and the problem with their animal is one of those one in a million issues and no info can be found in books or online. Some people don't understand this and claim breeder X is a jerk, he/she never answers my emails. You have to remember, this is their job, they want to sell you stuff and want to make you happy. But what is their responsibility in doing this, providing you a healthy, well cared for animal!!! I have never personally bought from NERD but that will change this year (bring some of those killer retics to daytona this year, I'm bringing some home) but I do know they provide awesome animals of many different species which is rare in this specialized world of herp keeping. We have a small collection of around 100 animals and to be quite honest, I wouldn't have time to answer all the inquiries that I get for pics and very beginner questions that can be answered on one of many care-sheets online, so don't get soo crazy about jumping on the big boys, I couldn't imagine what it is like to have thousands of animals and employees and trying to make all the leeches happy.
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Josh & Krysty Hutto
J&K Reptiles

Various Ball Pythons, boas, dogs, cats, fish, an amel tiger retic female, a couple sulcatas and a few other odds and ends.

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

Josh, I don't think anyone here was attacking Kevin. And I am sure as much as Kevin appreciates you coming to his recue, he can evoke his own wrath. Being SATAN and all. But you have to be kidding, "don't email a breeder unless you are bfriends, buying or have a question you can't find an answer to".
That is exactly the mentallity that keeps this hobby or trade from becoming mainstream. Its like saying don't bother me if you aren't going to give me money. I thought this hobby was about people with common interest connecting and share their love for these awesome creatures. I tell you that as a Florida boy I thought about emailing you a couple of time just because its nice to share your experiences with someone whose local to ya. Glad I didn't waste your time or mine. And dude get your lip's off Kev's ass, ay

Jeff

I don't think what I typed was out of line, but after re-reading the post, it does seem quite rude so let me try to re-state it. When it comes to emails everyone must realize that big and small breeders alike get tons. It may take several days to weeks to answer all of them and they do get prioritized. Whether we like it or not, if you pay your bills by selling snakes the sales will take priority of casual conversation (good thing I don't pay bills with snake money). It seems that alot of people have forgotten how or don't have the desire to do any research and learn for themselves, which will be bad in the future if the breeders supplying the public have always relied on problem solving without researching. If I have a problem with one of my animals I feel it is my responsibility to search out any info I can to try to fix it before I take it to the next level which would be a forum such as kingsnake or calling another keeper on the phone. If this doesn't solve the problem then I would email several breeders to get as many very experienced opinions as possible. Me personally, I love to talk on the phone rather than emails so I can work with the animals and conversate but I do answer 99% of the emails and help out as much as possible. Shoot me an email anytime, leave your number or we can have an email dialog. I love getting to meet other fl herpers and you will see I'm not the butt kissing jerk I sounded in the first message.
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Josh & Krysty Hutto
J&K Reptiles

Various Ball Pythons, boas, dogs, cats, fish, an amel tiger retic female, a couple sulcatas and a few other odds and ends.

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

Josh, I will say that from the tone and sincerity of your reply you are more gentlemen then jerk. I just know that when I was tring to breed Boas and Burms back in the late 80's (before the internet) there was virtually no sharing of info. If you were lucky enough to make contact with another breeder who was successful. They were happy to sell you any offspring, but ask about breeding or incubation techniques and they were done. Now I have alot of books on the subject of keeping and propagation of reptiles but nothing beats practical hands-on experience from someone whos done it. I also understand that if you have two different Emails; one wanting to buy and the other wanting to chat, that business comes first. But some of the replies to this thread show less then stellar business/CS practices. I personally would not automicaly delete an Email just because someone made an offer that was unacceptable. Or get anoid about an Email asking questions that were answered in the ad. Heck, maybe the pic/animal or the price are so awesome that the person was imediately move to inquire about the animal. I have replied to and bought animals from ads without reading every word or mulling over the vendor's profile. As my wife says this is a impulse market. When people see something they want, they gotta have it. And if breeder "A" is not motivated to make the sale then perhaps "B" or "C" are. And dude I am married, so I know all about kissin' ass.

Jeff

The thing that gets on me is the lack of peoples desire to actually learn about the animals that they are not just keeping, but breeding. I grew up in an age where you didn't have the internet and only a handful of decent books or zoological papers to obtain information. I was forced to do actual research on animals I wanted to keep or breed. It is easier to answer alot of in-depth questions on the phone and even simple questions are answered in minutes on the phone vs. email. I recently answered an email with a response of "that question is very complicated and I would prefer to discus on the phone, please leave your number and a time I can reach you and I will call you at that time." The response I recieved was one of anger and was accompanied by "I was going to buy from you but since you are so rude to not answer my email, my money will go to someone else." Did I deserve this response, absolutely not. This is where I understand how some of the larger breeders who have almost every minute of the day accounted for can seem rude or preoccupied rather than answer the "can I have pics of every pastel you have for sale?" type email.
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Josh & Krysty Hutto
J&K Reptiles

Various Ball Pythons, boas, dogs, cats, fish, an amel tiger retic female, a couple sulcatas and a few other odds and ends.

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

the world is full of A-holes. But like everything in this world you have to take the good with the bad. "Reality". I have 10 years of customer service experience working in retail. My wife has been at Wal-mart 21 years. Believe me we know what dealing with the public is like. But for every 10 A-holes you deal with you'll find that one individual that makes it worth while. O.K maybe for every 20 or so, but you get the idea.

Jeff

I know what you mean. I enjoy putting a smile on a kids face after they got their first normal bp more than dealing with some people even when their are thousands to be made with that deal.
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Josh & Krysty Hutto
J&K Reptiles

Various Ball Pythons, boas, dogs, cats, fish, an amel tiger retic female, a couple sulcatas and a few other odds and ends.

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

I think I said this once before, you wrote the book,you should have all the answers so be ready for the e-mails.Just picking on you.As a small breeder and show promoter I also get tons of e-mail and answer all of it.Sometimes it,s not fun but it goes with the business.And you are exactly right some buyers ask for pictures, weights,parents pictures,feeding, breeding info and then either drop out of sight or found it cheaper.Terry

Yes there are people who like to "window shop" and waste time with emails back and forth and never buy anything or even worse, try to bargain and end up being rude.

Yes there are big breeders who deal with other big breeders and set up trades and breeder loans and purchases and sometimes these are higher dollar amounts and this takes the time an effort of both parties involved.

Yes there are small time hobbyists who get lost in the shuffle and may not be spending 10k or even 1K but still have done there homework and research but sometimes tend to get lumped in with the "window shoppers"

Personally I have been in the same boat as the person from the original post and by the replies, it doesn't look like I'm the only one. And I'm not just talking about emails not getting returned. I'm talking about repeated phone calls and voice-mails not returned either and that to me is just plain unprofessional.
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Jon F

See what you started??? LOL!! Good luck to you on finding that perfect breeder for you. You know he/she is out there just take your time and becareful!
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

Based on my experiences thus far as both a buyer and a seller, repeat customers and referrals are going to be one of the most important parts of any breeder's business. Unfortunately, not everyone realizes that this is in fact the case and instead they decide to focus on the "short-term." In these cases the seller just wants to make the next deal, and once they have your money, they won't give you the time of day unless you are coming back to them with more cash... to these people I say "good riddance!"

I have found that bad customer service plagues "big" and "small" breeders alike, and these people will never see another dollar from me. Fortunately there are many others out there who will do their darnedest to not only to earn your business in the present time, but to earn your trust and respect for the future.

The bottom line is, if you are not 100% satisfied with the service you receive prior to, during, or after any transaction, move on to the next person until you find someone that does meet your needs. I can promise you that there are many really great guys and girls out there who do actually have a clue as to how to run a business, and as a result they understand what it means to provide someone with good customer service.

Happy holidays,

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John Scully
Delphi Pythons
delphipythons@gmail.com
www.delphipythons.com

Ya gotta love it - in what other industry could "I'm too big, I'm too important and I'm too busy" be perfectly acceptable excuses for poor customer service and rudeness. Why maintain good relations with your customer base when you can rest on your laurels?
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Tosha
JET Pythons

You hit the nail on the head. In any other instance there is no "I'm too big or too busy," it just isnt acceptable. Most establishments would rather have you browsing their stores, even if you wont purchase anything. Eventually the sales come, but first people must browse your selection. Just a simple sales 101 rule.It is not accpetable, I do not care how much you think the person is not serious.

Wow . . . great thread! Such varied responses. It is very interesting to read about each person's experiences and expectations.

I have, like many others have mentioned, been on both sides of the fence, as a buyer and a seller. We have a small snake business and we work fulltime at our regular jobs. It is almost impossible for me to respond within a few minutes of receiving an email since I can't get to my emails during work. But, I do respond when I get home. I take the time to answer questions and take pictures, no matter how many, but it can be disappointing when you've spent quite a bit of time and the sale falls through, or the buyer was just fishing the whole time. But that is part of business. I've driven miles to meet a buyer who only wanted a $25 hatchling normal male . . . but my hope is that person will return when they want a pastel, then a spider, and so on. Good customer service creates new and returning customers.

I've met some great people in this business that started with me sending an email or walking up to a table at a show to ask a question. I've also met others that seem to be too busy to take the time. Do I make my purchasing decisions based on their responses/customer service? You better believe it! Life is too short and there are enough ball python breeders out there that I don't need to spend time buying from someone that can't take the time to help me.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
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Alice Cobb
Florida Reptile Room

Great thread. I have a small collection that I bought from both small and big breeders over the last few years.
All were happy to answer my questions before and after the sale.
A few I got at Daytona this year.
Email, pics, phone calls do not compare.
If you are thinking of buying, go to a show.You'll see the best of what eveyone has to offer.Get to speak directly to them. I can tell so much more about someone in person.

Happy Holidays, Dave

Well put,I have met some of my best contacts at shows and some have become good friends.I even met BHB when he was a little breeder.Terry

I think it’s funny that it took until the 24th of December to have the best topic of the year posted. This topic is the root of not only our business, but every business in the world. As a bigger breeder I see all sides to this discussion. When you buy you deserve nothing less then the best service and attention that you can get. And I also agree that as you get bigger it gets harder to provide that all the time. But that in not an excuse, no matter how big you get you should always return an e-mail or give the effort that you’d expect from someone else. It’s not only good business, but it’s just being a good person. We all have different reasons for keeping reptiles, some for the passion, some to make a buck, others just as a part time hobby. The thing that we have to all remember is that we are all part of the same community. I remember how I felt when I was fifteen calling the big boys then and having them blow me off. I never will forget that feeling and hope that I never give someone else that feeing when they deal with me. All in all, the choices of who to buy from now are much greater then what they were five years ago. Some will look to the big breeder for security, others will look to the smaller guy to spread the wealth. It really doesn’t matter who gets the sale, it’s more that the experience for that person was pleasant enough that they will continue to stay in the hobby. If our hobby doesn’t continue to grow this topic will mean nothing.
I for one appreciate everyones views that posted and I think we all can learn from what has been said. Happy holidays!!!! Brian (BHB)

www.myspace.com/bhbreptiles

www.snakebytes.tumblr.com

>
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

when will the new BHB website be finished? I've been looking forward to it for......what year is it now???? Just kidding. Hope the season treats you well.

Brandon Osborne
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

I agree with you, spend your money with the ones that appreciate the business.I spent a large sum with one of the so called big breeders and they didnt bother to say hello the next time I saw them.I return that faver by not recomending them or buying from them in the future.An they wonder why sales are down.

I'm all in for agreeing that customer service is everything. I try and treat every potential customer as I would like to be treated. That said, here is my pet peeve..... Does anyone else get really annoyed when a potential customer emails a one liner such as "would you take x amount of money for your morph?" or "what is it eating?" and then doesn't even bother to attach a name to the email?? WTF? I get it if you want to cut to the chase, but at least introduce yourself. Sheesh. Anyway, I feel better now that I got that off my chest. Merry Holidays.

Cheers,
Kat

.
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1.0 Pastel, soon to be more. *fingers crossed*

I really do appreciate everyone who has been either a customer or even those who contact us having questions about snakes that aren't necessarily buying a snake. Dave and I really do try our best to answer all the emails and there are a ton of them from all over the world! Believe me there isn't a year that doesn't go by that we don't say to ourselves we could have done better! I feel awful if anyone doesn't feel that we don't value their time and interest, its simply never the case. Sometimes life gets in the way, parents, children, health, and even though I understand that some people don't want any excuse, we have days that those things have to be a priority. I think considering the volume of contact back and forth at the end of the day we still have a lot of people who have gotten a lot of snakes and these forums are testimony that something is working! Tracy

Now That was a post worth reading! All sillyness aside. This was a very good post. Some of us got out of line (Me go figure) But it did bring in the Big Girls!! Thanks for joining in Tracy!! You Rock!...)
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

I really thought I would stay away from this one, but I guess I can't resist.....
coming from a very small collector/rescuer, and starting breeder, I can see all points. I think one thing thats been missed is the customers responsibilities, with regard to their intentions. Right now I am "shopping around". I have discovered that when I email someone, (including the "big breeders" and I am straight up with them, I still get a reply! I have said straight up in my emails that I am not ready to buy, I am still figuring out prices etc. and almost everyone I email has gotten back to me. Maybe they just appreciate a little honesty, instead of approaching a breeder pretending you are going to spend a hundred G, just because you think that is the only way to get service.
theres my two cents.

and BTW, Jas, thats why I read your posts with extra interest. You are honest, straight up, a little abrasive, and a big enough person to admit you got a little out of hand to boot! You've even come down on me pretty hard, but you sure earned my respect. Good on ya man.
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James.....
"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought the beast back."

I just saw this post.. Thanks alot James!!
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http://www.myspace.com/jasballpythons

I'll tell you this: im in the process of making my first purchase and so far so good! Ive spoken to some of the top breeders (casey lasik, and brian at bhb) and theyve been great! I expected a huge delay in their response because of the holiday and THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT. Brian and Casey are both on point!!!!! I take my hat off to the both of them!!!!!

That as a buyer, there are a few techniques currently used in ads that make me not want to buy from a seller, ever. Such as.....

- If your ad is in all caps. (I don't like being shouted at.)

- If you have to tell me I'd be crazy to pass this up, or that I can't afford to miss this deal...(let me assure you, I can, indeed, afford to pass it up.)

- If you misspell more than 1 word out of 5. Especially things like 'pithon' or 'exanthic' and 'mohavy'. (If you're breeding it, you can at least learn how to spell it).

- If you have to go on and on (and on and on) about how experienced you are and how you know everything. (I'm going to assume the opposite is true).

- If you post about your high end morph, but can't be bothered to put up a pic. (psst. you can get digital cameras for like $30 on ebay. Let's assume if you have the money for morphs, you can afford a camera.)

and, of course,

- If you are advertising that your animals are by far the cheapest around. (I'm going to assume that's true quality-wise, as well).

signed,
Just another ignorant buyer

its own. Damn, where to start.

and it started with just one little post.
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1.0 Pastel, soon to be more. *fingers crossed*

discussed so far.

Although I agree that all emails need at least a quickie answer (I often invite a telephone call if it requires a more in depth email), there have been a few times that the email absolutely will not go through for whatever reason. Since very few people put their phone # in their emails, it may be impossible to contact them.

I also get a huge volume of emails (mostly about corns snakes of course), many from people who need info about snakes purchased elsewhere. Since a few common questions are asked over and over, I have written some in depth FAQs to pass on. This enables me to help a large number of people without rewriting the same answer every couple of days. I think it is important to be polite and helpful to all who email - they may be your future customer, and are the future of our hobby. However, I can't spend unlimited time on emails and phone calls, so I have tried to devise polite, helpful ways to minimize the time needed.

Occasionally, I totally miss an email because it got put into my spam folder (although I do check that every few days) or lost in cyberspace, or just somehow tangled up in other emails that were already answered. Also, be aware that breeders may be at a show for a few days, or out of town for some other reason now and then.

There is no really good excuse for ignoring somebody (except when their email won't go through and they didn't provide an alternative), but you should consider cutting them a break (at least the first time) if you don't hear back right away. If it happens multiple times, then you might want to consider somebody who has more time for their customers.

I couldn't agree more! Customer service should be #1 and everything else 2nd. Feel free to shoot us an e-mail any time. Sometimes I've tried returning e-mails and they are undeliverable so there's not much you can do about that. We always have time for someone who contacts us. I have had some of the same experiences as you and I think it is very unprofessional. We would be more than happy to help you.
Thanks, Debbie
Ballistic Morphs
720-933-1963