So, lots going on lately. Was out at Amber's over the weekend, brought home some piggies. One of the piggies was TJ, Bashful's brother (or so we believe). So, when I brought him back, I contacted Bashful's new home (they were wanting to adopt a second pig) and told them I had TJ, and they were here Tuesday to adopt. Yay.
There are three other pigs, chances are, two of them will stay here. One's a self cream, another is a lilac & white, and the last is a lilac, orange, and white.
Moving on, we will be at the Windy City Pet Expo on the 20th. The website is http://www.windycitypetexpo.com/ - it is free to attend, in Villa Park, hope to see you there. We have a booth and I will be giving a presentation on chinchillas. Should be fun.
But... apparently Tuesday at work, all day, I was looking at the wrong day in my planner. So, not only did I tell someone that they couldn't come the 27th because of the expo, I also told someone I would be at the expo on the 27th and could meet them outside for a surrender, and scheduled the hotel wrong. Ok, so first the person who wanted to come the 27th -- I had actually specified, we'd be at the Windy City Pet Expo, and they looked it up and asked me if I was sure about the date being the 27th, since they saw it was the 20th. Oh. Glad they pointed that out. So, that prompted me to email the other person and be like hey, had the week wrong on my planner, we will be around....
And for the hotel. Ah hell. So, I had just gotten in the mail my 13,000ish point statement from La Quinta and I was looking up a local hotel to use for the expo. No one -- myself, family, friends, anyone who might be helping out -- is ever a morning person, so we always head out the night before so we only have a 10-20 minute drive to actually get there that day. So anyway, I just intended to check the rates.... and somehow managed to reserve myself a room for one adult, and for the night of the 11th. Uh, no. So, I was able to figure out how to cancel the reservation.... but the reservation had already sucked 8,000 points out of my account, so then I had the joy of spending 45 minutes on the phone with customer service explaining what had happened and asking them to please just recredit my points so I could re-book my room. So they did and now I have it right.
So about this Windy City Pet Expo -- not quite the best organized thing ever. Maybe I'm spoiled because the other expos are so helpful, but this one..... they have continually told me, hey, you will be emailed about a month prior to the event with info. Ok, fine, I could wait. So, nothing by the end of June, I emailed, and they said, usually 3 weeks out they send out emails. Ok, I can wait. Well, then it becomes like the 7th and I'm like sweating here because I have no set-up times, no rules/regulations/do's/do-not's lists, and I don't know what to bring or when to arrive. Luckily, the arrangement we have with this expo is that I present on chinchillas and that waives out booth fee. Yay. Due to that, I was emailed asking for the name of who would be presenting. That would be me. So, I emailed that person back saying hey, I still haven't heard information, I need to know this stuff to get off work early to setup, can you help. So, she tells me some info about setup times. And says that this other lady will call me. So, the lady doesn't call that day, and it occurs to me I don't know if I need to bring tables and chairs or not. Some expos provide them, others you have to rent them (which is prohibitively expensive -- you could purchase your own at a store for less) or bring your own. So I emailed this lady again and she said they provide with one table and two chairs, so we will still have to bring more than that, but not as many as if they provided nothing. Still no call from the lady. So today (Wednesday) she finally calls..... while I'm at work. Little later in the day, I get an email from her saying, hey, we tried to reach you, were unable to. I don't know if it's just me.... but does no one else in the rescue business have a full-time job? I mean, surely these other rescues are not making enough money to allow these people to sit home and do nothing but rescue.... unless they're independently wealthy, that is. I fought back the urge to email her crabbily and be like, well, some of us have to work during the day, so I can't pick up my ringing cell phone while I'm supposed to be doing my work.... but I fought off that urge. Still need to email her though, as she DID send me the info I was looking for and needs me to call her regarding picking a booth space. Really, they can just give one to me, but if I can pick one, great.
So, today. The person who had originally started the whole borrowing program for cages and stuff was set to bring their cage back today. So, they were already here when I got home, got that cage, and headed out to get some work clothes. But in the meantime...
I wanted to share how miscommunication happens. Read this paragraph below and think about what it says:
As with all of our chinchillas/rescues, Scooby will come with 2 pounds
of food to start you out (Mazuri pellets), a baggy of chews/treats, and a
printed out version of our care packet. He will also come with a
lifetime of help and support, should you ever need it. If more supplies
are needed, we also sell our popular Starter Package ($25) which
includes 5 pounds of food, 2 pounds of dust, 24 oz of hay, a baggie of
chews/treats, and a hanging toy. We also offer a variety of other
supplies for sale, including cages (new and used), chew toys, and hidey
houses.
Now, what does it say? I'll help. It says that he comes with some food, chews, and a care packet. If people need more supplies, they have the option to buy them, and one option is a starter package which includes a variety of things they might need. Also, we offer cages and other supplies for sale. Simple enough, right? Right??
Apparently not. Let me share a conversation from earlier
Her: Hello do u still have scooby doo
Me: Sure do
Her: Awe :) ok yes I really like him he's adorable so how much is he
Me: He's 75
Her: And that comes with chew toys and food and all that but not a cage but a cage is only $25 more that's not bad
Me: He comes with 2 pounds of food and some treats. Everything else is extra. The cheapest cage we have is $100, you'd never be able to find a $25 cage that would work for a chinchilla, they need a decent amount of room.
Her: Ok....um yea ok thank you
Me: No problem
-----
Now... while I can't say this for sure, I think this is the same person from a week or so ago that wanted the guinea pig and then decided they wanted a chin and went from not being able to afford $35 for a guinea pig to being able to afford $75 for a chin *snaps fingers* like that. Uh, no. But... really? I mean, it takes a lot to twist a paragraph that says we have a starter packet for $25 and also sell other supplies and cages to say that he comes with everything but a cage and the cage would only be $25. Nice try, but no.
One more example of someone who isn't listening or isn't reading. Now, please don't take this as I'm making fun of people, I'm simply pointing out, I have a lot of conversations with people who could answer their own questions if they'd just read what's written or listen to what's being said. In this next example, I have a repeat customer wanting to come over to purchase hammocks. These were emails, so I won't include everything said, cause they get long, but here's the gist:
Him: I need some more hammocks for my kids. I could use approx. 6 more.
Me: So when did you want to come by and look at hammocks? I actually
managed to get a day-job so on weekdays I'm not around until 6:15ish or
later, but weekends are more flexible. Whatever works for you.
Him: Can I stop by today?
Me: Sure, you can stop by today if you'd like. I won't be home until after
6:30 pm or so, and I have someone coming at 8:15, but you can stop in
somewhere in there if you'd like. If sometime in there works for you,
let me know when so I can expect you.
---never did hear from him that day, next day, receive an email---
Him: How about tomorrow around 1PM?
*facepalm*
Me: I am not around on weekdays until 6:15 or later, as I have a full time
day job. I will be at work tomorrow at 1 pm, and actually, tomorrow
will not work at all, as I will not be home at night either. Do you
have another day in mind?
Him: The only other time would be around 10AM tomorrow. I can try this weekend.
*double facepalm*
Me: Will also be at work then. I
work 8:30 - 5, so I'm typically out of the house from 7:30 - 6:15.
This weekend I should be home more, maybe we'll find a time then.
------------
Now, I do realize, after all is said and done, that by my saying "I will be at work tomorrow at 1 pm" -- that could be vague, I did not specify if I was going in at 1, would already be there at 1, or what... though I did say, first email, that due to my job I'm not around until 6:15 or later on weekdays -- making 1 pm and 10 am both out of bounds. And he would have known that... had he read.
Other than that... hmmm.... I had someone who adopted a rabbit back in March who, if I recall their adoption form correctly, was not planning on moving where they could not bring animals, but now they are renting a house and can't bring her with. Things change though, you can't always plan for everything, and I don't know their situation, so I do my best not to judge. But point is, the rabbit will be coming back here. I suppose I should be thrilled I had not already cleaned out the rabbit cage that I was going to be getting ready to sell (as our current rabbit cage has a rabbit in it at the moment).
Have had several people email about wanting to be put on the waiting list for various chins lately. The ones that have wanted a baby I have specified, hey, just so you know, this isn't a I-call-you-next-week thing. If the chins breed and have babies and I happen to decide to sell one, as a baby, and you're at the top of the list, then you get a call. Not oh, the chin popped out 2 babies, immediately selling both, let me call people. Some are held back to show. And usually that decision isn't made until they're at least 2 months old, if not older. So, I told these people, depending on if I currently have babies at the time they're wanting one, or if I don't, it could be weeks, it could be 6 months, I just don't know. And I can't promise anything, especially if they're wanting a certain color, cause God knows, if I have a waiting list for people wanting all standards, I will have every color but standard born here. And that's fine, but then people tend to go elsewhere. Which is also fine. But the point is, now I'm trying to make people aware that the turnaround on babies is not like a week or two. We only have like 16 breeding chins, not all of which are even proven yet, so there's not 27 babies born every day of the year, like there are at some of the ranches. That would be neat in a sense, but I prefer only a few here and there. Not that many all at a time.
I think that might be it. Have a decent number of orders to work on at the moment, will need to get cracking on those. Not tonight, as it's already late, and not tomorrow night, as I won't be getting home from a bank-function-dinner until probably 8ish as well, and may have the rabbit drop-off after that, but I guess Friday night's gonna be busy!! Lol.
Will post more when I'm operating on a few more hours of sleep..... but this is the grand majority of what's been going on lately....
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