With the sale going on, been having lots of adoptions. Been working on orders, way more caught up than usual.
Even with paperwork -- we are actually UP TO DATE on paperwork. Who-hoo!! Now just to keep it that way.
But... been having a lot of flakey people lately.
Had a person who wanted a bridge and a tunnel made for them, few months ago. I got it done, emailed them early / middle of July (no longer have that email). Got an email back from them July 12th that they need more time to pay because of some assistance not picking up some of their gas bill, and they only get paid once a month. So, they said August 1st, I'd have payment. And here it is, August 16th, no payment. So I emailed a few days ago asking if they still want the stuff, and if so, when they're going to pay. Cause it's sat here, packaged up already, in a LARGE box that is, perhaps unsurprisingly, in my way -- because I have nowhere to store things like orders once they're made and packaged up. Got an email that says "I'll let you know September 1st." *head explodes* Really? Apparently couldn't be bothered to send an email saying, hey, you know, can't pay this month either... maybe next... and I can almost guarantee you, September 1st will come and go, and I'll email again. People. Don't order unless you plan to pay within a reasonable amount of time. This person wanted to know cost with shipping... of items I don't normally make... which means, only way to figure that out, is to literally make the items, package them up, and so on. So I got her the cost and now I wait.... ugh.
Moving along... had someone call me from Michigan, was going to pass through this area this weekend, and wanted to stop by and look at some chins. So I told em about the care packet and adoption form and proof of cage and all that, and emailed all of that to them, and they said they would bring it all with. Supposed to come at 7 pm yesterday. Called around 4, asked if they could come earlier, and I said sure. So they were maybe an hour away at that point, so just before 5 (right around the time they'd be stopping by), I get a call that something came up and they can't made it. Now, in all fairness, I appreciate them at least calling to let me know, rather than just not showing up, but still, frustrating.
Moving along to today. Had someone contact me yesterday, thinking they wanted to adopt, but before they did that, they wanted to come by, see the facilities and all that. Fine, so we set up an appt for 5 pm. 5 pm comes and goes, 5:15 pm comes and goes, 5:30 pm comes and goes... and they're not here. I had somewhere I needed to go, and I'd already waited a half hour... so I wrote a note for them, taped it to the door, and left. Note basically said, I waited a half hour for you, had you been here at 5, I would have stayed as long as needed, but since you're not here and I've already waited this long, I need to leave, email to reschedule. Now, they didn't say where they were coming from, they just sent an email saying they wanted to come see the place. So in all fairness to them, I don't know if they might have been coming from somewhere in a different time zone (because when I got home, the note was gone)... but I feel like, especially when I don't know where you're coming from, it's not my responsibility to know if you're coming into my time zone. I feel like, if you were to make a doctor's appointment in the next state over, and weren't sure, you'd sure ask them, are you on Central Time? Eastern Time? Because if you were wrong, and showed up an hour late... good luck seeing the doctor that day! Well anyway, the note was gone when I got home, hours later, but I have no phone call, no email, no communication at all from them. And I did say (in the note) that I apologize for any inconvenience, but the truth is, I just can't wait around forever. If I was to assume they'd be an hour late, I could wait an hour... and then when they show up, say they stay an hour... now I've sat around for 2 hours, for a one hour appointment. And here's the thing... say I sit around assuming they're coming in an hour, and it turned out, they weren't coming at all... I could be sitting around all night. Not practical. I don't know if maybe there was a time zone thing... but even if that was the case, I feel like they could have emailed back and said, you know, they got the time wrong. But so far, nothing. And it's been hours, so I imagine, if I haven't gotten anything yet... I likely won't be hearing from them. Which is fine.
But brings me to my next point, which I know I've gone over and over a million times -- people view appointments here (and at other rescues) as considerably different than at, say, a doctor's office. Yes, I get, they are different. Sure, they are. However, at the same time... it's still an appointment. If you tell your friend, you're gonna have lunch with her at 1... surely you show up around 1. Maybe not on the dot, cause maybe it's informal, but you sure show up around 1. Or if not, you call, or text, or whatever, to let the friend know you're gonna be late. Not here! If I posted every time I make an appointment and someone doesn't show up. Or shows up an hour late. Or two hours late, with no apology, no explanation (suppose it wouldn't make any difference, but I feel like then they might actually care that they wasted my time), no nothing. It's insane how much that happens, and I bet you, it doesn't happen nearly as much for things like doctors appointments. And I'm going to change how people do this, cause it's frankly getting old.
I think what I'm going to do, and this has been suggested by a number of other rescues as well, is add into the last email (the one that talks about, when you come, here's the address, bring a carrier, bring cash / credit, and so on) a short paragraph about being on time. Something to the effect of, if you are going to be late, we will wait 15 minutes on you. If you haven't contacted us via email / text / phone call within that 15 minutes to let us know you're going to be late, be aware that we may leave, or may move on to the appointment after yours (if there is one). If you show up late and we are here, but with another appointment, we will finish up with that appointment before we will take care of you. If we leave due to having other things to do, you may reschedule the appointment one time. Please be aware that our time is valuable, just as yours is, and while you are an important customer / adoptive home, so are our others, and we cannot neglect them, nor other things we need to do, while waiting too long on anyone. Also, please be aware that we are on Central Standard Time, in case that impacts you getting here on time, please check what time zone you are in, and plan out your trip accordingly.
Enough of that...
But... good news has been happening as well. That critter nation that sat here for ages and ages, because that one girl never paid and I kept saying ok well, pay a little, and she didn't... it's now gone. Remember those people who didn't want to come to Hammond because they said they'd get shot driving down the street? Yeah, they were here a few days ago, adopted a chin and bought the cage. Yay! One less big thing. I have another cage (not quite as large... but still good sized) that I moved over to the other side of the basement, where I'd had the CN, and that one needs to be worked on next. It badly needs to be painted, so I will have to take all the shelves out of it, take it upstairs and outside and paint it, bring it back in, and reassemble with shelves and all sorts of fun stuff... and get it a new pan, since the current one has two holes in it (and people wonder why some of these used cages cost a bit). But anyway, selling the CN allowed me to move that other cage over to that side, so the actual rescue area is looking a smidge less crowded. Yay. Baby steps.
Hammocks are on their way to being ready... as in, more than the two options that are currently available. I have about half the pile (so... at least 16 prints x 4 hammocks each = 64... so 32ish) sewn... need to be flipped, sewn shut, grommeted, etc etc. One thing at a time though, I am getting them all slowly sewn and ready. Yay for that.
Hmmm what else... lots of chins to list. Pitronila delivered a stillborn baby the other day. Which is, of course, sad. But also, in a way, a positive, because now we know that, after this, she is not pregnant, so a few more days of checking her weight and assuming she does well and maintains, she will be able to leave. Otherwise, she would have been here until the middle / end of November to complete her pregnancy watch. Lil Chin, on the other hand, not so easy to tell. She's gained some weight while she's been here, but that said... Pitronila gained all of 20 grams (which really is nothing to write home about), so I would not have guessed that she was pregnant (or at least, not far along)... until she delivered. So unless Lil Chin delivers, she's got until the end-ish of September to hang around on pregnancy watch. So, we shall see.
Art should be ready to go in a few days as well, he dropped a little weight here, but then, he and Pitronila were both being fed an oddball brand of guinea pig food (that the prairie dogs love!), so a small weight loss doesn't really surprise me. He should be ready to go, but I want to weigh him a few more times just to be sure he's doing well, and then will get him listed. Along with Chinchy, Lee, and whoever else I'm forgetting to list...
Ok, enough for tonight...going to bed.
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