adoption success through savvy customer...

Adoption Success through

Savvy Customer Service

Nevada Humane Society

Nevada Humane Society’s Pet Adoptions Statistics

2006: 4,990 (pre-lifesaving initiative)

2007: 8,030 up 61%

3,040 more adoptions

2008: 8,635 up 7%

605 more adoptions

2009: 9,184 up 6%

549 more adoptions

2010: 9,668 up 5%

484 more adoptions

2011: 9,340 down 3%

328 fewer adoptions (admissions down 3%)

2012: 8,816 down 5%524 fewer adoptions (admissions down 8%)

Washoe County, Nevada’s Lifesaving Statistics

Countywide Save Rate(NHS and WCRAS combined)

2007: Dogs 92% Cats 78%

2008: Dogs 90% Cats 83%

2009: Dogs 90% Cats 89%

2010: Dogs 91% Cats 91%

2011: Dogs 91% Cats 91%

2012: Dogs 92% Cats 92%

National Average 2009:

• 58% (Source: Maddie’s Fund)

Nevada Humane Society Lifesaving Focus

1. Create lifesaving solutions

for the animals.

2. Involve the community in

our work.

Guiding Principles:

3.Deliver quality

customer service.

4. Provide excellent care to

the animals.

Nevada Humane Society Lifesaving Focus

1.Increase the

number of

pets leaving

area shelters

alive.

2. Reduce the number

of pets coming into

area shelters.

Pet Adoptions First

Increase the number of pets

leaving area shelters alive.

Adoptions:

• Setting goals

• Reducing fees

• Improving processes

• Making it convenient

• Creating fun

• Serving customers

Pet Adoptions First

“There is one very powerful

business rule. It is

concentrated in the word

courtesy.”

- Henry Wells (founder of Wells Fargo, 1860)

Customer Service

Animals?

People?

Both—by serving the

people we are serving the

animals!

Who Is the Customer?

• Feel welcomed,

respected, valued

• Have positive

experience

• Want to come back

• Want to tell others

What does it look like to

the customer?

What is Quality Customer Service?

• Understands

products/services

• Admits what they

don’t know

• Understands needs

• Helps find/meet

needs

• Resolves issues

promptly

• Redirects no’s

What does it look like to

the organization?

What is Quality Customer Service?

• Easy and

convenient

• Pleasant and fun

• Direct connection

with the animals

Facility:

Quality Customer Service

Facility: Easy and Convenient


Convenient Time

Comfortable places to sit(but easily washable)



Make it easy to fall in love!

• Never miss out on an adoption

or a reclaim because it’s

closing time.

• Schedule sufficient staff to

provide assistance during peak

adoption times.

• Provide bonding rooms and

easy ways for people to

interact with animals.



Facility:

Pleasant and Fun


Promote and celebrate adoptions

• Adoptions enable us to fulfill our lifesaving mission

• Demonstrates our ongoing commitment to lifesaving

• Reinforce the good decision adopters have made

• Increases our profile in the community

• Expands our fundraising potential


Celebrating Ancient Egypt:

When Dogs and Cats were Gods & Goddesses


Dennis Flack KOLO TV Meteorologist and Trooper

Chuck Allen PIO for Nevada Highway Patrol

Promote Foster Care


View NHS’s Adopt a Cat Month PSA on YouTube


Facility: Direct Connection

with the Animals


Processes/Programs:


• Streamlined

• Flexible

• Respectful

• Easy to fall in love

• Responsive to needs

• Fun!

Beyond Appearances:

Efficient and effective

processes and policies

that support your

mission and goals


Processes: Streamlined


1. Removing barriers to

adoption while still

protecting pets

2. Doing same-day adoptions

3. Encouraging people to

touch the animals to create

a bond

Processes: Flexible


Deal Breakers?• Same-day “impulse” adoptions

• Home visit

• Landlord check

• Cats going outdoors

• Declawing

• Pets living outdoors

• Person works long hours

• Fenced yard

• Senior adopting younger pet

Take a cue from the

animals:

Stay flexible!


Adoption Process

• Dialogue-based matching

• Adoption application

• Discussion (checklist)

• Possible additional steps

• Make people feel good

about adopting


Processes: Flexible


Are these failures?

• Adoption returns

• Giving pet to someone else

• Declining an adoption

Adoption Follow-up


Processes: Respectful


• Assume the best

• Treat as you would like to

be treated

• Keep the end in mind

Processes: Easy to Fall in Love


Interaction

Processes: Responsive to Needs


Low Adoption FeesStandard Adoption Fees

Seniors for Seniors: Person 55+ dog/cat 6+…FREE

Cats, Adults…………………………………... $50

Cats 10 yrs or older…………………………. $10

Kittens under 4 mos……………………….. $60

Dogs, Most Adults…………………………... $50

Dogs 10 yrs or older……………………….. $25

Small & highly-desirable dogs……….$50 to $150 (Individually Priced)

Puppies under 4 mos.……………. $100 to $150 (Individually Priced)

All dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and

microchipped. These services are included in the adoption fee. Our actual cost per

animal averages $240.

Higher rates for highly-desirable dogs help fund the care of those dogs who need a

longer stay at the shelter.


Seniors-for-Seniors



Processes: Fun!

Staff:


• The right people

• Trained to do

the right thing

• Empowered to

do the right

thing

• Rewarded for

doing the right

thing “Quality of customer service cannot

exceed quality of people who provide it.” – Small Business: Canada website

“When a customer first approaches

you, no matter what your job, you

are the face of the business. Your

greeting has a powerful

impact on your customer’s

experience and impression of your

establishment.”

- The Greet Your Customer Manual by Laurie Brown


Staff: The Right People


• Like animals AND

people

• Friendly and outgoing

• From service industry

Smile!

Even on the phone, you

can hear the difference

when someone smiles.


"People don’t remember what you say, they remember

how you make them feel." - Maya Angelou


When you know the customer’s

name, use it.

Name badges provided and

required for staff and volunteers


The Three-Second

Greeting Rule

(Wells Fargo and Verizon)

Train staff to engage

people in dialogue with

open ended questions


Go the extra mile!

• Give customers the benefit of

the doubt.

• If a customer makes a request,

do everything you can to say

yes.

• When you cannot say yes,

rather than saying “no,” share

what you can do to help.

Redirect rather than oppose

the customer’s wishes.

• If there must be a wait, make it

comfortable and keep people

informed of status.


The power of a heart felt thank you!


Cat Adoption Queen: Sammy AKA “Grandma”

1. Have a good

time; laughter

puts people at

ease.

2. Be outgoing. Greet everyone with a smile &

friendly remark.

Grandma’s Top Tips

4. Be sure

they get to

know the

cat’s

personality

before they

take the cat

home. 3. Find out what

they are looking

for in a pet &

introduce them to

specific animals.


5. Make people feel

good about their

decision with

positive

comments about

the pet.


Staff: Trained to Do the Right Thing


Staff: Trained to Do the Right Thing


Checklist for Great Customer Service

Greet visitor with “Welcome to Nevada Humane Society, how may I help you?”

Greet caller with “Nevada Humane Society, how may I help you?”

Smile. Be friendly and welcoming.

Make eye contact.

Acknowledge waiting people with a friendly smile; “Sorry for the wait, we’ll be with you soon.”

Listen carefully. Ask questions if needed. Be sure you understand before responding.

Determine if you are the right person to help, if so, be thorough and accurate.

If question is inside your department but outside your knowledge, personally get them in touch with the appropriate person or take a message with name, number and subject, following up to be sure the appropriate person gets the message

If question is outside your department, refer to most recent version of Customer Service & Phone Manual and personally get them in touch with the appropriate person or take a message with name, number and subject, following up to be sure the appropriate person gets the message

If situation gets emotional or you are not sure what to do, excuse yourself and get a manager.

Close with “Thank you very much for ______________!”

Celebrate pet adoptions and donations. Make people feel good about what they are doing. Comment on the wonderful pet they have selected, congratulate them on the adoption, or tell them what a difference their donation makes for the animals.

Staff: Empowered To Do the Right Thing


Staff: Rewarded for Doing the Right Thing


Employee Incentive Awards for Customer Service (and Animal Service)

Purpose: To incentivize great customer service and animal care

Criteria (applies to public and internal staff; minimum of three required):

Impact – a truly substantial impact has been made.

Exceed expectations – excellence above and beyond the norm of good performance.

Improved a process – recommending a new or improved process that is implemented and makes a substantial improvement.

Consistency and/or frequency – excellent performance that is part of an ongoing patterns of positive actions and behaviors.

Positive feedback – from the public and/or co-workers (letters, e-mails, comments).

Turning a negative situation into something positive – outstanding problem solving, creative solutions, quick action and/or interpersonal skills that fix a problem or resolve a problem in a positive and effective way.

Staff: Rewarded for Doing the Right Thing


Employee Incentive Awards for Customer Service

Nominations & Review Committee

Prizes:• First Award: pin• Second award: $5 coffee card• Third & fourth award: $10 gift card• Fifth award: personal parking space for one month• Sixth award: a day off with pay• Seventh award: photo plaque in the shelter and framed certificate • a problem in a positive and effective way

Recipients receive:• Designated prize within the category. • Personalized card from the ED and their supervisor.• Acknowledgement in a staff meeting.• Record of the award placed into their personnel file.

MBWA:

Manage by Walking Around• Ongoing but not regular

• Schedule time

• Go it alone

• Keep conversation informal

• Equal time

• Seek input

• Listen more than you talk

• Don't criticize

• Acknowledge good work

• Share your passion and goals

• Follow up


“Think like a customer”– Paul Gillin


Beyond the

Shelter Walls:

First impressions

are often formed

before people

set foot in the

shelter.


Messaging that draws

people in:

Use words that evoke

positive emotions

• Rewarding

• Fun

• Fall in love

• New best friend

• Helping to save a life

Touch hearts

Don’t lecture


"Enthusiasm is contagious.

Start an epidemic.“— Don Ward


Ten Customer Service Tips (from Canadian Small Business Website)

1. Quality of customer service

cannot exceed quality of

people who provide it.

2. Realize that your people will

treat your customer the way

they are treated.

3. Know your customers.

4. Make sure your customers

know who you are.

5. Go the extra mile.

Ten Customer Service Tips (from Canadian Small Business Website)

6. Greet customers when they

walk in the door or at least

within 30-40 seconds upon

entering.

7. Give customers the benefit of

the doubt.

8. If a customer makes a

request for something special,

do everything you can to say

yes.

9. Train staff on how to handle a

customer complaint or an

irate person.

10. Ask customers how you are

doing.

Pet adoption should be one of life’s

truly GREAT experiences!

Adoption Success through Savvy Customer Service

Nevada Humane Society’s

Spoof on JK Wedding Entrance Dance Video

Diane Blankenburg 858-395-3677

[email protected]

Expanding the lifesaving community for animals

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