No More Homeless Pets Forum December 13, 2004 Customer Service

What image does your shelter project to the community? Is your shelter's reputation what you would like it to be? Why do pet owners avoid some shelters and flock to others? Julie Morris and Pam Burney of the ASPCA National Shelter Outreach will share their tips for ensuring that your shelter's customer service is second to none.

Introduction from Julie Morris and Pam Burney:

Why do people flock to one shelter or placement group and avoid others in the same community? Why does one particular organization attract all the best volunteers, donors and media attention? What is the most important tool you can have to get your message out into the community?

The answer to all of the above is great customer service!

Can you remember a time when you experienced great customer service? What about a time when you were treated badly in a local store? News of negative customer service travels far! Dissatisfied people share their dissatisfaction with other people. Unfortunately, it doesn't work as efficiently in the reverse, since people with a positive experience tend to keep it to themselves.

Research shows that only 14% of animals obtained in a community come from shelters. When people come to our shelters, they should be treated like royalty. We should be thanking them just for coming to us, no matter what the reason, and we absolutely have to make a good impression on the first visit.

However, interacting with the public is not always an enjoyable and rewarding pursuit. It can be frustrating, demanding and sometimes downright impossible to maintain a positive attitude when you are busy and pressured for time, or the person is particularly abrasive. With a few tips on basic communication skills and do's and don'ts, you can learn to handle the most frustrating people and situations and turn them into positive contacts for your organization.

The ASPCA's National Shelter Outreach department works with local animal protection organizations to create more humane communities. We offer expertise, tools, and resources that help increase adoptions, prevent animal cruelty, and promote the humane treatment of animals everywhere.

Questions

Adoption counseling - sooner or later?
Shelter intake desk's role in reducing shelter remits
Words and phrases to avoid or embrace
The look and feel of real customer service
Low- or no-cost resources for customer service
Does one rotten apple spoil the whole barrel?
What happens when adopters are turned away
The importance of flexibility
What to do when leadership is substandard
Sharing the customer service message effectively
Helpful, succinct phone interactions with customers

Adoption counseling - sooner or later?

Question from Beth:

Do you recommend adoption counseling at the beginning of a person's visit to the shelter; or do you think just pointing people to the dog kennels to find a dog that interests them, and then providing counseling to determine if the dog is a match or not is a better way to go?

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

Ideally, communications with the adopter should start as soon as they enter your shelter. Start with thanking them for choosing your shelter as a place to adopt a pet. Then, open a dialogue about their wishes and expectations regarding pet adoption before entering the kennels.

We understand that some shelters don't have the luxury of providing "adoption counseling" but every shelter can certainly engage in some dialogue with the adopter.

The five essentials of a successful adoption include:
1. The match would be suited to the individual animal and family.
2. The pet would be afforded appropriate veterinary care.
3. The pet's social, behavioral, and companionship needs would be met.
4. The pet would have a livable environment (including appropriate food, water and shelter).
5. The pet would be respected and valued.

So, before the person enters your kennels have at least a short discussion about what type of animal (breed, behavior, etc.) best fits into their family lifestyle. This could prevent someone from adopting a Jack Russell Terrier when they really want a couch potato.

The ASPCA National Shelter Outreach Department in conjunction with Dr. Emily Weiss has developed the "Meet Your Match Canine-ality Adoption Program," a multi-faceted approach designed to increase the likelihood that shelter dogs, six months of age and over, will be accepted into their new homes as welcome members of the family. Matching the "canine-ality" of the dogs in your shelter with the type of dog your adopters are looking for lays the foundation for the humane/canine bond to develop, increasing the potential for successful, permanent placement.

For more information about the Meet Your Match program or to order the Guide or find out about training seminars scheduled in your area of the country contact kellyc@aspca.org.

Comment from Joanna:

I think the "learning moment" when a pupil is ready (and the teacher around!) can be after someone thinks they have found an animal about which to inquire.

In sales, it's good to start with easy questions to which people can generally answer affirmatively. Get them in the mode of saying "yes" AND it relaxes them. Being "screened" to adopt a pet can seem invasive and rude. So generally when someone approaches me in the store and says, "I'd like to adopt a cat," I say, "Great! That's terrific," And then ask a question that usually elicits a yes answer as a beginning to the adoption interview.

Shelter intake desk's role in reducing shelter remits

Question from Julie:

I think our county shelter is lacking in Customer Service because when an owner comes in to surrender an animal or drop off a litter of puppies or kittens, they don't ask any questions or make suggestions that might convince these people to spay their animal or to keep their pet. When I asked them why they said they couldn't ask questions. I don't believe this at all, I think they are just too lazy. Are you aware of any laws that would preclude a county shelter employee from offering suggestions that might save the animals life?

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

To our knowledge there is not a law that would prohibit employees from offering information on spay/neuter and pet population control to people surrendering animals to a government operated animal shelter. However, there may be regulations at the county level that preclude employees from asking any questions of people who enter their shelter. This is fairly unlikely, but just to be sure you should double-check with the department that supervises the animal shelter operation (for instance the Department of Health, the Sheriff's Department or the County Commissioners).

The best customer service approach is for the county employee to ascertain why the animal is being surrendered through some simple friendly questions. The agency could start a list of referrals including local non-profit animal protection agencies or rescue groups, local dog trainers or behaviorist or any local behavioral help-lines. The agency could also acquire some basic self-help publications from national groups like the ASPCA, HSUS or Best Friends (perhaps you could gather a sampling of good materials and pass these on to the appropriate person with information on how the agency can order them). Another good source is Ani-Med (www.animed.org) -- a phone directory of animal care topics that can be accessed through the Internet or by phone.

If it seems that the owner might be open to keeping the animal if problems could be resolved, then the employee could suggest contacting some individuals or agencies qualified to assist them or provide informational handouts.

If it seems the owner has made up his/her mind to surrender the animal it is still helpful to check to see if they have additional animals at home that might benefit from spay/neuter information. There are a number of government operated shelters that have excellent spay/neuter public outreach programs. Two of those shelters are Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (Phoenix, AZ) and North Richland Hills Animal Adoption and Rescue Center (North Richland Hills, TX). You can contact them at jbank@mail.maricopa.gov or tmiller@nrhtx.com, respectively.

Ideally, the shelter should focus on preventing surrenders in the first place by promoting themselves as an information and resource center rather than just a place to surrender unwanted animals. This requires gathering educational information, resources, and a list of referrals available to the public in case they experience difficulty with a pet, and then advertising this service in the community.

Words and phrases to avoid or embrace

Question from a member:

Are there any words and phrases are an instant turn-off to the public that our shelter should avoid using? On the same token, are there any words or phrases that have been proven to open 'shoppers' up to hear our 'sales pitches' about adoption, spay/neuter, animal behavior, etc? Are our industry catchword dos and don'ts different than other businesses?

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

This is a great question! Customer Service in any other language is still customer service. The goods and services may change but the way we want to be treated remains the same. Most of us have 6 basic needs we want when interacting with a service provider. We want to be:
- Respected -- that our perspective is taken into consideration
- Understood -- that someone listens without judgment or criticism
- Treated Fairly -- without bias or prejudice
- Informed and educated -- without being made to feel stupid or belittled
- Involved in the process -- that we are in control or have made an impact
- Made aware of Options and Alternatives -- that avenues are available to resolve problems

When we recognize these basic needs we see that there are turn-offs and turn-ons for our customer during our first interactions. Here are several good ideas to ensure that first contact becomes a good experience for both the person coming to the shelter and the staff person who greets and works with them.

Open Ended Questions: When members of the public visit our shelters, they have lots of questions, and so do we. Questions can be structured two ways to elicit the quality and quantity of information we want to gather: closed or open-ended.

Closed questions are ones that only elicit a minimum amount of information, often only a yes or no or single word response: "What's the adoption fee?" "Do you currently have any pets at home now?" As you can see, closed questions don't invite additional information and can make someone feel as thought the person asking the question isn't really interested helping them or leaning more about them.

Open questions: Open ended questions provide the opportunity to give and get better information: "What's involved in adopting a pet?" "Tell me about your pets." Open ended questions sound friendlier and encourage the other person to speak freely, providing valuable information you might not have obtained otherwise.

In addition, there are two words to avoid: BUT and WHY

Consider how words you choose might be heard by the person with whom you're speaking. Two little three-letter words that pack a lot of punch and can easily be avoided are "but" and "why". Consider changing "but" to "and"... and changing "why" to "when", "how", or "what".

- But: when we use "but" in a sentence it cancels out the first phrase, and we remember only the last phrase. An example is "We would love to help you "But...". By changing "but" to "and", we remember both phrases.
- Why: The word "why" often comes across as accusatory, judgmental or confrontational, and can put people on the defensive. Consider these two questions: "Why" did you give away your last dog? or "What" happened that made you give your last dog away? Consider re-phrasing your questions and beginning them with "what", "how" or "when" instead.

By remembering what the customer's basic needs are and changing a few words in our initial greeting we can direct the way the whole experience will be for both client and staff. Here are a few other turn-offs that are almost guaranteed to stop a dialogue short.
- You must
- You have to
- Do you understand?
- It's policy or the policy is
- It's not my fault
- I don't know

The basic manners you learned in elementary school will serve you well in customer service.
- Say thank you!
- Hear others out
- Keep things out of your mouth
- Speak clearly
- Control your emotions
- And, SMILE!

The look and feel of real customer service

Question from Julie:

Recently our animal control staff received new uniforms and as a result their attitude has gotten worse in the area of customer service. How can we convince County officials that it is customer service that is needed for these employees to obtain respect rather than official looking and intimidating uniforms?

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

On the topic of customer service, let's not forget the importance of uniforms -- that is, a customer-friendly uniform. Animal control officers (ACOs) often look very police- or military-like naturally. Some areas of the country are experimenting with user-friendly uniforms, more along the lines of a park ranger or camp counselor. As the old stereotypes of the "dog pound" and the "dog catcher" are fading away, some agencies are working to redefine the image of the animal control officer and project a friendly, community-based, help and action orientation.

Calcasieu Parish Animal Control and Protection in Louisiana was one of the first to have evening and weekend patrol officers that have a casual uniform that created a friendly, non-threatening impression to the public. Their uniform consisted of Khaki pants and a polo shirt. Some agencies provide casual style uniforms for their ACOs, including walking style shorts (especially those in the hot climates).

Orange County Animal Services in FL was one of the first agencies to develop a "Mountain Bike Patrol Unit." They found that with the barrier of the truck removed, officers were more often received as being part of the community and able to communicate more effectively.

To be truly effective employees (County or otherwise) need to have the respect of the public and there is no way to gain that respect without customer service. Employees need to be well versed in handling complaints and conflict resolution.

Some basic "tricks" to handling complaints include:
- Listen carefully
- Repeat the complaint back and get acknowledgement that they've heard it correctly
- Apologize
- Acknowledge the customer's feelings (anger, frustration, disappointment)
- Thank the customer for bringing the problem to his/her attention

Of course, none of this works if you didn't resolve the conflict: Again some basic tips:
- Treat the other person with respect
- Remember the 6 basic needs discussed in the previous question
- You cannot win by being irate also; the one that stays calm has control
- Don't take things personally
- Focus on the problem, not the person
- If you must say, "No." -- give an explanation
- Provide a reasonable alternative -- be helpful and empathetic

Low- or no-cost resources for customer service

Question from a member:

In addition to this week on the No More Homeless Pets Forum, are there any other cost-free or low-cost resources for animal advocates wanting to learn more about working with people?

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

Glad you asked! There are a host of good customer service-related resources available. Some of our favorites include:

Dinosaur Brains: Dealing with All Those Impossible People at Work
Bernstein, Albert, J. and Sydney Craft Rozen. New York: Bantam Books, 1989

Customer Services for Dummies, 2nd Edition
Leland, Karen and Keith Bailey. California: IDG Books Worldwide

Super Service: Seven Keys to Delivering Great Customer Service...Even When You Don't Feel Like It!... Even When They Don't Deserve It!
Gee, Jeff and Val Gee. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999

Check out www.4act.com. Visit this site and click on "Additional Resources" and check out the tapes, "Animal Shelter Training." The first tape in this set is about working with people and good customer service. In addition, the other tapes in this set are great training and refreshers for staff working in shelters. Cost: $300

Animal Sheltering Magazine
"Unforgettable -- That's What You Are"
Humane Society of the United States, July-August 2002 Issue

There are a number of customer-service related articles in the Petfinder.com library found at www.library.petfinder.com.

Most state, regional and national animal protection conferences have excellent customer service workshops -- check out opportunities from Best Friends, HSUS, Animal Humane Association and Pet Savers Foundation.

Some shelters have found the value of partnering with local and national business chains such as Blockbuster Video, Banks, and retail stores. This partnership can pay off in more ways than grants and funding for special events. Most of these businesses survive and prosper because they train their staffs in great customer service; and some are willing the share this training with a private non-profit partner. You quite possibly could get excellent training for staff and volunteers worth thousands of dollars for free.

Another great opportunity is the Adoption Options workshops, sponsored by Petfinder.com and the ASPCA's National Shelter Outreach. These one-day, low cost workshops ($10 for Petfinder members) cover a host of topics dealing with adoption and animal placement, almost half of which is centered on customer service. Check out http://www.petfinder.com/adoptionoptions or www.aspca.org/adoptionoptions. Both sites will be updated in the next few weeks and will have the locations of the 20 workshops that will be offered through out the country in 2005.

You might also check with you local library. Many stock tapes and lots of books on customer service. Also, if there is a SCORE (retired executives who volunteer their time) group in your community, they could be a valuable resource as well.

Does one rotten apple spoil the whole barrel?

Question from Della:

How can a community overcome shortages in volunteers because of what appears to be a major personality clash with the existing Shelter Manager and her cohort, who also has major flaws. Everyone who has left the organization has complained about their lack of people skills.

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

This is a hard question. To provide a specific better answer, we really would need more information; however, we can respond with some generalities. If this were occurring at a government-operated shelter, we would recommend that you speak to whomever the Shelter Director reports. Many towns and cities have their own volunteer coordinators who could set up training for staff and volunteers to help establish a better working relationship. If this is a private shelter, perhaps there is a sympathetic ear on the Board of Directors. You would need to handle this tactfully and professionally, because you could end up alienating yourself even further from the shelter management.

Perhaps you could establish a separate fundraising group that raises money for the shelter but does not have to interact with management. Have a meeting with the Shelter Director and/or the Board President and ask what you can do for the shelter. Can you raise money for a particular pet project? Let them pick from a menu and come to an agreement.

This way, you could direct the funds to a particular program without having to interact with persons with whom you do not see eye-to-eye. If you could establish something like a spay/neuter fund and donate the money to the shelter, you would raise your credibility with the community and the Board of Directors. We see this as an interim step to get your foot back in the door.

Top management must model the agency's commitment to volunteers by embracing the volunteer program. You cannot expect the line staff to utilize volunteers if top management does not support the program. Both volunteers and staff, equally and separately, have the right to respect for ability and extra-mile effort, and each needs intangible rewards, good training and supervision, and fulfilling work. Sadly, insecure management often has irrational "fears" about volunteers:
- Volunteers take too much time and will become an additional burden rather than help.
- One can never get rid of volunteers, even when they can't or won't do their jobs.
- Volunteers pose a threat to confidentiality.
- Volunteers will take jobs away from employees, and/or be used as justification for a reduced budget.

The onus is on you to whittle away at these four fears. Good luck! You have your work cut out for you. However, if you set your goals in "baby steps," you can move in the right direction.

What happens when adopters are turned away

Question from Melanie:

I'd like some advice on how to get my local shelter to stop being so discriminatory against potential adopters. I volunteer at the shelter and have taken three cats into my home. I live in an apartment that isn't allowed pets, but I've had them for 10 years. One of my neighbors went to the shelter to adopt a cat (she had previously adopted a cat from the same shelter 18 years ago while living in the same apartment.) They wouldn't adopt to her... unless she got a signed form from her landlord (which they won't give us). I've seen people turned away because their dog got lost. Others turned away because they wanted a puppy and had small children in the home. The list goes on and on.
The people who left were angry to say the least. I feel like we're neglecting the animals when we turn people away. What can I do to convince others at the shelter that we're not doing the right thing to help animals?

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

Adoption guidelines vary from shelter to shelter. While it is important to have some structure and some basic guidelines, each situation is different and some "diehard" rules just don't seem to make sense anymore.

It's important to get shelters thinking about the dynamics of adoptions -- what works, what doesn't, what has changed over the years, how philosophies have changed. Our focus needs to be on building relationships so that they don't just end at the time of adoption, when the person walks out the door.

Ideally, the characteristics shared by successful adoptions would be that:
- The match would be suited to the individual animal and the family pet would be afforded appropriate veterinary care
- The pet's social, behavioral, and companionship needs would be met.
- The pet would have a livable environment (including appropriate food, water, etc.)
- The pet would be respected and valued

You'll note there is no mention of landlords, de-clawing or small children. It is our job to help potential adopters understand the basic responsibilities in a non-judgmental way. Perfect adopters are not born that way. They are created as we build relationships. Is the shelter eliminating good adopters because of overly strict or unrealistic criteria?

The Adoption Forum II hosted by PETsMART Charities found that the experts agreed on four must-haves, and even these basics had some detractors.
- The animal must be spayed or neutered
- No animal will be adopted to an applicant with a known history of animal or child abuse.
- No animal will be adopted to an individual who is suspected of being drunk or high at the time of application.
- No animal will be adopted to be used as a food source.

Again, there is no mention of landlords, small children, etc. When an animal comes into our care we feel responsible for making sure he/she has a better life in the future than in the past. We want it to be a good home, a committed and loving home.

Animal shelters with overly strict requirements and many barriers for adopters to overcome in order to qualify for adoption have instituted too many controls. Too often the effect is to turn adopters into liars, and us into the adoption police. Potential adopters, who at best might become our partners in the community to help protect animals, instead become angry and feel ill-treated and distrusted.

When we give up the illusion of control and focus instead on providing education, support, and resources, both before and after a new pet enters the home, we put ourselves in a positive light as a community service that welcomes citizens. So, adoption counseling becomes relationship building. It becomes a chance to interact with people, using good customer service skills, allowing potential adopters to become comfortable discussing their wants and expectations in a new pet. This, in turn, helps the counselor match them with a life long friend and everyone wins!

Comment from Andrea:

Are you advocating letting folks bring animals to a non-pet apartment complex? We've had pets returned to us because of issues with the landlord or because the adopter was not allowed to have animals. We now require proof that a pet deposit has been paid and a copy of the lease stating animals are allowed. Are we putting up too many barriers or helping to ensure the animal will not be returned to us?

Comment from Julie:

While I understand some adoption policies can seem discriminatory, I think most of them are for the animal's benefit. As a volunteer with our local shelter, I have seen way too many animals turned into the shelter because the landlord didn't allow pets. Due to the high euthanasia rate at our shelter, it is not always a happy ending for these animals, and if they had not been adopted to the renter whose landlord didn't allow pets, their lot in life may have been much better.

Comment from Sherrie:

The rule about landlord approval seems a sound one. If a potential adopter lives in a housing situation where pets are not allowed, it's going to be very difficult for the adopter to provide a committed, long-term home if their animal companion is going to get the boot when the property owner finds a resident dog or cat that's forbidden in their rental agreement. A livable environment should probably be defined as a "legal" one.

It seems like it would be worth all of our energies to work on a concerted campaign to convince more property owners to allow animal companions. Anybody have any suggestions on that one?

Comment from Char:

Bizarre adoption criteria and the haphazard way they're applied is one of the primary reasons my friends and I started our own little adoption network. I went with my friend to adopt a dog from a shelter. She was turned down because a) she had a 2 year old, and b) she hadn't brought her entire family, including the existing pets, on the four-hour drive to the shelter she'd selected. They were very rude to her.

Other things I've seen:
- A woman was denied a dog because her child is under 10. It didn't matter that the child is paralyzed in a wheelchair... She's under 10; she can't be trusted around animals. That is exactly what they said to the mother!
- A young man was denied a cat because he enjoyed going for walks with his existing cat in a body harness. His cat is old and won't last another year, so he felt having a young cat would help soften the blow. The shelter told him that walking a cat on a leash was "unnatural" and he was making the cat suffer emotionally.
- I've also heard "big dogs can't live in small houses", which is a crock! I've seen Great Danes and Saint Bernards live very happily in basement apartments. Given proper outdoor time, love, and care, my organization believes even the largest dog can live happily in the smallest apartment.
- And stating "seniors can't have dogs" is discriminatory, since it is assuming that just because one is over 60, one's gone gaga or is physically incompetent...

... the list goes on and it's absolutely shameful.

The importance of flexibility

Question from Lee:

A little over a year ago, we adopted a dog from a local shelter. My husband originally saw the dog. They requested that I come in before adopting (laudable). I made a trip, met the dog and when I agreed that he would be appropriate for our home, made another trip to introduce him to our dog. I was told that we received exemplary references.

When I said I wanted to take him I was told he needed another vaccination, so I would have to come back. When I told them I could come back in two days at 5:15 (We worked the same hours they are open to the public the following day), I was told they close at 5. I said that I could return 4 days later, my day off. I was told they wouldn't hold the dog that long. I offered to pay all of his fees at that moment and pick him up in four days. They said they couldn't do that, because they would be liable if anything happened to him. I suggested that they could stay open 15 minutes late or have someone waiting for me on the day I originally suggested. They said, "No!" I made special arrangements to get the dog, but how many of your average people would do so?

I think that the rescue organizations and shelters should always be looking to become more appealing than the pet store or breeder to the average consumer. How important do the guests feel flexibility and empathy are when relating with the public?

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

Interestingly enough, this question is fairly similar to the previous one. Customer service and policies are difficult (yet common) issues that many shelters deal with every day. We think that you will find that the shelters that are prominent and popular in a community have addressed this issue successfully. One of the issues that the ASPCA National Shelter Outreach Department (NSO) looks at when we visit with shelters around the country is the hours they are open to the public.

Many shelters have adoption hours from noon to 5:00 pm (or even shorter than that), which pretty much eliminates most people who work and commute. NSO talks with shelter management about adjusting hours to be accessible to the public. One municipal shelter in Texas extended their hours from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm four days a week and their return-to-owner rate jumped 35% in the first three months. This was an eye-opening statistic, which told them that many animals were not being adopted or returned to their owners simple because the owners could not get the shelter when they were open.

Shelters are looking at strategies such as these to increase adoptions and provide better customer service to their clients. By breaking down pre-conceived notions of the stereotypical shelter, real change can occur on levels that enrich workers, volunteers, communities and, most of all, the animals who are harbored within. There are some basic changes that can help improve life for shelter animals, improve adoptions and help make shelter dreams a reality.

1. Make it a place to learn. Add kiosks, interactive computer stations and video presentations.
2. Improve staff and volunteer training. A shelter is only as good as its employees. That's why many of the best are discovering that if they want to keep the most committed, talented people they need to provide continuing education and professional development through clinics and conferences.
3. Offer pet training. Many shelters today boast not just basic dog obedience classes, but behavioral consultation services as well. Invite people in. There is a reason for the old adage location, location, location. Every time town officials are convinced to put a shelter in a good location, adoptions flourish.
4. Have accessible hours. If the public can't find time in their hectic schedule to visit the shelter they can't adopt animals -- it's as simple as that!
5. Take a lesson from retail. Add some color and design. Try some landscaping. Add murals and graphics.

"If Mohammed can't come to the mountain..." Besides boosting adoptions, small adoption centers in busy retail areas also can sell animal-related products that benefit the shelter. No More Homeless Pets started Furburbia, an adoption center in a mall where shelters all across Utah can bring animals for placement.

We would suggest the following plan of action if you would like to get involved in helping to improve the shelter's customer service: Arrange a meeting with the shelter director and bring these suggestions to them. Ask how you can help. If this is a government-operated shelter, they may need help persuading the City Manager, Mayor or Commissioners of the need to extend their hours. Most shelters will tell you that it is cheaper to return a pet to its owner or adopt one out quickly rather than keep and maintain it in the shelter.

You are welcome to ask them to contact National Shelter Outreach. We offer specialized training for shelter staff through our Adoption Options one-day workshops and through the Regional Managers. Please check our website at www.aspca.org/nso for information of how to contact us.

If you remain positive and helpful you can make a difference for the pets in your community.

Comment from Michael:

I serve as Executive Director for The Haven No-Kill Animal Shelter in Fairhope, AL. When I came on board, less than 2 years ago, our business hours were Monday-Friday 9am to 3pm, which left out many people from visiting the shelter. I have since extended our hours on Tuesday and Wednesday to 9am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm. We have increased adoptions and pick up rates by 54% in a year. So, yes these shelters and rescue groups need to extend their hours.

What to do when leadership is substandard

Question from Ellen:

We seem to have the same problem of flawed leadership at a shelter in our community. How do you find out to whom they report? The funds to run the shelter come from the local county, but there is also a Board?

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

There are a few basic varieties of sheltering organizations: privately funded non-profit (either open admission or limited access), municipally run animal shelters (supported by tax dollars) or hybrids of the two -- for instance a private shelter with a contract to house stray animals for the municipality.

Non-profit organizations acquire such tax status from the government. They specifically need a 501(c)(3) to operate in that capacity. The typical non-profit organization is controlled by a Board of Directors. Some organizations have members who elect the Board of Directors. Other Boards are self-perpetuating; that is, the Board elects its own successors.

Municipally run animal shelters receive funds from a governmental entity, city, township or county. The county offices will know to what department that Animal Services Division reports. It can be as diverse as the Department of Public Health, Department of Parks and Recreation, Public Works or the Police Department. As a taxpayer, you have the right to know how the county funds are spent. You might start your search with the county website.

As mentioned above, many non-profits have government contracts to provide partial or full services on behalf of the government. If they do, they probably receive funding from the county to handle county animals in addition to the private donations that they raise in order to operate.
If your local agency receives government funding, you have a say in the shelter operations.

When you find out who is in charge of funding the shelter, you should ask to speak with them about how you can help them improve their customer service, extend their hours, etc. It is better to work from within, being part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Whether you would like to reform a municipal shelter or a non-profit organization, the process is fundamentally the same. A private non-profit organization must maintain the support of donors; a government run facility is responsible to the public; and many organizations are a blend of the two.

If you find that your shelter is failing to provide proper care for animals, discuss this first with shelter management. If they are indifferent or even hostile to suggestions to improve conditions, go the Board of Directors or to the City or County Administrator who oversees the shelter. If severe problems persist, you many want to bring charges against the shelter or municipal government for violating animal abuse laws. Before you file charges, be sure you know all applicable state and local laws.

If the agency receives government funding, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was passed by Congress in 1966 and amended in 1974 to create procedures whereby any member of the public may obtain the records of the agencies of the federal government. Section 552 (a) of FOIA directs government agencies to disclose certain types of records and describes the manner of disclosure required. Disclosures include the agency's rules of procedure and general policies.

Records must be made available for public inspection and copying (Note: they can charge you for this service). Courts have held that the provisions of the FOIA are to be interpreted broadly to achieve the goal of full disclosure. Although FOIA applies only to agencies of the federal government, every state has laws guaranteeing citizens access to the records of state agencies.

Two basic types of information are available under FOIA. First, you can get information about how the agency operates, what actions it has been taking, how it has been spending its money, and what statistics and other information it has collected on any subject. The second type of information that citizens often request is any records that the government has about them.

Requests cannot be made under the FOIA regarding private non-profits or private businesses, as the Act only applies to federal government agencies. Private non-profits must file federal income tax 990 forms from which you can surmise much of their budget. This is also considered public information and can be obtained directly from the organization or the IRS. There are also several websites where this information is readily available -- http://www.charitynavigator.org or www.guidestar.org.

Once you have a determined a strategy for improving the shelter you will want to document any current inadequacies or problems. It may take you weeks or months to receive requested information. Expect delays and possibly lack of cooperation. Friendly relations with Council Members (or related government agencies) or Board Members are always extremely helpful.

After you have collected all your facts and information, request a meeting before those responsible for the shelter's operation. Enlist as much outside participation as possible (25 to 30 people from your community, especially ones outside your own organization) to show community awareness of the problems and support for your recommendations for improvements. Using the legal requirements as specified by law and statute, show specific instances where the shelter falls below the standards. Although shelter conditions are an emotional issue, avoid a shrill tone in your presentation. The best approach is to appeal to the commonality of your goals and avoid a confrontational approach.

If your organization has the funds to use an attorney, you may want to hire one to advise you. However, most problems can be worked out more easily in a direct manner if the authorities are receptive.

Use publicity judiciously; initially try to work out differences without causing embarrassment to either party. However, if quiet negotiations do not progress, some publicity may be warranted. Stick to the facts and data you can prove.

The ASPCA has a handout entitled "Benchmarks of a Good Shelter", which can be found on the Petfinder.com library at www.library.petfinder.com -- search under Benchmarks. We know firsthand that substandard conditions at a local animal shelter can be dramatically improved. Be patient and persevere.

Sharing the customer service message effectively

Question from Justin:

Can you suggest some respectful, inoffensive ways to share these great ideas for customer service with the people who interact with would-be customers every day? My animal group could stand some improvement in this area, but I don't want to hurt feelings and cause people to shut down if they think I'm trying to tell them how to do their job

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

A great way to introduce the concept of good customer service is to speak with the Director or Manager of the shelter or head of the organization. Arrange a meeting and bring the information that we have been talking about all week. Tell them that you have found some great ideas on the NMHP Forum that you would like to share with them. Let them know that you respect the hard job they do and that some of these ideas will help them in their goal to save lives as well as make their job a little easier.

By keeping it positive you will be much more likely to get the message across to them about the effects of good customer service rather than pointing out what is wrong with their attitudes, etc. The negative approach could very likely cause them to "shut down" and not listen to the great ideas you have to share with them. The old adage that "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" is never more true than when you are trying to win someone over to your viewpoint.
Customer loyalty develops as customers feel a connection with a company. So why is this important to an animal shelter? It's important because customer service does more than simply provide a means to drive sales; it increases animal adoptions and also donations to the shelters.

We also care about our customer service, because it enriches our daily jobs. Treating each person as we would like to be treated always benefits both of us. When we strive to satisfy our customers by finding ways to provide services that might take an extra step or extra effort; we stretch ourselves. We also create loyalty and perhaps save lives. Courtesy, respect, and friendly helpfulness are all attributes of good customer service. A productive workplace is the type of place where everyone looks forward to coming to work instead of dreading it. When we treat each other well, we are more likely to give that same quality of consideration to our external customers, and that translates into good customer service.

We believe that if you introduce them to some of these proven techniques and ideas, they will see for themselves how powerful a few changes can make to the tone or feel of their operations. You are not asking them to completely change the way they operate the shelter or spend thousands of dollars, you are simply asking them to try a few new ideas and see what a difference it can make for animals in the shelter as well as in the community. Sometimes "baby steps" are much easier to take than giant leaps.

Here's a short chart of some basic "do's and don'ts" to get you started on your quest for superior customer service.

POSITIVE CUSTOMER RELATIONS DO'S & DON'TS
BASIC GUIDELINES

DO:
- Have a positive attitude
- Remember to thank people
- Give people the benefit of the doubt
- Admit and apologize for errors/delays
- Get your facts straight
- React to ideas not the person
- Control Your emotions
- Project genuine, active attention
- Hear others out
- Limit your own talking
- Think like the customer
- Encourage the customer to talk
- Be truly interested
- Identify yourself
- Keep things out of your mouth
- Be enthusiastic, Yet sincere
- Smile, speak clearly

DON'T:
Use the following phrases:
- You must...
- You have to...
- Do you understand?
- It's policy or the policy is...
- Vague words -- very, later, ASAP...
- It's not my fault.
- Argue mentally
- Jump to conclusions
- Interrupt
- Rush to the customer
- Be inconsiderate
- Mumble
- Engage in side comments/discussions
- Interrogate
- Talk too much
- Say, "I don't know."

Courtesy of the ASPCA National Shelter Outreach Department
www.aspca.org
outreach@aspca.org

Helpful, succinct phone interactions with customers

Question from Linda:

How do you handle folks who call asking what kind of dogs you have and other questions, that can keep you on the phone forever when you just don't have the time and they will ultimately have to come in to see the dogs anyway. Funny, folks would not think of calling Macy's and asking what kind of sweaters they have, yet they expect us to do their adoption work for them on the phone.

Response from Pam Burney and Julie Morris:

Good point! Hey Macy's, can you tell me a little bit about each of the sweater designs you have and in what sizes they are available?

There are some tricks to answering the phone itself. If you are the person who will be helping the caller, the basic introduction is "Good Morning. XYZ Animal Shelter. Laura Brown speaking. How may I help you?" If you will be transferring the call to someone else a more appropriate introduction is, "Good Morning. XYZ Animal Shelter. How may I transfer your call? "This hopefully cues the caller in on whether or not to launch into their entire saga.

If you need to interrupt the person some good strategies are:
- "Excuse me, I need to interrupt because I'm not the person to answer your question. Let me transfer you to the appropriate person."
- "Excuse me, will you wait a moment, I have another incoming call, an emergency at the front counter, etc."

In the case above, you don't want to be perceived as rude, although it's impossible to discuss every single dog with the caller. Try, "You know, I would love to help you with that, and we have many wonderful dogs. You should really come in and look." Ask the caller if they are looking for a particular breed, or if they have any size, sex or age preferences to narrow the search. Most people have at least a general idea of what they want. There is no point wasting their time by having them come to the shelter if they want a dog under 10 lbs. and your smallest dog weighs in at 66 lbs. plus.

While it may be difficult, it's important not to carry over any baggage from previous callers onto the next caller. Just because the last five people were aggravating doesn't mean the next caller deserves to be treated poorly. First, try you best to ascertain why they are asking for information about the dogs and then provide the best assistance possible.

In a previous question, we discussed the use of open-ended questions; in this case you want to use a close-ended question to help you limit the conversation. For talkative callers use close-ended questions that elicit a yes or no answer.
- Did you? Do you? Will you? May I do that?
- Use space control; provide little space between your statements
- Provide efficient responses; do not invite unnecessary conversation

To close the conversation:
- Thank the customer for calling
- Let the customer know you appreciate his/her business
- Let the customer hang up first

Kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us.
www.bestfriends.org