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Lee Shore Rescue, Inc Customer Service Policy Manual

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Page 1: Lee Shore Rescue · Web viewHypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and we will not “keep an eye out”

Lee Shore Rescue, Inc

Customer ServicePolicy Manual

Page 2: Lee Shore Rescue · Web viewHypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and we will not “keep an eye out”

Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected]

Table of ContentsIntroduction……………………………………………………………………………………….3

Your Role as a Customer Service Representative………………………………………………..4

General Policies and Pre-Adoption Inquiries………………………………...……………………5

Salutations and SignoffsWhat’s Included in the Adoption FeeAdopting Multiple Pets: Littermate SyndromeSize and Breed QuestionsHolding Dogs and BoardingOut of State/Area AdoptionsPrioritizing Inquiries

Adoption Process………………………………………………………………………………….8

ApplicationMeet and Greets and PickupsAdoption Contract and PaymentTransport

Serving the Adopter Post-Adoption……………………………………………………………..10

Introducing the Pet to Existing Pets and Family MembersSpay and Neuter Rebate and PAWS ClinicFeedingBehavioral ProblemsHealth ProblemsSubsequent Adoptions

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Page 3: Lee Shore Rescue · Web viewHypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and we will not “keep an eye out”

Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected] Problems with the PetBounce Backs and Returns

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Page 4: Lee Shore Rescue · Web viewHypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and we will not “keep an eye out”

Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected]

Customer Service RepresentativesIntroductionWhat is my role as a customer service representative?As the first contact between the adopter and Lee Shore (LSR), you represent the very first impression. You have the power to leave the potential adopter with either positive or negative feelings about Lee Shore, and maybe animal rescue in general, and you have the power to create a life-long rescuer out of the adopter. A positive impression not only saves the life of the animal adopted today, but potentially of others in the future.

Who should consider customer service?Customer Service Representatives should enjoy meeting and talking to new people, and should have a friendly and positive demeanor. If you’re routinely called “outgoing”, “perky”, or “extroverted”, this might be the right position for you!

Why are customer service representatives needed?With pet adoption services like PetFinder.com, AdoptaPet.com, and RescueMe.org, hundreds of people view our pets every day. Most of them have never worked with Lee Shore, and many have never adopted before. The ability to talk to someone gives many people the confidence they need to fill out an application and take that first step towards providing a forever home to an animal in need.

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Page 5: Lee Shore Rescue · Web viewHypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and we will not “keep an eye out”

Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected] What are the requirements to be a pet foster parent?

Be at least 18 years of age Have reliable phone and internet access Be willing and able to promptly respond to the inquiries and questions

of potential adopters Be responsive to communications from other members within the

rescue Have a positive attitude and a friendly demeanor

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Page 6: Lee Shore Rescue · Web viewHypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and we will not “keep an eye out”

Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected]

Your Role as a Customer Service RepresentativeProcedural OverviewYour role as a customer service representative cannot be overstated. You are the first line of communication between the potential adopter and Lee Shore. You can make the difference between shelter and forever home for hundreds of pets every year.

Marketing and the Applications BranchYou can see the full organizational flowchart on your Volunteer’s Policies Manual on page 6.

Your direct supervisor is the Applications Manager Renee Milam. She will be your main contact within the rescue, and you will communicate with her about pet availability and the status of applications.

Above the applications manager is Vice President in Charge of Marketing Elizabeth Northrup. When the applications manager is unavailable or in case of emergency, you should contact Elizabeth. Her contact information and that of the other board members can be found on page 7 of your Volunteer’s Policies Manual.

Other Important Tasks and ContactsTo answer questions regarding specific animals that aren’t answered in the pet’s listing, you may sometimes need to reach out to the foster parent, the kennel staff, Vice President in Charge of Operations Paulina Putnam, or President Alison Shanahan. Policy is that pets’ descriptions should have their assigned kennel workers initials at the end, to help you know who to contact. When in doubt, assume that baby animals are Alison’s and adults are Paulina’s. Keeping track of the animals, who is caring for them, and their adoption and health status, will be an important part of your work.6

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Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected]

You will also be asked questions regarding animal care, such as introducing adopted pets to current pets, training, feeding, and similar topics. Familiarize yourself with the information and policies that follow in this manual, and when you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t hesitate to reach out to Alison or Paulina.

General Policies Regarding InquiriesMost of your interactions will be with people who have not yet adopted and are interested in a particular animal. This is your guide to respond.

Salutations and SignoffsWe strive for a friendly and upbeat yet professional tone when communicating with adoptions. We are helping people meet their new best friends – this is a fun and exciting atmosphere and we like to encourage those positive feelings. However, we also want our adopters to know that they can trust us: with their personal information, with their money, and with their pets. We need to sound adult, professional, and competent.

For salutations, we generally stick with a friendly “Hi, [First Name]. On the phone, you can add a simple, “This is [Me] with Lee Shore calling about [your inquiry about Pet]. How are you today?”

Your email signature should be as follows:

Sincerely,First Name Last NameLee Shore Rescue, IncLeeshorerescue.com828-919-9746

What’s Included in the Application Fee7

Page 8: Lee Shore Rescue · Web viewHypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and we will not “keep an eye out”

Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected] Because we are not government funded and we work with pets who aren’t immediately adoptable, our adoption fees are higher than average. We do not bargain or compromise on our adoption fees except on very, very rare Free Senior to Senior cases. This possibility will be noted in the description on these cases.

The adoption fee includes age appropriate vaccinations, deworming, spay and neuter, any medical care the dog received while with us, and free spay or neuter if done through us or a $50 rebate towards spay or neuter when done elsewhere.

Adopting Multiple Pets: Littermate SyndromeDue to the possibility of something called littermate syndrome, we do not allow simultaneous adoptions of puppies. Littermate Syndrome is a form of codependency, wherein the puppies bond so closely with each other that they are unable to bond properly with humans or absorb their training. To prevent this, adopters who want two dogs to be one another’s companions are encouraged to either adopt one puppy now and one in six months to a year, or adopt puppies with at least a six-month age difference.

Breed ConcernsThe breed determinations in our animals’ listings are guesses. We work with a lot of dogs and we make our best guess about breeds based on what each dog looks like and any information we have on its parents (if any), but we're only human! Within one litter, puppies might have different fathers. They may have a mother who looks like a pure Australian shepherd and puppies who all look like pure bulldogs. One study found that veterinarians, rescue workers, and breeders who were asked to guess the lineage of mutts were completely wrong 60% of the time. In addition, adoption websites only give space for two breed determinations and the list on each website is different.

Studies have shown that while breed has some impact on a dog's tendencies and personality, nurture (how the dog was raised) plays a much bigger role. We don’t entertain requests for specific breeds, and for adopters who are set on a particular breed, we recommend they go to a reputable dealer or a breed specific rescue.

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Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected]

Special RequestsSpecial requests can sometimes be accommodated, but often can’t. Here are some of the common ones we see and our answers. Remember, when in doubt, contact a board member.

Lower adoption fees: The answer to this is almost always no. Any exceptions will be noted in the pet’s listing.

Hypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and

we will not “keep an eye out” for a specific type of dog for someone. Sizes: Like breeds, estimated adult sizes are our best guess and we

are often very wrong. Be honest with potential adopters about this, and point out that even if we have seen both parents (a rare occurrence), there’s no way to tell if a puppy will take after mom or dad.

Adoptions for other people, or surprise adoptions: Not allowed. People are allowed to fill out applications on others’ behalf or pay their adoption fees, but everyone needs to be aware of the situation and in agreement about adopting before applications can be approved.

Special NeedsOur focus on pets who are not immediately adoptable can be a source of confusion for some potential adopters. Some think that we only work with special needs pets, but in fact most of our graduates have no ongoing special needs. The reason we chose to focus on dogs who are not immediately adoptable is that many of these dogs become adoptable with just a tiny bit of work. Any dogs who do have special needs will have their needs clearly articulated in their description. For more detailed information about any dog, always contact the assigned kennel staff member.

Holding Dogs and BoardingIdeally, adopters should wait to adopt with us until they are ready to bring their pet home, However, if the application has been approved, the contract has been submitted, and the adoption fee has been paid for, we can hold the pet for up to seven days. After that period, we can board the pet for a fee of 9

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Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected] $15 per day. We cannot hold pets until contracts are submitted and fees are paid.

Out of State/Area AdoptionsWe have no rules about where adopters can or cannot live. However, we only have transport from upstate South Carolina to Maine, in coastal states only. Outside of those areas, adopters must pick up their pets at our Adoption Center.

Prioritizing InquiriesSome pets are easier to get adopted than others. Do your best to prioritize inquiries about animals who have been waiting longer or who we expect will be difficult to move. For example, young puppies are generally easy to move. A five-year-old male American bully mix will be more difficult.

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Page 11: Lee Shore Rescue · Web viewHypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and we will not “keep an eye out”

Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected]

Adoption ProcessMany of your conversations will revolve around the adoption process. This is a general guide to get you started. It’s a good idea at this point in your training to go through the adoption application and contract as if you were an adopter (even if you have adopted with us before, as our process has changed many times). Always remember that you can contact the Applications Manager with specific questions.

ApplicationThis is the most common inquiry you will receive: “This puppy is so cute! Is he still available?”

This is your response:

Hi Applicant,

Yes, Puppy is still available! You can apply to adopt him at leeshorerescue.com/apply.html. We look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,Your NameLee Shore RescueLeeshorerescue.com

If you are speaking to an adopter on the phone, tell them to go to leeshorerescue.com and click Forms, then Adoption Applications.

There are no downloads involved with opening the form. A problem adopters sometimes run into is that the form will automatically submit if they close the page. This is because it is a survey service and it’s designed to give users as much information as it received, but adopters sometimes run across this function accidentally while trying to look up contact information for their vets or references.

The best thing adopters can do to ensure the success of their applications is to include up to date contact information for their veterinarians and personal references, and let us know if the vet records are under a different name. They should also let their references know to expect our call. All of this 11

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Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected] information is included in the application instructions, so you don’t need to include this information unless specifically asked.

Meet and Greets and PickupsThe second most common question you will receive is this: “This puppy is so cute! How can I meet him?”

Adopters are of course welcome to meet pets before committing to adoption. There are two ways to do this.

First, and preferable, is that the adopter fill out an application and is approved. They receive an approval email with the pet’s assigned kennel worker’s contact information, who they can then call to arrange their meet and greet. They can then take the pet home the same day if they hit it off, and can submit their contract and payment from their phones or when they get home.

The other option is to come to the Adoption Center during our open hours and try to meet the dog, however, we cannot guarantee in this case that there will be someone available to answer their questions or do a formal meet and greet, and they will not be allowed to adopt that day.

Adoption Contract and PaymentThe adoption contract is located under the Forms tab on our website. There is no need to download anything. The contract ensures the ongoing safety and care of our pets.

The contract can be filed from a meet and greet via phone, or can be filed ahead of time to hold the pet. The fee, however, is nonrefundable, so adopters should not file their contracts until they are certain of their decision to adopt. This protects the pets from adopters paying their fee to hold the dog and then choosing not to adopt, during which time the pet might have been adopted by someone else.

The fee can be paid using the Paypal checkout option when the contract is filed, or using cash or check at the time of pickup. If adopters choose cash or check (we have no preference!), they should choose the zero-dollar Paid Cash or Check option when filing their contract, and nothing else. If they also

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Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected] click the amount of their adoption fee, PayPal treats it as a multiple item purchase and takes them to the payment page.

TransportTransport is available using Happy Dog Transport. They can transport dogs to locations in coastal states from Upstate South Carolina to Maine. Transport to anywhere south of Manhattan is $125, and north of that is $140. The contact at Happy Dog is Cindy Koman, who can be reached at [email protected]. Transport leaves on Friday mornings. The dogs are dropped off in public locations, and adopters will have to pick up from the nearest drop off point, and maybe in the middle of the night. For the health and safety of the dogs, the van stops every two hours to give everyone a potty break and a drink of fresh water.

Outside of these locations, adopters must come to the Adoption Center to pick up their pets.

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Page 14: Lee Shore Rescue · Web viewHypoallergenic or low-shed dogs: We don’t have any. Specific breeds: We cannot guarantee breeds (see topic above) and we will not “keep an eye out”

Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected]

Serving the Adopter Post-AdoptionIntroducing the Pet to Existing Pets and Family MembersSome adopters will bring dogs to the Adoption Center to make sure of compatibility before adopting, but in the case of at-home introductions, dogs should be introduced to one another in a controlled environment, but not on a leash. The lack of freedom of movement adds stress for the dogs, which makes them less likely to hit it off. Examples of good places for introductions are fenced in yards, or inside of the home. The dogs should be supervised, but allowed to sniff each other and get the lay of the land.

Cats are a little trickier due to something called “imprinting”, which basically means that cats are the ultimate snap judges. When a cat catches first glance of another cat, she remembers the expression on that cat’s face as an indication of that cat for all time. This means that if one cat is startled or surprised, the other might surprise that this is an unfriendly or threatening cat who can’t be allowed nearby.

The remedy for this is to allow the cats to smell each other for some time before they see each other. The new cat should be kept in an enclosed space like a bathroom or laundry room for at least a week. Once the cats have gotten used to each other’s smells and are aware that there is another cat in the area, they are less likely to form a negative impression of one another.

Spay and Neuter Rebate and PAWS ClinicAdult pets are spayed or neutered before adoption, but we don’t do pediatric neuter due to the increased risk of cancer. We recommend that adopters have this done between four and six months of age, and require it be done within six months of adoption.

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Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected] There are two options for having pets altered. The first is to do it through their regular local vet and then apply for a rebate. Once pets have been altered, adopters can send a copy of their receipt from the surgery to receive a $50 rebate. This is the only requirement to receive the rebate.

The second is to bring the pet to us and have it altered for free. We use the local nonprofit PAWS, who have a transport that leaves Thursday mornings from the parking lot of the Tractor Supply in Spindale, takes the animals to a clinic in Asheville for their surgeries, and brings them back the same afternoon. Inquiries regarding the spay and neuter transport should be directed to the Spay/Neuter Coordinator.

FeedingAll adopters will be sent home with some of the food their pet has been eating. They should mix this food with whatever food they plan to use ¾ old to ¼ new for a week, half and half for a week, ¼ old to ¾ new, and finally they can be moved fully to the new food. This will help prevent or mitigate any gastrointestinal upset that may occur from the switch.

Adopters are advised to consult with their veterinarians for advice on choosing a food for their new pets. They can also look up dog food brands at dogfoodadvisor.com for recalls and ratings. In general, foods with real food ingredients that you wouldn’t mind eating yourself are more likely to be healthy.

Major ProblemsFor health and behavioral problems, always direct adopters to speak to Alison or Paulina. We can sometimes help or solve problems, advise adopters on how to find reputable trainers, or advise other adopters of genetic problems within a litter. In cases when adopters decide they cannot keep their pets, we will take them back.

Subsequent AdoptionsWe love to serve returning adopters! When an adoption has taken place within the last twelve months, the adopter does not need to submit a new application as long as they are looking for a pet of the same species and 15

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Lee Shore Rescue 115 Reservation Drive

Spindale, NC 28608828-919-9746

[email protected] similar needs. Tell Alison Paulina about any interest in specific pets before making promises, but in general these adoptions proceed with no trouble and they can simply file a contract.

If it has been longer than twelve months, adopters will need to reapply to allow us to ensure that they are still caring appropriately for the pets they have.

Denied AdoptersDenied adopters usually complain to the person who read their application, but if you do hear from a disgruntled applicant, simply tell them that this was a decision of the Adoptions Committee, and that they are free to apply to adopt again after a period of six months.

Problems with the PetFor problems with the pet, always consult with Alison or Paulina.

Bounce-Backs and ReturnsWe always take pets back if adopters decide they cannot keep them. Refer the adopter to Alison or Paulina, and strive to maintain a neutral tone. Often, this email or call is made in panic after an incident, and the adopter changes his or her mind after they have calmed down. Sometimes problems can be solved with some expert advice. Other times, the pets return. In each case, we ensure that the pet is safe, and this is the important thing to remember.

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