Last updated: 22 Aug, 2022
Published on: 25 Mar, 2018
Four quick ways to respond to unsuccessful enquirers
Four quick ways to respond to unsuccessful enquirers
Juggling a heaving inbox around the ongoing practical care of your rescue pets, trips to the vet, and all the other aspects of running a rescue (not to mention having some semblance of a life) is no easy task, that's for sure.
But it’s vital that the public - who have heard the message ‘Adopt, don’t shop’ - be acknowledged when they do the right thing and choose rescue over a pet shop or breeder.
These four simple options can help you manage your enquiries, without creating bad publicity toward your rescue group, or towards rescue as a whole.
You can:
1. Use the ‘On hold’ button
Placing a pet listing 'on hold' once you have received a certain number of promising enquiries will give you time to contact those people or work through applications without being overwhelmed with even more incoming emails and phone calls. You can always reinstate the pet listing back to 'available' if none turn out to be suitable.
2. Just say no
A particular enquirer might not be right for a particular pet, or for your group’s adoption policies, and that’s ok. But many caring enquirers won’t go on to apply for another pet until they know the status of their current application, and that means other pets miss out on loving homes. If you are struggling to find the right words, give these templates a go. And if people get rude, which they occasionally do - just don’t engage any further.
3. Put your account on hold
You can put your entire account on hold to temporarily stop all enquiries if you expect to have a longer period when you won’t be able to respond (ie. due to illness). Contact us via members@petrescue.org.au to arrange.
4. Reach out for help
Let us help you recruit a volunteer to triage your email enquiries and respond to those who are unsuccessful- or try asking your current supporters on social media if they'd like to volunteer!
For more tips, check out our guide to quick and easy adoption enquiry responses.