Meet our cute pups.
Our family made the "fun" decision to invite puppies into our lives. We planned meticulously, selecting a cream-colored, long-haired dachshund named Honey as the sire. We imagined cute strawberry blonde puppies, researched being good breeders and dog owners, bought supplies, made homemade dog food, and prepared a whelping box in a quiet place.
However, reality didn't match our expectations. Everything we prepared for started falling apart. The puppies' color was the least of our worries. Within a day, our healthy mom was in serious trouble. A 2:30 am trip to the vet with mom and puppies was scary, but it got worse. After two more trips to the vet, we finally have things back on track. Our sweet dog, Maple, is no longer vomiting and suffering from uncontrolled diarrhea. She's eating again, and there's some light in her eyes.
The puppies are now being bottle-fed, and we've given up sleep for three days. Eight hours of sleep? I'll take two!
This experience taught me valuable business lessons, particularly about helping customers take the next step. When we saw the vet on Monday at 2:30 am, our dog was in a fragile state. They ran tests but still need to provide answers. Their best guess was a low calcium level, indicating eclampsia (milk fever). They suggested stopping homemade dog food and returning to puppy kibble. If she didn't improve, we were to come back in.
This short-term approach brought us back to the emergency room two more times and cost an additional $800. But they needed to give us a clear path to success.
The vet could have prescribed an appetite stimulant and probiotics for her diarrhea and prepared us for the possibility of bottle-feeding the puppies every two hours. Bottle-feeding involves isolating mom, stimulating puppies after feeding to ensure they go to the bathroom, and correct bottle positioning to prevent aspiration.
We always want to make sure our customers are satisfied, but had we been sent home with a plan, contingencies, and signs to look for, I believe my dog would still be nursing her puppies. We would have spent less than 9 hours in a veterinary ER and an additional $800 in fees.
Are you preparing your customers when they purchase your product? Do they know how to succeed without calling you at $300 an hour? Do they have a contingency plan when things don't go well?
Do they know the plan? Do they know how to execute the plan?
I know I won't return to that veterinary hospital. I won't refer my friends there; in fact, I'll steer them away at all costs. They made $800 today, but they lost much more.