This was such a bizarre experience that I had to share. As you go through being a customer, you…read morewill be hard-pressed to "not" see some aspects of this. BamPaws' rigid, impersonal approach insults people who prefer to treat others as humans. Try calling Bam Paws during business hours. Most of the time, they won't pick up. They have lots of dogs, infrastructure, and labor. Still, many calls go to VM. There are some times they never answer. Other times, less than a 50% chance someone picks up.
Maybe the above point is not so terrible. Except they take hours to return calls. If you're a hard-working slob like me, you are working when they finally call. This phone tag goes on for days. Meanwhile, you need to move your life forward and make decisions. But they are blissfully ignorant they are making it hard to communicate with. Tip: Task one of your several employees with remote access to a phone! They make those now! Ditch the old dial-up and get connected with your customers better.
As if that's not frustrating enough, the first-time visits are limited to 1) only with the owner and 2) for two precise times and days of the week. No flexibility. Can you not make 9 am? No soup for you! (Seinfeld's reference to Soup Nazi, as this place, is just as ridiculous). Going back to the hard-working-slob motif, since this is during business hours, it's hard to make those times. But if you want to be a customer, you will need to work at this again. Here is a tip to help with this: Stop the control at the top and delegate. I promise the female owner is not the only one who is qualified or can be trained for intake. Lady, you are not "that" special. Build a good business and cross-train.
Here's another: It takes two visits to be a customer. One to see the site, and the other to be TSA screened by the female owner. Why? Oh, that's right - she wants absolute control of their process, regardless of how ridiculously rigid it is. So, we did the two visits. Took time away from other obligations. And the facilities seemed fine, for what we were allowed to see....
That's right - you are not allowed to see the central part of their facility, where the dogs spend most of their time commingling. They can point in that direction, but no one can go there to see for themselves. They call it "not getting the dogs worked up." I call it ridiculous and an excuse. Dogs will bark. But we all expect that. We want to see what this place looks like. The answer is no, and you cannot see it. "OK then, do you have photos?" No, they do not. But I can go back on the website to get my jollies if this is what I want to see. Somehow not the same as seeing controlled photos. After all, who's going to display tragic images of their business? Here are a few tips: 1) How about a few overhead mirrors to accomplish what everyone wants? It might even help you! I'll help pay for the first one! And or 2) have photos on hand? And or, lighten up. These are dogs. This is not s dog library, for God's sake.
Here is another example of how weird this experience was: the second interview with the owner. She makes you sit and wait for a little. Fine, no problem, except the way she says, "sit!" Like I am my dog. Still, kind of cute. You realize that she has not been socialized until she talks to you. Here is how it went:
Female Owner (PS This is not a hit piece. It is an experience. So I am not using her name for now unless she comes back with a response that is not truthful): "Has your dog stayed at a kennel before?"
Me: "Yes" (Remember, the Seinfeld Soup Nazi only wants short answers, then step aside)
FO: "Has your dog ever been in daycare?"
ME: "No."
FO: "So your dog has never been socialized?"
ME: "How did you get to that?"
FO: "You said your dog has not been in daycare, so that means they have not been socialized."
ME: "That is not true. You asked if the dog has been to daycare. That answer is still 'no .' But my dog has had many opportunities to be socialized, including all day/night at a kennel and other boarding with other dogs in a shared area, dog parks, friends and family dogs, etc."
FO: "Is that kennel a lot like this one?"
ME: "I could not tell you. I could not see what you have going on back here (pointing to the central area). So, I don't know."
FO: "OK... I'm just trying to find out what I need."
ME: "I am just trying to answer your specific question.
(see below image for rest of review)