Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

Support our small pet-related businesses: waggintails

 

I've followed Waggintails for 5 years now. John Gigliotti, the founder, is really passionate about quality foods (read healthy and safe) for pets and has an exceptional online business that satisfies that niche admirably.

So, I was moved to action when I received the email below:

Dear Friend

I lost a good customer the other day. 

I was out of what the product needed, and she was able to find someone else that had it.  “I can’t keep my dogs waiting,” she emailed me.  

She had been with me for three years.  It hurts.

It hurts because I’ve built my whole business on always going the extra mile for my customers and trying hard to earn your loyalty.  And right now, with the economy slumping and with so many of our suppliers hurting, too, it just isn’t possible to always deliver the ship times you’ve come to expect.  I know that puts everyone in a difficult situation.  You can’t feed your dogs and cats apologies.

I could explain it all, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear it.  You may even be hurting, too.  In fact, if you’re feeling the slowdown in your own life or business, you definitely have my empathy. 

I just hope we can get through this together.  I can’t afford to lose another good customer at times like these. 

I wish I could promise things will be better next week or next month, but I don’t want to make a promise I can’t keep.  All I can say is, I will continue to do everything I my power to serve you, just as I always have.    

My values haven’t changed, and I know yours haven’t either.   I still sell only products that are good and healthy for pets.  And nothing matters more to my than your pets’ health, and your satisfaction.

There is one thing you can do to help.  If you can place your orders with some extra lead time during these difficult times, it would be very much appreciated.  I don’t want your pets to go hungry or have to switch brands.  And I definitely don’t want to lose another good customer.

With sincere thanks for your business — and your patience,  

John Gigliotti

So if you care about quality pet foods and small business in the US, please visit the Waggintails website.

Better yet, visit the Embrace Pet Community website first and get 10% off non-sale items by clicking through the Featured Partner field top right. We get nothing for your click except the satisfaction that a good business is being supported by people who care.

What do you think of John's email above?

What a let down - free coupons from Bayer didn't hit the mark

Pardon me while I rant.

So all this month, I've been trying to get my $20 coupon to go towards Barnes's wellness visit coming up this week. Have you heard about this viral promotion by Bayer - the Help Your Pet, Get to the Vet promotion? You must have (or several million of our friends have) because it's practically impossible to get a voucher - they are always "sold" out.

The way it works is that there are 80 coupons available every hour, 9am - 9pm, and when those coupons are gone, you have to try again the next hour. Even when I've tried right at the turn of the hour, surprise surprise, 80 people have already scooped up the coupons in a matter of microseconds. Really?

So, I was very excited today when at the stroke of 11:00am, I managed to squeak past the bots and get my coupon... or so I thought.

In order to print out the coupon, I needed to download software from Coupons.com to be able to print it out - I think not.

First of all, I can't download software on to my laptop. Yes, I know I'm the CEO of my own company but even I can't put whatever I want on my laptop. It's highly irritating most of the time (having to grovel to my IT guru to add Facebook picture download software is a bit embarrassing), but it does make sense not to let me add software that at best might slow things down or at worse interfere with our systems, blow up my laptop, and I'd get a telling off big time. Best not to leave software downloads to my discretion.

But the question is, why should I have to download software to print out a coupon? If CVS (our regional drug store chain) can let me print out their coupons without software, surely Bayer can do something similar. It's not like they are some itty-bitty start up with no budget.

Software for something so minor (printing hardly needs software) means the download is for another reason - like spamming or monitoring my online activities or advertising. Not sure what the case is here but I don't want to find out.

I get the idea of what Bayer is trying to do - encouraging people to get out to their vets for their regular check ups and of course, hopefully buying Bayer products. Fine by me. Even though the economy is down the tubes, pet parents should still go to the vet for regular check ups and we're all grown-ups and can choose what products we buy.

And I'm sure Coupons.com approach was a quick and easy way to avoid evil pet parents using multiple coupons or other online fraud (although if they are all going to the vet and the promotion is doing what it's supposed to, what's the harm in that?) Is it really worth it?

Bottom line - I refuse to download software that is going to track what I do online to get a one-off $20 coupon. Forget it. And I'm cheesed off that I worked hard to get that damn coupon only to find I couldn't get it. Not a good experience.

Maybe the coupons are flying off the shelves as they seem to be so nobody else cares about this but I can't say I'm impressed. I'll just be taking Barnes in on Thursday without his coupon - and won't be loading up on Bayer products when I'm there.

[Rant over - back to regularly scheduled normalcy shortly]

The Embrace Pet Community giveaways

Make sure to check out the Embrace Pet Community's blog for our first giveaway on behalf of Paws to Save Pets.

Some pretty cool collars and a Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health are up for grabs - check out the blog post for details on how to get your free stuff.

Where is Laura?

Don't worry, I'm still around but have not been able to find my blogging feet as of late. I have been tweeting once in a while on Twitter so you are more than welcome to follow me at http://twitter.com/laurabennett.

In the meantime, I'll resume normal programming as soon as I can.

One of our latest Embraced pets - I couldn't resist!