Question for those that are vendors at shows

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I will play it by ear. Just wanted to get some opinions as dealing with people can be touchy, and sometimes pure experience can shed some light. thanks again.

So far I've only done one show, with my best friend, and we didn't have anyone too annoying. We did have to ask a young person (about 8-10 yrs old, I guess) to leave because he was insisting on trying to hold one of her snakes and was persistently manhandling the jewelry I had on display (handcrafted wire jewelry, not the type of thing that likes to be squished). This year will probably be the first year that we both have snakes for sale. We are only doing the NVRE at this point, so our audience will be somewhat limited, hopefully that will limit the number of 'special' people as well. We did have a number of just 'lookers' at our show last August as well as a couple of odd individuals that wanted to talk to us, not necessarily about what we had for sale. For the most part they didn't give us much trouble and when actual customers or potential customers appeared, we simply excused ourselves. So we haven't had any real challenges...yet. Being professional is the best bet, but definately not always the easiest. Keeping your temper and being in control would surely make you look the best in a public setting, especially if you remain rational and the other person becomes loud and/or obnoxious.

Just my .02 worth.
Dianne

Handling folks.. you know letting someone you have never met before touching one of your animals or physically massage one of your snakes to the point where it will bite
Hell I remember at one show a young adult got bit by a prairie dog and Our good friend and wholeheartedly honest[sarcasm very heavy here] Robert Carr got bit holding a haplopelma minax[this is a very aggressive tarantula with a bad bite]
poetic justice on the second occurence if you ask me
But think about all the problems something like this could cause all of us. Possibly a disclamer people would have to sign before handling your critters...UUuuugggghhhhh Or one of those abd consumers with half a brain got bit Uuuuugggghhhh
personally I handle all my animals in front of Joe consumer unless I know you or your another vender I know well and trust
and absolutely NO holding spiders

If you dont want to sell to them dont, politly tell them you would rather not sell the animal to them, Ive had it happen a bunch of times, thats why most shows have security, if your reasons are valid the person standing in line behind the guy you are refusing to sell to will respect you more, ive done alot of shows and refused alot of people for various reasons and never had much of a problem, so I wouldnt sweat it

I have been in the customer realtions world for 15 + years, last 11 of which in a Manager or higher position (food and beverage arena), my point is there is not a place in the world where you don't have the right to refuse service to someone. Neil mentioned being in a public area, who cares. So are restaurants I run and I have told pleanty of people (with good reason only) that they are not welcome. Unfortuantely I had to resort to getting assiatnce from others a few times (I work at a resort so I have called security and/or police). If you have had bad dealings with someone, why would you want to do business with them again? Tell them "NO". I am not saying to be rude, but it is within your rights. The snake business is no different. You are in essence running a place of business out of a certain space. That is your storefront at that monet and you treatr it like it is yours.
My thoughts,
Brian Oakley

Heck, my wife Connie has flat out refused to sell her leopard geckos to some people at shows. After watching how they behaved and talked with them for a while, she knew that selling a lizard to them would just condemn the animal to a quick and certain hell. I have seen her actually snatch a deli cup out of a woman's hands and tell her to go away.

On the subject of handling animals at shows, my policy is simple. Until you own the animal, you do not handle my animals. I don't know where you hands have been. Yeah, I know, we all have those little bottles of disinfectant, but they are mostly a feel good solution.

Years ago a bought a gallon jug of Rocal, which is an industrial class disinfectant. Pretty potent stuff used in hospitals. The manufacturer suggests leaving it on the surface to be sterilized for at least 20 minutes. They also recommended not exposing your bare skin to it. Now there is a conflict here. In order for a disinfectant to be powerful enough to be effective, it is also powerful enough to take your skin off of your hands. That clear liquid in the little bottles just will not do the job in the 10 seconds it takes for you to wipe it on your hands and it evaporates.

So no, I do not allow potential customers to handle my animals. And yes, possibly I lose sales over it. But my entire collection comes under risk each and every time ONE of them that I might be taking back home potentially comes in contact with a contagious pathogen carried on someone else's hands.

Yes Rich
I agree on the handling issue, and yes I have lost some sales over it also..now were back to dealing with that customer that you would not sell a goldfish too

'is that a snake??'
'its for my 4 yr old son'
'But how do I know its tame'
'But it's just used to you'
'I have heard they bite let me see'
I don't know how many people I have refused a sale too because of these phrases and similar ones starting out a potential sale
I understand the implications on our collections getting some deadly pathogen. but like I said only dealers I know WELL would even have the chance to hold them our closer inspect them.
For instance...If ken Harbart wanted to handle an animal I would have no problem, I am sure his collection is as clean if not cleaner than mine
Of course losing a sale sucks but...oh well
peace

Here are some examples of questions I have been asked at shows, that the people asking them have NEVER made a purchase, no matter what my answer:

* Are these things poisonous?

* What do these things eat when they are this small?

* Are these as big as they get?

* Are these things poisonous?

* How can they breath in those deli cups?

* Is that 50 dollars or 50 cents?

* Can we pet the snakes?

* And certainly my favorite: Are these things poisonous?


As general observations:

* The chances that someone pushing a baby stroller will buy something from you is about one out of one hundred.

* Do not sell to anyone who looks at the snakes and says

** "Cool! I'll bet this will scare the hell out of my roommate!"

** "Boy won't my mom be surprised!"


IMHO, of course.

yeah
I suppose you got to watch out for them venomous leopard geckos and corns

One more thing Rich..
..
..don't sell to people with the question

" How do they taste??'
and another favorite
'how do you prepare them'

lol

Originally posted by Rich Zuchowski
Here are some examples of questions I have been asked at shows, that the people asking them have NEVER made a purchase, no matter what my answer:

* Are these things poisonous?

* What do these things eat when they are this small?

* Are these as big as they get?

* Are these things poisonous?

* How can they breath in those deli cups?

* Is that 50 dollars or 50 cents?

* Can we pet the snakes?

* And certainly my favorite: Are these things poisonous?


IMHO, of course.

Hilarious, but true! Thanks for the laugh!!